As a pre-law student, you have many questions on your mind at any given time, and likely two of them are: “How important are internships for the law school application process?” and “Which internships should I apply to?”
To answer the first question, while professional experience is not required for admission to law school, having work experience, which includes internships, can greatly enhance your overall application. In addition to allowing you to hone skills that will be helpful in law school and in your future career as a lawyer (i.e., time management), internships give you the opportunity to:
- See first-hand what a lawyer’s day-to-day looks like and how they complete their responsibilities, along with getting a better understanding of the legal system.
- Test out different areas of law to determine which one you would like to either explore further or aim to pursue after law school, without having to make a long-term commitment.
- Figure out the type of organization and work environment you prefer when the time comes to apply for full-time jobs.
- Examine how various professions, including or even beyond lawyers, tackle issues that you care about.
- Gain the perspectives and knowledge of yourself and the world that will provide depth to your law school applications and inform your future legal practice.
The answer to the second common question, ‘what types of internships you should seek out,’ is that it depends. There isn’t an “ideal” internship when it comes to law school admission. Interning for a U.S. Attorney’s Office doesn’t necessarily make you more competitive than if you decided to spend a summer doing a fundraising internship at a non-profit organization. While it is helpful to demonstrate some exposure to the law in your applications, that doesn’t mean you have to do an internship in a law office or with a legal organization. Sometimes, given your interests, skill set, or where you are in your career exploration process, it might make more sense for you to do a non-legal internship.
So, given those answers, how should you begin your internship?
- Start with what question or questions are top of mind for you in terms of your law journey. Internships can be thought of as “mini experiments.” Every good experiment begins with a good research question. The first thing to do before beginning your pre-law internship search is to think about what you hope to test out during the summer. An example of a clear, specific question is, “How do attorneys build a defense even when there is strong evidence of a client’s guilt?” Or, “Is it possible to make a social impact as a corporate lawyer instead of becoming a public interest lawyer?” Once you’ve formulated a set of questions, you can begin to start designing a strategy to help you find internships that will allow you to answer them.
- Think about the skills and experience you will need to practice the kind of law you envision yourself doing in the future. It makes sense as a pre-law student to be focused on the law school process, but law school is a means to your ultimate end — becoming a lawyer. Therefore, instead of thinking “what will law schools think of my internship?”, turn your attention to what internship opportunities will aid you in building the expertise and experience needed to be successful in your future career. For example, if you want to be a criminal defense attorney, you would want to seek out an internship working in a criminal defense law office or a public defender’s office. But, in addition to understanding the legal system and building a defense strategy, you have to know how to empathize with your clients. Therefore, another valuable internship could be working for an organization that aids individuals impacted by incarceration in reintegrating into their communities.
- Focus on the content of the internship, not just the name of the organization or job title. More than just where you work, it is what you do as an intern that is important. When looking at internship descriptions, pay attention to the listed responsibilities. Your goal is to find an internship that allows you to demonstrate to law schools and future employers that you developed relevant skills, such as synthesizing large, complex amounts of information to communicate it to others or to inform a strategy, or listening and responding to the needs of clients or customers. Additionally, look for internship opportunities that allow you to work on or contribute to projects, even if they are small, that can be highlighted as accomplishments on your resume.
