There is no question that participation in paralegal internship programs can be a good way to acquire the experience often necessary to enter the field.

—— Paralegal studies ——

According to the Guidelines for the Approval of Paralegal Education Programs of the American Bar Association, “'[i]nternships, cooperative education placements and law clinics (hereafter collectively referred to as “field experiences”) are encouraged and are classified as legal specialty courses.”

As a result, most paralegal studies programs offer credits for such internships. These internships are designed to improve the student's total learning experience through a planned period of inspection, study and involvement in a law firm and provide a unique opportunity to apply the new skills and knowledge students acquire. They have become kind of a rite of passage, a planned transition from the paralegal studies classroom to the paralegal job.

Internship programs can reinforce technical competencies, improve analytical skills, and, most importantly, foster awareness of the constant need for adaptability in a changing legal world. The right internship can be the key to a great paralegal job, as it gives the aspiring paralegal a chance to take on real responsibilities while working side-by-side with seasoned legal professionals. (At least that is the plan and also the case in most cases.) These internships also provide up-and-coming paralegals with an idea of what area of law they might wish to specialize in.

—— Internships during uncertain times ——

In these difficult economic times and with major reorganizations in law firms making headlines everyday, internships are becoming increasingly valuable to students and employers.

As a result, competition is fierce for summer positions this year. From talking with legal administrators, and other HR professionals, on get the impression that there is not a sole criterion, such as grades or previous job experience, that lawyers seek in their paralegal interns.

Interns are usually selected based on the specific skills that can address the practice's specific current needs. Law firms also consider grades and extracurricular activities important because they provide insight into a student's working potential. Commonly sought-after traits are a hard-working attitude and being a team player.

—— How to choose the right internship ——

The selection process is also important to students and they must be careful about how they select the host organization.

Not all internships are created equal and some may be more like sweatshops (with days and nights spent in front of copy machines or in dark basements, reorganizing old paper files). So yes, exploitation does exist. But this does not preclude the paralegal student from demanding more meaningful work or walking away from a situation that treats them unfairly.

At the same time, summer interns must have realistic expectations about what they will do during these temporary assignments, and the interview process offers a means to obtain that information.

Students can also use internships as their own probationary period to check out a potential employer and see if it could be a good fit for them. Simply put, internships are a great way for students to sample a law firm or legal department without committing to a too long period of time.

—— Tips for success ——

Here are some good basic tips to make sure that the internship will be a successful one:

• Get to the office early, work late when you need to, and resist the urge to kick back when others are taking vacation.
• Be enthusiastic, but don’t be a sycophant.
• Don’t complain. Find the positive aspects in your project assignments.
• Participate in social gatherings, but take care to dress appropriately.
• “Casual dressing” may mean jeans and a T-shirt to the student, but khakis and a golf shirt to mentors.
• Be a team player.
• Demonstrate initiative and creativity.

According to a legal administrator,“there are two kinds of summer clerks who aren’t worth their salary — those who never do what is asked and those who only do what is asked.”

—— Cooperation between all parties involved ——

Successful internship programs depend on the competency and motivation of all involved parties.

An internship should offer its participants substantive, creative, and challenging work.

The best law firms and legal departments recognize the importance of assigning their interns specific, real-world projects, and exposing them to a broad cross-section of the different practices.

Some of them have even developed specific summer programs for paralegal interns. For example, some law firms organize a two-day orientation program to teach interns how to use the firm’s technology, how to manage their workload, how to research in ways that minimize costs to clients, and more generally how to work efficiently with the other members of the practice. Others assign a senior paralegal who serves as a mentor and offers advice and can even try to help the intern secure permanent employment.

Great employers understand that by treating their interns well they will in turn generate positive word-of-mouth regarding the the firm and therefore attract more and better talent in the future. If the interns have a satisfactory learning experience, they are going to talk about it to other good potential candidates, friends, relatives, neighbors. Anyone and everyone ... even including people who could become great clients!

For more information:

Coco, Malcolm, Internship programs, SAM Advanced Management J. (2000).

Mibiz.com, On-the-job courting? Law firms get to know new hires through summer internships.