Hello everyone,
I have a question regarding to what I should do next summer; it will be the first summer after I finish my freshman year in college.
I am hoping to apply for a T14 Law School, however, I must ask what types of internships I should look for ( I understand I may fail because I simply do not have enough experience to be considered eligible for some internships ) , and if I cannot find an internship, what should I look for instead?
All answers will greatly be appreciated. Thank you.
Anything is good, even working retail. Or, conduct some research with a Prof…SURP…
That being said, some posters will recommend an internship at a local law firm. Personally, I’m a skeptic that such is all that valuable.
I agree with bluebayou. I am in an alumni career network for undergrads of where I went to law school, and I meet with undergrads from time to time to discuss their interest in law school. Many of them ask if they should work in a law firm in the summer or whenever during college. From my own findings (talking to classmates and to people at my law school), working in a law firm when you’re in college will not help law school admissions chances. I also don’t think that it gives you a realistic picture of being a lawyer, since the work that you’d get isn’t really “legal” work.
So I’d explore a variety of types of internships in a variety of fields. They will help expose you to new things and perhaps help you see what you like and what you don’t like–with the caveat that an internship anywhere isn’t necessarily the same as actually working in the field for your career. At least a variety of internships can give you fodder for actual job interviews and law school admissions applications, since you’ll have some exposure to a variety of new things and experiences you’ve learned from due to them.
I agree that anything is good, but I do think it’s important to get experience in a law office. That’s not because it looks better on a resume, it’s because people’s perception of what lawyers do often clashes with what lawyers actually do. It’s important to learn what practice is like before committing yourself to law school. Finding out after can be a serious problem.
I agree one should work in a law firm before committing to law school. Being a lawyer is not all that glamorous and many do not make big bucks.