A Law Intern’s Role
Law firms, corporates and government departments engage law interns to supplement their lawyers and support functions within their operations. Law interns can provide valuable help with due diligence, legal research, administrative tasks as well as more substantive projects. Like paralegals, their contributions are significant and often exceed the tasks allocated to them. However, because law interns are employed before being admitted as lawyers, their roles are often seen as assisting lawyers whilst gaining experience or exposure before being admitted.
Law interns may be expected to contribute to the firm’s knowledge management systems through the introduction of innovative ideas or contributing to the work of special projects. Corporate law interns working in a corporate legal department, also known as in-house counsel, may be exposed to client service skills in areas such as contract administration, eDiscovery , and other matters usually performed by paralegals or administrative staff within a legal department.
In addition to supporting the legal work of their team, law interns are often involved in assisting with the development of a firm’s business development initiatives, including research into trends, relationships, events for the purpose of facilitating conversations with clients and extending the firm’s network. Law interns also contribute to the pro bono efforts of a law firm. This task may involve research or administrative work, but also extends to members of the community who may not otherwise have access to legal advice.
Law interns are graduates from law schools who have met the requirements of admission to the bar and who are competent to perform the tasks assigned to him or her. Law interns provide legal support services to lawyers and are a cost effective human resource focused on delivering results to clients.
Research and Writing
Along with client interaction, legal research and writing are significant duties for law interns that allow them to hone their craft. Tasks like drafting memos, case law research as part of trial preparation, and even clerking — preparing a case file by summarizing the important elements of the evidence so far — are just a few tasks that require law interns to conduct legal research. While some of these tasks may be completed under the direction of their supervisor, research and writing is essential for law interns to demonstrate their understanding of the law.
Case law research is common across many areas of law, from family matters to criminal defense, often with limited time provided to the intern to complete the task. For instance, an attorney researching news law pertaining to wrongful death cases must not only find case law that sets precedent for those kinds of cases but also write a memo to the attorney — or their legal assistant — regarding what they found.
Specifically, the case law research may be for the following:
Criminal defense attorneys and law interns may be responsible for looking up case law for civil or criminal matters. They may even be given a chance to draft motions for cases in which they were involved. For instance, if called upon to perform legal research involving a victim’s compensation services for a police department, hotel, or nightclub, a law intern would be asked to sit in on meetings with the police department where the defendant has been arrested, and the victim in the case has become a liaison between the defendant and the law enforcement officials.
After interviews are conducted with the police department, the law intern may be charged with writing an article review or proposed piece of legislation on behalf of the defendant. Many times this includes writing in-depth case law research and presenting it to the legal staff.
Assisting with Casework
A law firm administrator must understand how to manage a case, whether the attorney is focused on it or not. Every case has a different handling requirement and it’s an Administrative Professional or administrative assistant’s job to ensure that every aspect is covered. One of the most important aspects of a case is the timeline. Cases and issues arise and then move to the next point on the timeline. Every case follows a process.
While an attorney may be focused on preparing for a court appearance, a law intern should handle the organizational portion of their cases including depositing funds, documenting the ongoing expenses, and tracking the collection and disbursement process. A law firm administrator should maintain and track the case progress and follow through with all attorney assignments. Many law firms do have a case tracking program, online or offline, which automatically adjusts to every case progress, ruling or appeal based on the case type. These programs are manual, semi-manual, or totally automated. Much depends on the type of case being handled and the firm’s internal protocols.
An attorney may request a paralegal to run the reports if the law firm administrator is not proficient and turn them over to the attorney for question/response and status update. In many cases, the law intern will run the reports and discussions with the attorney can occur between them. The law intern is not generally privy to such discussions. The attorney may leave the law intern to prepare all the next steps at court appearances, review of rulings, and list of next steps following the hearing.
The law intern will work with the attorney, paralegal, or law firm administrator to determine the best process method and use of legal software during the initial interviews with clients and witness witnesses. In many instances, there will be multiple interviews with multiple witnesses and the law firm will need this information for the initial case assessment. Certain states require law interns to be supervised by an attorney in the room while others do not.
Many times a law intern will gather all the upfront information to be used by the attorney during his or her assessment process. This may include taking interview notes, recording the video or audio, or copying and filing documents as needed. In these cases, the law firm may require the law intern to shadow the attorney and assistant to understand and learn the case assessment as it unfolds.
While law interns are not allowed to practice law, they are sometimes permitted by the state to represent clients before the court when they themselves appear before administrative agencies before a judge of court. The state’s Administrative Office of the Courts or Department of Judiciary regulates these actions.
A law intern’s actions are directly related to the state’s Court Commercial Practices Commission. They cannot provide legal opinions, practice law or represent a client in a legal matter. They can draft pleadings, correspondence, litigation documents and take examinations on behalf of the attorney in the firm or business setting. Generally, the law intern will be responsible for providing such litigations prior to the commencement of a trial.
Client Communication
Opportunities for client interaction may be limited; however, those roles are essential for the professional development of the law intern. This client interaction may be in the context of a meeting in the law firm or in court as a client’s representative, but it is vitally important that the law intern be provided with the opportunity to represent, accompany or interview a client at some point during their internship.
Again, this varies widely by the type and size of law firm. Larger firms may have distinct roles for research, writing, billable hours and client interaction, whereas smaller firms and solo practitioners might wear many hats. A cautionary note is required given these differences-law interns should not be allowed to make a court appearance for the client or represent the client in any way, unless carefully overseen by a more senior associate/partner or attorney.
The entry-level law intern must also be able to communicate clearly and effectively with the client. This communication can take place via telephone, e-mail or video conference, among other methods. Clear, regular communication helps the law interns learn to communicate with their clients and establishes a good habit for their future careers in law.
Courtroom Observation
The courtroom experience is another great opportunity for law interns to gain perspective. Interns at our firm have had the opportunity to observe both bench and jury trials, observe oral arguments before the appellate court, engage in pretrial motions, and attend hearings . Coverage of hearings and trials is usually handled by more seasoned attorneys or experienced associates, but interns can sometimes be given the opportunity to step in. Interns may also have the opportunity to work on settlement conferences. All of these experiences lead to a better understanding of litigation and how to work up a case even without a trial.
Administrative Responsibilities
Law interns may be tasked with a variety of administrative goals, including filing, managing schedules, and supporting office administration in other functions. These goals are often accomplished through the completion of administrative support tasks. For filing, interns may be responsible for filing documents with the court, the county, or other governmental institutions. This task entails maintaining strong familiarity with document filing procedures, as well as close attention to organization and detail. Whether documents are filed electronically or in hard copies, law interns must understand key filing requirements and specific processes of the office, and they are expected to maintain accurate filing, safeguard client confidentiality, and adhere to significant deadlines or due dates. This task can be joined by other support elements, such as notifying appropriate parties when filings occur, as well as keeping parties up-to-date on status of various matters in the case or proceeding.
In addition to filing, interns also may organize documents, indexes, logs, or other forms of files. Maintaining an efficient filing system can be extremely helpful for everyone in the office, especially when staff needs to find and access filed documents. Similar to filing, these responsibilities require strong attention to details, organization skills, and basic operational abilities. Law interns in this role are expected to neutralize all filing inefficiencies and remain alert for issues that may arise, including fighting potential filing problems.
Law intern schedules are frequently managed through administrative tasks. These duties involve coordinating and managing calendars, both for the firm and specific lawyers or individuals. This may include necessary follow-up tasks, such as ensuring proper documentation is prepared for any administrative meetings, tasks, or hearings. Administrative support tasks also may be incorporated into the office’s administration. Interns may be assigned to help execute basic managerial methods, such as daily supervision duties. Some administrative tasks, like basic accounting, entail regular reporting of daily activities.
Administrative duties make up a large portion of the law internship experience, and firm satisfaction in this area rests on a variety of criteria. Interns are expected to have strong skills in efficiency, attention to detail, collaboration, and meeting cooperative deadlines. Basic office values apply to this essential work, offering a strong benefit to the legal operation. Overall, administrative support tasks can significantly boost the productivity and overall function of a law office.
Skill Building and Networking Opportunities
A law firm internship, even as a law student intern, also helps to develop practical skills that are invaluable to long-term career success. As their respective roles require, interns will be called upon to exercise analytical skills, legal research, legal writing, and client communications, among others. While many of these skills are honed in a law school environment, the intern provides a unique opportunity to apply those skills in real-world situations. Within the confines of the law firm, there is at once a level of freedom with the expectation that the work performed must be independently developed, thought out, and ultimately reviewed. This independence can be daunting or liberating, but either way, it presents a uniquely formative opportunity for the intern to develop critical thinking skills and to hone his or her ability to identify, analyze, and come to conclusions.
Legal writing is a key component of the internship experience and most law firm interns are expected to produce a fair amount of written work products during their first employment opportunity as a law intern. The key is to take the opportunity seriously and to make the most of it.
An internship at a law firm, particularly a large firm, also provides an opportunity for law interns to develop professional relationships and to build their legal networks. Not only interns but also seasoned members of the law firm staff should recognize that there is value in the personal relationships developed during the course of the internship. In fact, the less formal nature of these relationships and encounters may provide the foundation for deeper and more fulfilling professional networks based on familiarity, mutual respect, and trust that may last for many years to come.
There is often a level of trepidation and anxiety experienced by new law school interns. The law school classroom setting is one fraught with tension, competitiveness, uncertainty, and anxiety. It can be stressful and frustrating, particularly for younger students. A law firm internship is an opportunity to develop professionalism, confidence, and skill, and to put theory into practice. For law school students, the internship or externship is usually a singular opportunity, distinguished from the regular academic year. It can be a valuable, enriching experience that should not be overlooked or taken for granted. So many law school students are fortunate to land a meaningful law firm internship or externship and to gain a much-appreciated perspective. Those law students who are ever in doubt about the value of gaining an internship or externship as part of their law school experience should remember the old adage "that you can never go back."
Conclusion: The Value of a Law Internship
In conclusion, law internships are an essential part of the legal professional landscape. With this seemingly rapid rate of change in technology, it has become imperative that both students and employers stay on top of the latest trends . Many would agree that no other profession is as unique as law, where interns are really the lifeblood to a successful legal practice. The skills they hone during their internships will benefit them in the years to come. Likewise, law firms know this, and realize that they are paving the way to being future leaders toward providing legal representation.