Internship Program

Because Space is Severely Limited, We Generally Only Accept 2L Law Students.
However, for the Right Candidate, an Exception Can and Has Been Made. 

We strive to provide second-year law students with real-world experience in a private legal practice focused on litigation. Interns’ duties will consist of legal research, document review, shadowing attorneys in the courtroom, various administrative tasks, and observing new client intake interviews. Upon completion of a summer or semester internship with us, successful interns may receive a letter of recommendation for their use in the future. However, this is a recommendation and, therefore, is up to the discretion of the supervising attorney.

We will sometimes offer a paid position as a Law Clerk to a returning intern who previously impressed our Team during their internship with us. But this is rare and depends upon our needs and the candidate bringing value to the Firm above and beyond the program. Typically, we look for the candidate to gain valuable trial experience in a prosecutor’s office, or other comparable environment after graduating, and then come back to our Firm with additional litigation experience. However, this is not always the case. Many of our current associate attorneys joined our team right out of law school after excelling during internships with our Firm. We are constantly seeking to find possible future associate attorneys, and this program provides us with a wonderful opportunity to find outstanding up-and-coming legal talent. However, participation in this program does not imply that a former intern will be given additional consideration for future employment, but it does give the Firm a chance to see if they excel.

We are specifically looking for competent, intelligent interns and future attorneys who will excel in litigation. While grades are a factor, we have found that grades alone are not an accurate predictor of a person who will excel in litigation. In addition to grades, considerations include the amount of real-world experience outside the legal field, leadership capabilities, sales ability, and interpersonal skills a candidate may demonstrate through a variety of means, including hobbies, prior careers, or volunteer work.

All students interested in an unpaid legal internship at our Firm must upload a resume and cover letter here. We need great team members of all personality types. We work hard to achieve a balanced and diverse team that complements each other’s strengths and overcomes each other’s weaknesses.

Generally, we will only choose one or two candidates for the Internship position in each Office. We keep the number of interns small for two reasons:

• The effort we invest in mentoring, teaching, and allowing interns to shadow us is expensive for the Firm and time-consuming for the supervising attorney.
• We better ensure the intern will be able to complete a balanced program involving hands-on experience with both clients and courtrooms.

Every one of our attorneys is often physically in the courtroom and litigating cases. At least one day per week, each intern will be expected to shadow an attorney at the courthouse. During this time, the intern is to observe and assist the assigned attorney. It is important for the intern to experience the courtroom skills of a trial attorney as well as to familiarize themselves with the real-world legal process, with all its adventures as well as monotony. It is also during this time that the intern can ask questions about processes or courthouse policies and politics.

Shadowing may also include attending trials as they are calendared. These dates and times differ, so the intern must always be prepared to attend a trial with a Firm attorney at very short notice. We expect each intern to dress as an attorney for court every day.

If we have a definite trial scheduled that will be reached, we expect the intern to review the file and the motions and assist in the preparation of the motions to be used in the case. It is so much more helpful for a student to see the outcome of trial prep come to fruition in a case rather than being involved in disjointed parcels.

Each intern will begin their internship working for and with our receptionists and paralegals so they can be trained in how we store and file our documents. They need to be assimilated quickly and efficiently into our system so they can assist any attorney with little to no notice. Additionally, we as a Firm believe effective leaders are willing and able to do the hard and sometimes thankless work of support as well as step into command positions. Therefore, every intern will be expected to spend 8 hours per week working at the front desk or with a paralegal. This includes performing various reception duties such as helping to answer incoming calls, assisting clients, filing, and scheduling appointments. Further, interns will be expected to help all staff members with various projects that may arise within the course and scope of their duties. This can include dropping off subpoenas, going to the post office, having legal documents filed at the clerk’s office, and any number of various and sundry other tasks.

Ultimately, we expect the intern, just as we expect every team member, including attorneys, to be willing to assist with any duty that any employee in the Firm would be called upon to do. So that our interns grow into successful attorneys and leaders in their own right, one of our attorneys will conduct periodic performance reviews with each individual on a regular basis. These are designed to improve performance and product only, rather than critique the intern personally. However, we will be deliberately watching to see how well each intern works with the rest of the team since it is only that which allows the whole system to work in harmony and with synergy.

We appreciate all candidates who would like to intern with us. However, space is extremely limited. Therefore, preference will be given to second-year law students and to first-year law students with prior experience. At this time, we cannot offer internships to undergraduate students, graduate students seeking degrees in non-law-related fields, or high school students. Thank you for your understanding, and we hope you will apply at the appropriate time in your professional life.

To learn more about our internship program and other careers, schedule a consultation with our team at McMinn, Fradin, Gray & Logan.