Five Benefits of an Internship in Law School

You've been accepted into law school and made the decision to pursue a law degree. While making your way through school, consider applying for internships (sometimes also called externships). The essence of an internship is to earn credits toward your degree while gaining invaluable experience at the same time. Typically, first year law students cannot pursue these opportunities because the core classes have to be taken, but they should be made available by the second year of school. Prerequisites may be an interview or a certain grade point average, so check with your registrar's office for application requirements. With that said, let's look at five reasons why you may want to consider one of these opportunities.

1. The number one reason is experience. Your resume outlining experience gained through an internship may give you an edge over other new graduates. Based on the law school I attended, there was a wide variety of internships available, which were generally in the area of public interest. You can gain experience with client interviewing and counseling, and if the proper waiver is available, you may have the unique opportunity of representing clients in real hearings. Where can you get this type of experience and not be licensed to practice law?

2. It's a matter of gaining practical experience over theory. An internship will allow you to roll up your sleeves and get involved with real cases, real problems. The alternative is to sit in a classroom and take in all the theory you can muster. Which option will most likely advance your career more: discussing with your client the pros and cons of a case for disability benefits or sitting in a contracts class trying to dream up as many ways as possible why that offer really wasn't an offer?

3. If you make a mistake during representation, it's not the end of the world because it's a learning experience. You are under the tutor of an experienced attorney, who will act as a mentor. It's better to make errors early in the process, which can speed up your learning curve before entering the real world. Part of the process of an internship is to see how much growth was made since the start.

4. If you make a good impression, your mentor attorney could be a valuable professional reference and may even write a letter of recommendation on your behalf. Also, the attorney could be a quality source of career advice and if nothing else, he or she may be a contact for networking.

5. The fifth benefit is listed last because from a certain perspective it is the most meaningful. Depending on the type of internship, you may come across situations where your client is not only looking for a legal advocate but someone who is willing to lend an ear for general discussion. Maybe your client is going through a strenuous hardship. You may be one of the few people in that person's world who is taking the time to listen. I completed a disability internship during school, and I found the client counseling aspect rewarding. After discussions with some clients, I felt there was more at stake during the representation. If you aren't planning a career in public interest, this may be the one opportunity to get a glimpse of what this field is about.

If your law school offers opportunities to break away from the classroom setting, you are encouraged to explore these avenues. You may discover something about the field of law you never thought of before and may even walk away with some memorable learning experiences.