Role of Internships in Law Student’s Career - Things to Keep in Mind Before Applying

Importance of Internships in Law Schools

Being a law student may be really exciting, particularly when you discover the numerous kinds of careers that are out there. But the knowledge that you gain from the books is limited to a certain level; eventually, you might need to pick up some real-world knowledge. As a result, doing an internship in the legal area will be highly advantageous to you as it will allow you to learn more about the industry in-depth.

Students must comprehend the significance of law internships and their function in the legal profession. While completing an internship in a legal sector does not guarantee employment, it does provide a student an advantage in the industry. Here are some of the benefits and objectives of internship for law students:

Gain practical knowledge: Interning at a good law firm is a really good way to get practical knowledge about the profession. Gaining practical knowledge help law students become worthy lawyers.

Gain work experience: Along with gaining practical knowledge, students will also add valuable work experience to their portfolio. A good resume is a very useful asset in any profession.

Networking: Networking is a really useful thing for faster career success. Doing an internship at a law firm means candidates meet different people from the law world. This gives students an opportunity to network with professionals that will help them in their career in future.

Developing good research skills: Having good research skills is a really advantageous thing for any lawyer. Law is a very wide field and having good research skills will take them very far in their professional career.

Also Read | Law Internships: Be job-ready from Day 1!

Legal Internships Fall Under The Following Broad Categories:

NGOs: NGOs offer internship opportunities to law students and contribute to providing valuable insights into particular areas of law. A law student who interns with an NGO will learn leadership skills, collaboration, social awareness, and other life skills. Every law student must grasp gaining real-world information and experience in order to understand the relationship between law and society.

Internships at Law firms: It includes internships at various corporate and litigation law firms. It should be primarily opted by those who look for a career prospect in law firms. The tasks performed by a legal intern vary depending on the needs of the business and the student's degree of expertise, but they often involve routine office tasks like copying and filing, legal research, client support, and helping attorneys in court and with paperwork. Research is a significant component of every legal internship.

Court internships: Court internships primarily include an internship at the district court, High Courts, or Supreme Court under a lawyer’s guidance. Recommended for those students who wish to join the judiciary or litigation as it provides them practical exposure to judicial procedure and its technicalities. Candidates opting for court internships should always start from subordinate courts as this will make them familiar with the actual court procedure.

Public Sector Undertakings: There are various PSUs such as HPCL, ONGC, HDFC bank, that offer internships to law students to train them in the company’s legal compliances.

Government Internships: There are certain Government organizations that offer internships. The prominent ones are the Ministry of Finance, Competition Commission of India, Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Ministry of Law & Justice.

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Tips to Keep in Mind Before You Start Your Internship

When faced with criticism or disappointment, keep your composure- One of the most important skills for lawyers to have is a "poker face." You will lose cases, and not all of your desired motions will be granted. There may be times when your seniors will use stern language, so it's smart to practice handling difficult situations with patience. While developing your practical abilities as a legal intern, you'll definitely get some unfavorable criticism. Even if you could express a little disappointment, becoming overly emotional—crying or angry—will make you come across as immature and unprofessional.

Punctuality is a precious virtue- The legal profession places a high value on punctuality. Judges have an excessive number of cases to hear, as you may already be aware, and the courtroom is an extremely time-constrained environment. As an intern, you should develop a habit to reach your workplace or courtroom before time as this will help you when you eventually enter into the legal profession.

Maintain formal Office Communications: Millennials are a generation of emojis and abbreviations. Senior partners and supervising attorneys, however, are not. Rather than be the face of the younger generation, you should match the tone of your supervisor and the rest of the staff when sending emails, and text messages. Don’t send a message full of slang and “hahas” to a managing partner or your supervisor unless they’ve sent messages like that to you. Address emails with a greeting and a signature, as well.

Respect and courtesy should be shown to everyone you come into contact with- Some of the worst characteristics an intern may exhibit include rudeness and arrogance. Even if you make mistakes with your legal work, being courteous and friendly will increase the likelihood that others will see you positively. If you treat someone badly, word will get around quickly. Even if you are at the top of your class, a negative attitude might prevent you from getting a job. Being a kind coworker will benefit you in the long term, even if it shouldn't be done for any other reason than to be courteous. You could be feeling stumped by a certain job project and unsure of whom to ask.

Keep in mind that your purpose in being there is to both learn and assist- This part can be a little challenging, especially if you are a first-year law student or an undergraduate legal intern. Given your lack of the necessary credentials, some businesses might not have much work for you to accomplish. You can become tired of just using LexisNexis or Westlaw to create copies and retrieve documents. Though your duties will be little, ask to go to as many events as you can. Remember that you are fortunate to have the option to work at a legal firm or in the public sector, and never show signs of being bored or annoyed with your job.

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A good intern should be enthusiastic and available. A company or a law firm always looks for people that have an interest in contributing to the work and are adaptable to taking on new responsibilities. You should never turn down an opportunity because it is too small. Make yourself valuable to those who arrive at the office early and those who stay late. Even if they aren't included at the top of the letterhead, those folks are nevertheless important to the company. Show that you have a solid knowledge of how very essential clients are and that your goal is to manage their company or their law firms well.

Government Internships for Law Students

Here are some government internships that law students can consider to give a boost to their career:

• Ministry of Commerce and Industry, DPIIT
• Project 39A, NLU Delhi (NLU Delhi)
• Competition Commission of India (CCI)
• Ministry of External Affairs of India
• Centre for Mental Health Law & Policy (CMHLP)
• Ministry of Legal Affairs

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