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Take Back Your Summer: How to Respond If Your Summer Internship Isn’t Providing You the Experience You Need
You have two summers to make it count. Your 1L and 2L summers allow you to intern in legal spaces in an in-depth way that develops your skills, builds a professional network, and provides guidance on how the beginning of your career will look. At least that’s what we think—the reality is that you may experience an internship or two that is clearly not a fit. And when it happens in the summer, it can feel especially frustrating because this times feels so valuable. When I think back to my internship my second summer, I feel frustrated at myself for not being more active in making sure I gained better…
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Summer Series: Breaking the Glass Ceiling in IP Law
It’s another Summer Series post! The series where law students, law grads, and pre-laws share what they’re doing for the summer. Today we hear from Cassidy, a rising 2L who will share about her experience in intellectual property—one of the more difficult areas of law to break into because it’s one of the few that does require a specific background, but Cassidy is doing it! Let’s hear more from her! Hello everyone! My name is Cassidy Aranda, and I am a rising 2L at Chicago-Kent Law School. I am currently working as an Intellectual Property Summer Associate at Ice Miller in Chicago. Intellectual Property focuses on protecting people’s innovations. Intellectual Property…
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Prepping for Your Summer Internship
As many of you celebrate the end of the semester, take a sigh of relief to be done with finals, one thing you may also be looking forward to is starting your summer internship! My 1L summer internship was a complete fluke and yet it changed the entire trajectory of my legal career. It opened doors to new opportunities and helped reignite my passion for law and justice after a somewhat turbulent 1L year. I hope that whatever you’re doing this summer, you love it and it adds to your professional development. Thankfully there is not much to do but wait for the internship to start, but, if you’re like…
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Summer Series: Getting Thrown into the Fire.
Another Summer Series post! Summer Series showcases different experiences of Lawtinas throughout the country, whether they be pre-laws, law grads, or rising 2L/3Ls. This helps show all the diverse work and experiences that come with working in the law and through law school. Today we hear from Rachelle Ramirez, a rising 2L, who recently conquered her first year and is now experiencing her first legal summer. We’ve all heard horror stories about law school. Getting cold-called when you haven’t read a single case in the last week or when you fail the class you thought you had in the bag. But what really worried me the most was the search…
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Making the Best of Your Internship
We are gearing up to start a summer that will be incredibly unique–many of you will have found internships that will be remote or staggered hours or completely different than what you imagined (or different than what you were first offered in the Spring before this pandemic hit the US). At the same time, things are the same–life keeps ticking, people still need legal support, and this internship–whether it’s your 1L summer or you were hoping to get an offer as you entered your last year of law school–this internship and summer matter. I’ve shared my first legal internship before but for new readers a little summary–I had no clue…
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Summer Series: You Can’t Be What You Can’t See
Summer Series 2019 continues! Today we have Karla Mardueno, a recent law grad from Howard law. She is studying for the Bar while completing a summer fellowship at MALDEF, and will begin working in Big Law once the Bar is over. That is a lot to balance, but she discusses who empowering it has been to begin her career surrounding by other powerful Lawtinas. “Don’t work while you’re studying for the bar.” This is the advice I got over and over again in the months leading up to my law school graduation. But when I learned that I could complete a fellowship during my bar summer, I could not…
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Summer Series: Hustle Sold Separately–Securing a Summer Associate Gig
Summer Series 2019 continues! Today we have Yadilsa Diaz, another repeat (and just as beloved) guest writer to this series. We have seen Yadilsa has been so kind to share her pre-law summer, her 1L summer as an in house counsel and now she shares her tips on how to hustle and get the big law summer associate position. Getting a foot into big law is no easy feat, and she shows you a road map on how to get it–of course, it take preparation, discipline, and faith–but she’s got it and so do you! Hola hermanas! My name is Yadilsa Diaz, and I am a rising 3L at…
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Planting Seeds: Your 1L Summer Job
Many people say your first summer out of law school doesn’t matter and that is somewhat true. It’s not like the thing you do that summer locks you into that practice area for the rest of your life. So you do have a lot of wiggle room. However, this is also where you plant a seed. If you plan it correctly, this summer can be the stepping stone to your career. It can lead to more opportunities, connections, and give you a peek of what you want your career to look like. But just how do you decide what your summer will be like? Here is how I decided:…
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Mistakes to Avoid as a Legal Intern
Summer internships/externships/clerkships/associate positions are starting soon (if they haven’t already started). It goes without saying that these next few weeks are an important part of your legal career. You expand your professional network, increase your legal skillsets, and get a better idea of what kind of law you do (and don’t) want to practice. It’s also true that first impressions really matter and you have to make sure that you portray yourself as a professional, capable, and attentive intern. With that said, here are some missteps you want to avoid so as to put your best foot forward. One. Don’t be distracted by electronics. Let me tell you how annoying…