Tips for Getting the Most from a Summer Internship

The New Jersey Law Journal recently offered four tips for law students who want to get the most out of a summer associate experience and increase the chances of receiving a job offer from the same employer the following spring. It's the basis of some good advice for aspiring J.D.s who are spending this summer working or volunteering at law-related organizations, too:

1) Talk to people. Ask questions about what's being done, and why. You'll not only learn more about how law is practiced on a day-to-day basis, but you just may strike up a relationship with someone who could write a good recommendation letter for you when the time comes.

2) Listen to what's going on. Develop your ability to retain what you hear completely and accurately, especially when you're being given instructions. Efficient listening is a important skill for attorneys.

3) Observe everything you can. Law is a complex process, and a lot of important things go on outside any one person's vision. Take every chance that arises to gain some first-hand familiarity with legal processes and procedures.

4) Think over what you've seen and heard, and decide what lessons you should take from your experience. Do you still want to work in a big law firm, after seeing it from the perspective of a temp? Do you still want to work in public interest law, after seeing the financial compromises people make to work there? Did you come away from your summer experience with a story that sums up why you want to be a lawyer? If so, start making notes – you just might have the perfect anecdote to build your personal statement around.

Source: "Create the Right Lasting Impression," by Michael Fekete - The New Jersey Law Journal, June 5, 2006