<p>I just got an internship with the public defender's office and im not sure whether its worth my time. So, I have a few questions:</p>
<p>1.) Has anyone interned at the public defender's office? If yes, how is it? Do you get to do substantive stuff or just photocopying? Is it interesting/fun?</p>
<p>2.) Do you think interning at PD's office will help that much in admissions (Im hoping to apply to the T14)? My family is not that well off and I could defintely use the money that i would make at my regular job. They require at least 15 hours a week and if i used that time at work, i would make over $1000 during the summer. So, is it worth foregoing the money if i kinda need it (its not like im gonna die w/o it, but it definetly would help)? For example, would it make a good letter of rec if i interned there for 3 summers before I applied to law school? </p>
<p>Sorry, i meant that i would make $4000 this summer if i forego the internship at the public defender's office. </p>
<p>Any suggestions? Do you guys think its worth it (if the money i would make at my real job would help pay for college)? How much does this kind of internship help in the admissions process? If i worked there for 3 summers and got a good letter of rec, would that help me much? Or, does the work experience (im a SAT coach for a test prep company) do just as much for me as the internship?</p>
<p>Any advice would be greatly appreciated because the internship is supposed to start soon and i decide that i dont want to do it, i'd like to let them know ASAP.</p>
<p>I'm in a similar position. I really need the money I would make at a regular job, but I feel that experience interning as a Legal Advocate gives me so much more. It allows me to understand certain aspects of the legal system, see how staff work in these environments and it's just a good experience in general. Sometimes I do grunt work but that's granted since I intern at an NGO.</p>
<p>I'm not sure you should do everything for the next couple of years with admissions in mind. Do what will benefit or challenge you. If you really want to see how the public defender works, do it. I actually was offered an internship with the public defender's office in my county as well, but they offered it after I had committed to the NGO so I couldn't do it. For my county, they allowed interns to work directly with clients so it seemed very hands-on.</p>
<p>Thanks for your input. Im just concerned about the money that I will be losing from not working at a paid job. I suppose its the experiences you derive from an internship that make it woth it. But, do you really think that working in a public defender's office is really going to give me some insight into what i would be doing as an associate at a BIGLAW firm (and i have to go BIGLAW after law school because im gonna have massive loan indebtedness)?</p>
<p>I would go with the money if tuition for law school is going to be an issue. I think keeping debt down is very important so you may have more options after law school. I can't say that the internship won't mean anything to admissions, but working may be considered just as favorably. With regard to getting an offer from "biglaw", it's what you do with the law school summers and grades that count. The internship should be an interesting experience, and if money were not an issue, it would be a good choice.</p>