Intro on Legal Internships
Overview of Legal Internship in Austin, Texas
As with almost any field, a legal education is enhanced through hands-on experience. Even the most reputable law schools cannot simulate all the experiences and challenges students will encounter in their legal careers. This is why it is so crucial for aspiring lawyers to gain real-world experience while they are still in law school. The solution is to seek out legal internships, offering a unique opportunity to work closely with legal professionals, understand the inner workings of the legal field, and enhance marketability in an ever-increasingly competitive field.
Internships are important because they give aspiring lawyers had the chance to learn on the job. Along with an opportunity to gain real-world experience and hone their skills, internships also help students build a network of professional contacts that can be invaluable later in their careers. That experience also improves the student’s resume, making them much more desirable to prospective employers. It is also an opportunity to test-drive a particular area of law , to determine if it is a field in which they would like to pursue their career. Even if a legal internship is not directly related to a student’s field of interest, it still offers students a place to assume some responsibility and show initiative. That kind of potential may not always shine through in the classroom, but is essential to stand out in the tough job market.
Austin is an ideal place for aspiring lawyers to get that all-important practical experience. It is the capital of Texas, home to many law offices, agencies, and courts. Even if they aren’t focused on legal positions, a student’s resume is more likely to shine in this city with all that experience. Austin is also known as the state’s technology and music hub, drawing professionals from around the world, creating a diverse population that makes networking and forging strong connections simpler. Whether it is a position with a law firm, government agency, or even a company’s legal department, there are opportunities all over the city to gain that valuable experience.
List of Law Firms in Austin Offering Internships
A plethora of esteemed law firms are located in Austin, including:
Braun & Gresham PLLC. As a premier law firm in Austin, Braun & Gresham specializes in medical malpractice, personal injury and business litigation. The firm’s founder defended several America’s leading pharmaceutical companies in federal and multi-district litigation regarding the alleged risks associated with the use of Prempro therapy drugs.
Byron C. Bokemeyer, Jr., P.C. Byron C. Bokemeyer, Jr. is an Austin-based attorney who is experienced in personal injury, car and truck accidents, family law, business lawsuits and criminal matters. He also represents parties in lawsuits involving medical negligence and products liability.
Palmer Lehman Sandberg, PC. Palmer Lehman Sandberg is a full-service law firm in Austin, Texas that is experienced in business litigation and business transactions, construction, employment law, insurance, international law, mass tort and class action litigation, medical malpractice, personal injury, real estate, regulatory and administrative law, and transportation law.
Stubbeman, McRae, Sealy, Laughlin & Browder, P.C. Based in Austin, Texas, the law firm Stubbeman, McRae, Sealy, Laughlin & Browder specializes in environmental law, commercial litigation, business and corporate law, insurance, construction law, energy and utility regulation, governmental agency matters and white collar criminal matters.
Thompson & Horton LLP. Thompson & Horton is a full-service law firm in Austin, Texas. The firm’s areas of practice currently include public school law, employment litigation, employment counseling, commercial litigation, insurance coverage, personal injury, contracts and business torts, real estate, licenses and franchises, and workers’ compensation.
Types of Legal Internships
Litigation internships focus on the courtroom and the litigation process. These programs give interns practical knowledge of the court system, as well as valuable experience working with experts, witnesses, juries, and judges. Litigation interns familiarize themselves with the litigation process through drafting pleadings and motions, responding to discovery requests, and preparing for and sitting in depositions. These interns do not usually have any face-to-face interaction with clients.
Corporate law internships, on the other hand, rarely involve trials or other court proceedings. This type of law typically deals with corporate affairs behind the scenes, such as forming a corporation, and therefore corporate law internships take place mostly in an office setting. These interns often draft and file necessary formation documents, contracts, and correspondence. Some corporate law interns work primarily on compliance and regulatory issues. Because the diversity of tasks varies greatly from firm to firm, interns that value flexibility and adaptability will generally be happy with corporate law internships.
Public interest law internships offer a wide variety of practical experience. This type of law encompasses many different kinds of legal issues, such as criminal law, immigration law, and consumer protection law. Public interest law internships often include case research, legal research, and client interaction. In contrast to other internships, public interest law interns may get to participate frequently in trials, motions, mediations, and other proceedings.
How to Apply for an Internship
The application process for legal internships in Austin can vary, so it is always a good idea to become familiar with the application timeline of your preferred organization, judge, or firm. Generally speaking, most applications will not be available until after Spring Break, and they are often due by the end of April. Many law firms will participate in the Career Expo and extend offers to their summer associates during the month of March. From that point on until summertime, several other law employers will contact students for interviews. Some law firms will conduct follow-up interviews in April. If a student receives an offer, they will often only have a few days to make a decision. Once April arrives, several law firms will host informational meetings for all applicants to get to know the firm and its employees. Regionally, the majority of federal judges from the Fifth Circuit visit Austin in early May to interview students for clerkships. It is a good idea to prepare for your first interview with your career services office in advance. Students should also consider attending interview boot camps hosted by the ABA, the American Association for Justice, TWU SOL, or UTsol.
Advantages of Interning in Austin
Completing a legal internship in Austin comes with a variety of unique advantages. For law students first beginning to network, the city’s friendly legal community offers a point of entry that is often difficult to find in more competitive environments like Washington, D.C. or California. Austin is the center of Texas’ thriving tech industry and the home of twelve Fortune 500 companies, and as such, the city offers many interesting legal opportunities in biotech, intellectual property, and corporate law. With Lawcrossing.com, you can zero in on opportunities that fit your career goals.
The chance to work with both local and nationally-recognized lawyers is another perk that students are likely to find when completing an internship in Austin. When interning with a prominent firm , students may even have opportunities to work on high-profile cases, giving them the chance to write work product that will immediately make its way into major court filings.
Not only will students have access to the lawyers themselves, but also many of these firms, particularly large firms in the region’s largest city, offer comprehensive mentorship opportunities to their interns. From informal networking events to more intensive mentoring programs, students will find just what they need to start building a strong professional network during their time in Austin.
Obstacles to Prepare for
While legal opportunities in Austin, Texas can be a pathway to achieving your professional aspirations, it is essential to prepare for the inevitable difficulties that may arise and impede your ability to maximize your prospects. Successfully navigating these hurdles often requires a proactive approach. As is common in many cities, competition for internship opportunities in Austin can be fierce. The combination of competing with other aspiring legal advocates and the establishment of more formal processes to secure those positions creates an added layer of challenge to securing legal internships in Austin. Comprehensive research into the application process of your target positions is important, as many law schools implement complex approaches to help their students secure coveted spots in legal internships. Balancing the demands of internship with the rigors of law school can be among the most substantial challenges facing aspiring legal professionals in Austin, Texas. The excessive number of hours that can be required by an internship may make it difficult to meet other obligations such as attending classes and studying for exams. From managing your time accordingly to finding viable ways to manage academic stress, finding a way to strike the right balance between internship obligations and academic commitment is vital to ensuring that you’re prepared to succeed as a legal professional. The challenges posed by working in a field marked by strict regulation requires diligent management. From ensuring compliance with all rules governing corporations and associations, to securing proper licensure for practice, dealing with various hurdles is a fact of life for many aspiring legal professionals. Understanding the necessary regulations can help you to move forward with confidence, ensuring that you are able to avoid the legal pitfalls that await those who are not prepared.
Former Intern Success Stories
A recent graduate of the UT Law School and a former judicial intern gave us this testimonial about his time as an intern at a local law firm and as a judicial intern: "As a foreign law student, I faced a lot more difficulties with regards to finding an internship than my US law classmates, for multiple reasons, i.e. language barrier, visa tie-ups, as well as the usual competition for the limited number of available internships, etc. However, I was lucky enough to have been hired by a small local law firm in my third semester of law school and this experience turned out to be my best decision in my law school career. The law firm where I interned gave me a chance to break into US law practice and actually helped me apply to the court to qualify for the bar exam.
In that firm, I was able to research, write, translate, and communicate with clients and lawyers effectively. I received uninterrupted guidance from the lawyers that made the process of adjusting to US law a little easier for me. Furthermore, we retained many foreign clients which helped me a lot in practicing my English and understanding the laws from a foreigner’s perspective which would probably be impossible otherwise. During the first few months as an intern, I was also mostly assigned to help translate language documents that helped me learn a lot about Texas law. As soon as I was able to understand the legal jargon and speak and write better English, I was afforded the task of drafting legal documents on my own.
This trip that I submitted to your blog about finding legal internships in Austin is almost as a thank you note to the firm where I interned and one of the best experiences I’ve encountered so far in my legal career. It not only has helped me learn the craft of being a lawyer and getting a more hands-on experience, but also helped me get two awards from the President of the Bar as a recognition of my work during the internship and subsequently the judicial internship.
I was hired as a law clerk intern for the Chancellor at the Third Court of Appeals, Austin, Texas the summer of my first year (which is almost two now). The position was unannounced and unexpected. A good friend of mine, who was a current MO of the Chancellor sent my resume to him because I was looking for an internship. I hadn’t seen him in many years and when he asked for my resume, I thought it would go into the bin. To my surprise, I was interviewed and hired as an intern for the private office of the Chancellor. The experience was great! I had full access to the District Courts’ dockets and case files, I had the ability to see what happens to the case on appeal in Texas courts.
My job included reviewing briefs of all types, drafting and preparing bench memos for oral arguments and drafting proposed opinions. I even had the opportunity to draft a portion of an opinion for a case in which the Chancellor was the author. In addition, I drafted a motion for rehearing of an opinion against the court as a whole for issuance of an en banc opinion. He gave me credit on the opinion and the motion for rehearing, although the motion was written as if it was from me. I learned a great deal especially how to write and how to read opinions. I even had the opportunity to present motions to my boss. Overall, I learned a lot as a judicial intern and got to know many of the judges here in the local courts, which was a privilege I didn’t expect to get back then.
I can say that my first tangible experience in law practice, with regards to originally not being from here was working at the appellate court. This is why I advise anyone wanting to do an internship to get as much experience and tangible skills as possible. Not only this, but also to make sure you give your best so that if a chance comes around you won’t miss it.
Prospects Following the Internship
The conclusion of an internship is usually just a launching point for a career in law. Oftentimes, continued work may revolve around the firm where the internship was held. An internship ties the knot in scholarly growth, elevating academic performance, and personal pursuits to professional experience. Rather than simply doing research and cutting copies as research assistants, interns are tasked with real work of substantial value and sophistication. Even if that work does not lead directly to employment, it can mature into experience that is required for future positions and applications. Internships are often the first place most law students expand their responsibilities from the classroom to the working world, in what is a formative experience for many. Whether or not that opportunity actually leads to a job with that same company, it’s a great building block for future steps in any legal career. If an offer doesn’t present itself , applicants have an opportunity to solidify their specialization in law or even develop a new one. Furthering studies after an internship is a great opportunity. Some internships are located within prestigious firms and institutions with great connections that carry weight after graduation. Advanced studies, in addition to or alongside employment, build new areas of expertise and interest. Part-time law students may elect to take on further education in tandem with their career to reach new levels of progression. Some internships even grant additional recommendations for former interns to move into other, more specialized, roles. In some cases, it’s possible to explore alternative job offers. Sometimes that’s in line with advanced degrees; other times, it’s an opportunity to land a role with a comparable firm. Austin, Texas is a bustling legal center, opening new doors for employment every day. Legal internships are integral tools for honing expertise in law, hydraulically expanding experience and increasing the likelihood of an employment offer after completion.