Benefit from Legal Internships: A Complete Guide & Application Tips

Nov 14, 2023

Written By Lewis Ogg

Internships offer students real-world experience and practical insights into the reality of the legal field. These schemes are typically prospective lawyers' first professional break where they can test how their academic interests translate across to day-to-day law. This article will walk you through the huge variety of different available internship types, how you can go about securing one of these opportunities, and how to make the most out of the experience.

Types of legal internships

The most well-known subsection of internships is vacation schemes with private practice law firms. Vacation schemes are a fantastic opportunity, usually for commercial solicitors (though not exclusively), to gain first-hand experience of the culture of the firms they are applying to and understand the often-overlooked difference between practice areas. Perhaps the biggest part of the vacation scheme is the potential for a Training Contract at the end, with many large firms now recruiting from their vacation schemes rather than direct training contract applications.

Internships in private practice are certainly not the only way to gain commercial experience, with in-house internships offering applicants the exciting chance to experience the intersection between business and law. Even if you intend to train in private practice, these internships are an excellent opportunity to develop the kind of commercial awareness law firms are looking for in trainees.

For those less interested in commercial law, public-sector internships can offer an engaging variety of work for interns in a completely different environment from commercial law opportunities. There are public sector opportunities for every academic interest, whether it’s Criminal Law opportunities with the Crown Prosecution Service, Administrative and Constitutional law with the parliamentary Civil Service, or a role within a local authority.

Students are usually much more accustomed to non-profit work through university pro-bono services, but there are also valuable internship opportunities to be found within this sector. A range of pro bono organisations, legal clinics, and advocacy groups offer internships for students, with the chance to take on a meaningful and impactful role which can support vulnerable individuals and communities. While it’s worth remembering that non-profit internships might not lead directly to employment, the greater responsibility given to interns means you can grow your professional skills considerably.

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Finding and applying for legal internships

It is vital that every student takes the time to do their own research and networking across the legal field. Don’t make the common mistake of just getting drawn into the most promoted sector or the one your friends are pursuing. Research not only the different types of law you are interested in, but also those that practise it. This will give you a much better sense of what day-to-day life looks like in that sector.

When applying for internships, do not be put off just because there is no legal experience on your CV. Remember recruiters appreciate how difficult getting legal experience can be. The most important thing is that you fully develop all of your experience, whether legal or not, to demonstrate to the recruiter the skills and lessons you took from those opportunities.

Bear in mind that you are going to receive your legal training at that firm or institution, so you aren’t expected to go in as an expert. Your soft skills like teamwork, research, and commercial awareness are just as important to highlight in your CV or cover letter.

When it comes to interviews, preparation is key. Ensure you know the organisation inside out, meaning you know the sector(s) they work in, the type of work you would do in the role, and why you want to pursue this role. It’s always good to have an example case up your sleeve.

Making the most of your legal internship

During internships, organisations are looking for individuals who will make hardworking, productive, and reliable trainees. One of the easiest ways to demonstrate this is to maintain high levels of professionalism. This means being punctual, being a clear but polite communicator, and consistently delivering work in a timely fashion to a high level.

Internships are a fantastic learning experience, and far too often, students become so obsessed with impressing that they never venture into areas where they can develop new skills and insight. Make sure to push yourself, use the opportunity to try new practice areas, and don’t be afraid to ask how you can improve at the end of tasks.

Not every internship will immediately lead to a job; in fact, most usually don’t. However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take the time to expand your professional network. Colleagues, mentors, and supervisors are great people to stay in contact with; you never know when it might be useful to know someone.

Throughout the process, from the beginning of the application to the exit interview, you should seek constant feedback. This is a great chance to get constructive criticism from legal professionals, so take every opportunity you get. Especially when it comes to in-tray work, asking trainees how they would have structured the task or what content they would have chosen to prioritise can be beneficial.

Legal internship challenges and solutions

One of the most difficult parts of the internship process is time management. Applications, psychometric tests, assessment centres, interviews, and then the eventual internship all require adequate time to progress to the next stage, time students often find hard to put aside alongside study and work. A helpful tactic for applicants is to start early. Create a detailed spreadsheet with all the relevant deadlines. This allows you to allocate small allotments of time over an extended period, instead of cramming everything in at the last second at the expense of everything else.

Perhaps the hardest part of the whole application process is coming to terms with rejections. Nearly everyone will experience multiple rejections, so it is vital that you remind yourself that rejection is redirection, learn from your mistakes, and get the next application underway.

Many applicants find it challenging to cope with the workload during the internship. If you find yourself in this position, remember that it is natural to be a little bit overwhelmed, especially if you have never been in an office environment before. Try to remain organised and write down all the tasks you have been given to do so you can appropriately prioritise and plan your time. Often, people find handling multiple tasks less overwhelming when they can physically see them written down.

Though it sounds like an abstract interview question, you may encounter some ethical challenges during the internship. Remember to stick to your basic principles, while always making sure you are following the solicitors’ or barristers’ code of ethics.

Conclusion

Legal internships are an exciting opportunity for students to grow personally and professionally. They symbolise months of hard work and testing to get into that position and mark most aspiring lawyers' first step into the legal field.

These internships are the first step in a lifetime of professional development, so regardless of whether it’s your first or sixth internship, keep your eagerness to learn.

Applications for internships can be frustrating and time-consuming. Still, by following the principle of being early and organised, you will be able to make each application as effective as possible. Whether you face rejection at the end of your application or at the end of the internship, there is always another opportunity, so always keep trying.

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