Introduction to Legal Internships
A legal internship or externship is a practical educational program. Through internships, law students have the opportunity to apply academic theory to practice. They learn about the key determinants for successful lawyering, such as professional behavior, ethics, and the organization and discipline required to do quality work. The skills obtained by students through legal internships and externships can be used as vital tools to practice their profession after graduation.
Students are not the only ones that benefit from the experience . Law firms, corporations, and government entities that offer legal internships or externships often have a need for extra help in order to meet their legal goals and objectives. By offering a student an internship, or an externship in instances where the student receives credit from the law school for the experience, they then get to fulfill their own specific need through a productive and rewarding relationship with the student.
Even though the experience is rewarding for both the law firm and law student, the primary purpose of law school internship and externship programs is to educate law students in practical lawyering skills.
Why Pursue a Legal Internship in Seattle
When it comes to legal internships, Seattle offers a unique set of advantages that make it an attractive destination. The city has a well-established legal market, which means that there are plenty of opportunities to gain exposure to a variety of different practice areas. With major law firms, government agencies, and non-profit organizations all calling Seattle home, interns are able to explore different areas of the law and find their niche.
In addition to the legal market, Seattle has a vibrant cultural scene that offers a wealth of opportunities for both personal and professional growth. From world-class museums and music venues to top-notch restaurants and outdoor activities, there’s never a shortage of things to do in the city. For legal interns, this is a major plus as they are able to soak up everything that Seattle has to offer while also gaining valuable work experience.
Finally, the city’s location on the West Coast means that interns have access to networking opportunities that are unparalleled on the East Coast. With major tech companies, biotech firms, and other Fortune 500 businesses setting up shop in the area, it’s easy for interns to make valuable connections that can help jumpstart their careers.
Different Types of Legal Internships and Legal Internship Types
The array of legal internships available in the Seattle area is designed to provide law students with diverse training in order to give them greater insight into what working as an attorney involves and the variety of industries and organizations in which they can work. There are opportunities in wiht law firm. Law firms are usually looking for interns for their litigation, intellectual property, employment and general counsel departments. Internships are also available at several government agencies and branches. The United States Attorney’s Office has four distinct programs: civil, child support, criminal and appellate. It is a national program that provides incoming students with the opportunity to work alongside law clerks, attorneys or paralegals. The indigent defense section of the King County Department of Public Defense offers a paid internship at no more than 20 hours per week. Other offices include the King County Prosecuting Attorney, the U.S. Department of Labor, Civil Division, the United States Army Corps of Engineers Environmental and Regulatory Section and the Washington State Attorney General’s Office. Non-profit organizations also seek legal interns, including Public Health of Seattle and King County, Communities In Schools of Seattle, the Northwest Justice Project, Northwest Immigrant Rights Project and Equal Rights Washington. One corporate department that employs interns is the Microsoft Corporation. Interns are given substantive work in the legal department, including participation in special projects and day-to-day tasks.
How Can You Get a Legal Internship in Seattle?
The legal internship search can be an intimidating process. But with the right plan, law students should have no problem securing an internship. There are several beneficial steps law students should take when beginning their internship search. First and foremost, law students should begin their legal internship search as early as possible. Many legal internships require that applicants be in their second or third year, so law students should seek out internships ahead of time to make themselves more competitive. With the deadlines facing Seattle-based law students, legal internships should be applied for early. Before law students begin the search for legal internships, they should find a resume template they can use to showcase their achievements. Law students should begin the internship search by going through their school’s career services and resources. This allows law students to see all of their potential internship options, and how to apply for each specific internship of interest. Career services at schools also host career fairs, and law students should take the opportunity to attend these events, as they are a great way to speak with potential employers. Networking is especially important for law students, given their limited work experience. Those within the legal profession in Seattle can describe what makes their company unique and share their first-hand insight into what working within the profession is really like. Networking is particularly important when it comes to seeking out legal internships, because law students can rely on their faculty and professors as well as other attorneys within the legal profession to provide advice and insight into the legal profession. Seeking out mentors within the legal profession allows law students to better tailor their resumes to their experiences and individual skills and qualifications that will make them stand out from the crowd. Networking can help law students find a temporary job or entry-level role within a firm, which can open up more opportunities for them down the line. Once a connection is established, law students should look for opportunities to visit the firm and learn more about the work they do. Once a good resume is created, and law students have created a list of potential employers, they should research the firms and internships they are interested in. Law students should ask current or former employees or interns about the work they’re doing. Having a few questions written down about what you’ve learned through your research and what you’d like to know about the firm or internship can be a great way to ensure that law students make a good impression when seeking out a prospective employer. Interviewing for legal internships is not unlike interviewing for regular employment, which means law students should similar strategies when interviewing for legal internships. Prepare by dressing the part and maintaining an appropriate demeanor. Law students should plan out their route ahead of time and aim to arrive at least five minutes early. If you’ve secured an interview, be sure to follow-up with employers afterward that you interviewed with. Not only does this allow you to show your appreciation for their consideration, but it is also another opportunity to communicate your interest in the position. The internship search can be a daunting task, but it’s not one that is insurmountable.
Top Employers Who Hire Interns in Seattle
The top firms in the Seattle area that are offering legal internships across various fields include top litigation focuses such as Perkins Coie and global corporation Microsoft, which are the two top-grossing companies in the city. Seattle’s economy is rife with large corporations and private firms, many of whom offer highly-competitive legal internship positions. In law and accounting firms alone, some legal giants aside from Perkins Coie include K&L Gates, Garvey Schubert Barer, Williams Kastner, Ogden Murphy & Foster and Betts Patterson & Mines . A leading firm for intellectual property, regional firm Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton also serves clients globally, including tech giants Amazon and Starbucks. Legal departments on the inside track for potential internship opportunities come via the federal government and Washington state itself, offering legal internships within the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, as well as the offices of King County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg and King County Public Defender Dan Satterberg.
Intern Case Studies: Success Stories from Seattle
Internships not only provide law students with newfound skills but can often lead to a permanent position at their law firm. Many past interns have also gone on to have great careers and success after their internship.
A 2013 graduate of the Seattle University School of Law spent three months interning at Keller Rohrback, LLP. According to the lawyer he worked under, his attention to detail and thought process led the firm to offer him an associate position after he graduated. As an undergrad, the student attended the University of Washington and won numerous awards for his academic achievements. In addition to his law degree, he also plans to complete a master’s degree in tax law.
Another success story at Keller, a 2012 graduate of the University of California Hastings College of the Law began working with Keller during her second summer of law school and continued on with them for two additional months before being hired as a full-time associate at the firm. While getting her undergraduate degree, she was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society. During her two years at Hastings, she was a merit scholarship recipient and a law review membership recipient. Her internship was a key factor in helping her gain permanent employment.
Frank Freed Subit & Thomas’ Seattle office also recently hired two interns that had previously interned at the firm. Their 2010 intern is currently undergoing her litigation training at the Washington State Attorney General’s Office while finishing up her clerkship at a prominent Seattle law firm. A 2013 intern has also been hired by the firm after gaining experience in their civil/human rights practice group. She attended Yale University as an undergrad and is pursuing an LL.M at the New York University School of Law.
Interns at offices of New York firm Nixon Peabody have also gone on to experience success. A 2013 international lawyer intern now works at a prominent Oklahoma law firm and a 2014 intern now works for the Washington State Legislature.
Many more success stories have come from Seattle internships and will continue to do so in the future.
Pros and Cons of Legal Internships in Seattle
Seattle legal internships offer many benefits to law students, but they also present a few challenges. In this section, we’ll break down the potential benefits of a Seattle legal internship as well as challenges you might encounter during your time as an intern. A Seattle legal internship might not be right for everyone, but if you can manage to score one, it’s well worth the trouble. Some of the biggest benefits of aspiring law students doing an internship in Seattle are: Internships are often paid, but even if yours is unpaid, you’ll gain valuable experience and contacts for your resume. For many law students, an internship opportunity leads to a job offer after graduation. Even if it doesn’t lead to direct employment, it helps you build a network of colleagues that you can actually reach out to when you need a reference for future employment opportunities. In fact, for minority law students, the networking opportunities are even more substantial, as women and minority attorneys may be able to refer you to their firm, or help you find a suitable mentor. You will be a full-fledged law student in Seattle now – no longer the scared little first-year scrambling to get their grades. But you’re also not quite done with school yet. You still need to pick up those 20 hours of pro-bono work per semester, or complete your LRAP requirements in order to graduate. The best advice we can give you when it comes to balancing your internship with your remaining studies is to get organized and plan as far in advance as possible. Don’t take on more work than you can realistically handle, but don’t be afraid to step up and take on additional projects. Just be honest about your time limitations. Most professors know that their students are busy, so they won’t expect you to dedicate 40 hours per week to their classes. Interning at a large firm in Seattle might soon be something you have to get used to, and the adjustment can be a difficult one. For example, although most professors are supportive of class attendance and completion of homework, some Seattle legal firms are firmly rooted in the old-school mentality, where working 12-hour days as a norm is completely acceptable. This can be pretty hard to get used to, and you might notice your work efficiency start to suffer as a result. The longer these hours go on, the more difficult it is to keep up with your schoolwork. Many interns who have attended these firms recommend compartmentalizing your task list for school and work, so you can check things off without feeling under pressure to finish everything that’s on your schedule because you’re worried about something else being incomplete.
What Happens After a Legal Internship in Seattle?
The potential to obtain a full-time position post-internship is contingent on the type of law under consideration as well as the company, enterprise, or group seeking an intern. For example, individuals who gain experience interning as criminal defense lawyers in Seattle have exceptional prospects for securing a position after their internship. Although many criminal defense firms are hesitant to hire interns upon completing law school, they are often unable to find such people who have qualified for the job. This does not imply that all companies are ranked equally with regard to intern-turned-employee recruitment , but it implies that most companies want to fill positions of employment with people who have experience above and beyond what they may have received during their legal education. Consequently, many organizations would prefer someone with prior experience in the area they wish to pursue full-time, which puts an intern who has interned at a firm, a court, or even a law office already ahead of other candidates who are looking to obtain the same position.