What to expect from a legal internship?

[lazarusb]

Hello, I am due to start an internship next week in an area I have not studied in. I'm really looking forward to it but am a bit apprehensive at the time. Can anyone tell me what I will be expected to do - please don't say make coffee all week!

You will read a lot of files and summarise the contents. You might get involved in doing court bundles. Don't expect to find it interesting, or in any way representative of what it is actually like to be a lawyer. What you should do is: look and sound interested. Take every opportunity to speak to the people who work there - all of them. You won't know who's a lawyer and who isn't, but take a genuine interest in all of them, ask them about their path to their current job and so on. If you can get a bit of rapport going, then when you apply for a TC you can drop those people a line again and remind them who you are. If you've managed to get in with a partner, you could have a lot of support this way. If you just manage to get your name known as that girl who was really interested, that's good too.

Thank you, that's really helpful. I'm sitting primarily with a Trainee Solicitor in his third seat. He's also a mature student and I've looked him up on LinkedIn. His path is different to mine so that's already opened up a line of questions. I can definitely look and sound interested even if I'm not!

They are also giving me the opportunity to spend time with the Graduate Recruitment department who are going to tell me what they look for which will be helpful. TC applications are already in but fingers crossed!

Definitely chat with the trainee, ask him lots about how he finds his job, why he changed career, how is it working out etc. Also ask questions about the particular firm - how does it compare to firms his friends from law school are at and so on. When going for a TC what stands out is candidates who have a genuine interest in the particular firm, rather than the more scattergun approach adopted by most.

Thanks again Useful information that I will utilise well!