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LawSchoolandInternships 11 - 15 Jun 2008 - Main.NicoleMedham
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I'm curious about how others are feeling about their internships and clerkships so far this summer. I know there was substantial concern among students this past year about how law school was training us and will continue to train us to do the work of a lawyer. For what it's worth, so far, I've been pleasantly surprised. I've worked on various types of projects in various areas within a large Indy law firm, and I'm finding that there is nothing that I can't think my way through and bottom out on, by using the "tools" that we were exposed to in law school, which I don't think I would have been able to do nearly as effectively before I started law school. But I also know that it takes me substantially longer to complete a project than would be the case with someone who has more experience under her belt. I'm certainly relying on my low billing rate to offset this discrepancy. Granted, I know it's a long way from here to thinking about partnership, but at least I feel like I've got some basics down. | | | For what it's worth, during the first couple of weeks, I was also horrified at the thought of pulling up Westlaw and Lexis databases that cost the firm, and often the client, anywhere from $8 to $134 per click of the mouse. I don't know how representative this firm is of other firms or for-profits in general, but we were given 1 to 1-1/2 hour training on each database (again) during the first week, and we walked out of that training with a freebie pass for a week. Nothing like spending that week frontloading research assignments, then downloading, emailing, printing, and comparing research strategies with each other (there are 25 summer associates here). By the end of the week, and after researching a 50-state comparative analysis, my anxiety at the thought of switching to "pay per view" declined substantially. Plus, you may have the choice of being charged by the minute or by the transaction, and that can make a difference, depending on what information you need. You probably already know this, but if Westlaw or Lexis reps visit your organization to offer advice, they are inclined to give you a day pass if you ask. Then there are the 800-number representatives who give you research angles for free, if that's included in your organization's package. Hopefully, we'll all feel more relaxed about this by the end of the summer.
-- BarbPitman - 14 Jun 2008 | |
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Thus far, I'm quite happy with my summer internship. I'm interning with the Kings County DA office and it's definitely been a great experience thus far. I haven't really used my "research skills"...mainly because my assigned ADA hasn't really been working on any motions that he could pass of to me. However, some of my fellow interns have, and they don't seem to be too worried about the costs of Westlaw and Lexis.
As for using skills taught and honed during 1L...well, I can say that I've used some of them, mainly in conversation with my ADA when I'm trying to understand the law that someone has been charged under or just really trying to understand the fundamentals of a case. Learning how to spot potential problems that the defense could jump on has been a good thing given that I've been allowed to participate in questioning witnesses.
Basically, despite already knowing that crim law isn't for me, I'm really glad that I'm working at the DA office.
-- NicoleMedham - 15 Jun 2008 | | | |
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