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I have an interview for a summer internship (kind of like an extension from my many convo's w/ the firm) with a small P.I. firm known for gigantic verdicts and classiness (think opposite of an ambulance chasing, billboard type firm). The founder is probably one of the top 2 most famous P.I. attorneys in the state. It seems like they are very interested in me and I don't think they have any other interviews. Anyway, say I get this job. What do you think I would be doing over the summer? Does anyone have any experience w/ these types of firms?

Reading, researching, and writing.

disco_barred wrote:Reading, researching, and writing.

And occasionally listening to amusing (or not-so-amusing) anecdotes about past cases.

Do us peons get to tag along to court and like serve as an attorney assistant or something (i.e., getting to watch the trial while keeping the attorney's coffee mug filled)?

A'nold wrote:Do us peons get to tag along to court and like serve as an attorney assistant or something (i.e., getting to watch the trial while keeping the attorney's coffee mug filled)?

*Disclaimer: I am an 0L, but I do work full-time in a "high profile/classy P.I. Firm," at least I will classify the firm as such since we are the biggest/best firm in the city and the Firm Head has a T1 law school named after him*

It depends. What you will get to do/get out of your summer position depends on too many things to even cover in one post. Is this a paid gig? A lot depends on what the law firm expects to get out of you. If individual attorney's within the firm take an interest in you (i'm counting giving you the time of day as an interest here) then you may get thrown onto some interesting projects. It also depends on what kind of cases the attorney's you are working for have. I am exclusively in Products Liability PI type cases, which are a heck of a lot different than automobile/slip & fall cases. In general though, i'll concur with what Disco says.

The couple interns I have seen come in with my firm have been pretty involved with the cases doing quite a bit from fact-checking, document review, and researching case law type activities. Again though, it will all depend on the attorney you are working with and how much they are willing to actually delegate a significant task to you.

I would definitely not count on getting to go to a trial. Unless you already know that there is one scheduled that you would be working on. One of the paralegals I work with has been with the firm 3 years and has been to a grand total of 1 trial. If you are lucky enough to get to go (and it would be a great experience), I doubt you would be keeping your attorney's coffee mug filled. If you worked with any of the attorney's I work for, you would be busting your butt.

Anyone can feel to heartily disagree with me on any of these points. This is all based off my very-limited experiences and observations. Please feel free to PM if you have any specific questions that I can try to answer for you.

makingasnack wrote:

A'nold wrote:Do us peons get to tag along to court and like serve as an attorney assistant or something (i.e., getting to watch the trial while keeping the attorney's coffee mug filled)?

*Disclaimer: I am an 0L, but I do work full-time in a "high profile/classy P.I. Firm," at least I will classify the firm as such since we are the biggest/best firm in the city and the Firm Head has a T1 law school named after him*

It depends. What you will get to do/get out of your summer position depends on too many things to even cover in one post. Is this a paid gig? A lot depends on what the law firm expects to get out of you. If individual attorney's within the firm take an interest in you (i'm counting giving you the time of day as an interest here) then you may get thrown onto some interesting projects. It also depends on what kind of cases the attorney's you are working for have. I am exclusively in Products Liability PI type cases, which are a heck of a lot different than automobile/slip & fall cases. In general though, i'll concur with what Disco says.

The couple interns I have seen come in with my firm have been pretty involved with the cases doing quite a bit from fact-checking, document review, and researching case law type activities. Again though, it will all depend on the attorney you are working with and how much they are willing to actually delegate a significant task to you.

I would definitely not count on getting to go to a trial. Unless you already know that there is one scheduled that you would be working on. One of the paralegals I work with has been with the firm 3 years and has been to a grand total of 1 trial. If you are lucky enough to get to go (and it would be a great experience), I doubt you would be keeping your attorney's coffee mug filled. If you worked with any of the attorney's I work for, you would be busting your butt.

Anyone can feel to heartily disagree with me on any of these points. This is all based off my very-limited experiences and observations. Please feel free to PM if you have any specific questions that I can try to answer for you.

Thanks for this. I'm just kind of nervous b/c I 1) won't know what the hell I'm doing and 2) have no idea WHAT I'll be doing. While I am a good law student I don't know if I'll be a good intern.

A'nold wrote:

makingasnack wrote:

A'nold wrote:Do us peons get to tag along to court and like serve as an attorney assistant or something (i.e., getting to watch the trial while keeping the attorney's coffee mug filled)?

*Disclaimer: I am an 0L, but I do work full-time in a "high profile/classy P.I. Firm," at least I will classify the firm as such since we are the biggest/best firm in the city and the Firm Head has a T1 law school named after him*

It depends. What you will get to do/get out of your summer position depends on too many things to even cover in one post. Is this a paid gig? A lot depends on what the law firm expects to get out of you. If individual attorney's within the firm take an interest in you (i'm counting giving you the time of day as an interest here) then you may get thrown onto some interesting projects. It also depends on what kind of cases the attorney's you are working for have. I am exclusively in Products Liability PI type cases, which are a heck of a lot different than automobile/slip & fall cases. In general though, i'll concur with what Disco says.

The couple interns I have seen come in with my firm have been pretty involved with the cases doing quite a bit from fact-checking, document review, and researching case law type activities. Again though, it will all depend on the attorney you are working with and how much they are willing to actually delegate a significant task to you.

I would definitely not count on getting to go to a trial. Unless you already know that there is one scheduled that you would be working on. One of the paralegals I work with has been with the firm 3 years and has been to a grand total of 1 trial. If you are lucky enough to get to go (and it would be a great experience), I doubt you would be keeping your attorney's coffee mug filled. If you worked with any of the attorney's I work for, you would be busting your butt.

Anyone can feel to heartily disagree with me on any of these points. This is all based off my very-limited experiences and observations. Please feel free to PM if you have any specific questions that I can try to answer for you.

Thanks for this. I'm just kind of nervous b/c I 1) won't know what the hell I'm doing and 2) have no idea WHAT I'll be doing. While I am a good law student I don't know if I'll be a good intern.

You'll be fine. Just be willing to work hard, and I am sure you will be fine. Don't be afraid to ask questions. I am sure they won't ask you to do something without at least *sort of* explaining it first. Oh, and be willing to work late. Shoot, it's past 8:00 and I am still at the freaking office.

A'nold wrote:Do us peons get to tag along to court and like serve as an attorney assistant or something (i.e., getting to watch the trial while keeping the attorney's coffee mug filled)?

Personal Injury firm ... wtf is a trial? Arbitration and deposition is about as close as you'll get to any courtroom.

seespotrun wrote:

A'nold wrote:Do us peons get to tag along to court and like serve as an attorney assistant or something (i.e., getting to watch the trial while keeping the attorney's coffee mug filled)?

Personal Injury firm ... wtf is a trial? Arbitration and deposition is about as close as you'll get to any courtroom.

Not this firm. They basically only take high profile cases and rarely settle.

If you mean that I won't get to sit in on a trial, then you're probs right, but these attorneys are always in court.

A'nold wrote:

seespotrun wrote:

A'nold wrote:Do us peons get to tag along to court and like serve as an attorney assistant or something (i.e., getting to watch the trial while keeping the attorney's coffee mug filled)?

Personal Injury firm ... wtf is a trial? Arbitration and deposition is about as close as you'll get to any courtroom.

Not this firm. They basically only take high profile cases and rarely settle.

If you mean that I won't get to sit in on a trial, then you're probs right, but these attorneys are always in court.

It sounds like you are basically already "in" pretty good with the attorney's there. Just let them know that you would like to have the opportunity to go to trial with them for the experience etc... I am sure they would at least consider, and worst case scenario they just say no.

A'nold wrote:

seespotrun wrote:

A'nold wrote:
Personal Injury firm ... wtf is a trial? Arbitration and deposition is about as close as you'll get to any courtroom.

Not this firm. They basically only take high profile cases and rarely settle.

If you mean that I won't get to sit in on a trial, then you're probs right, but these attorneys are always in court.

It sounds like you are basically already "in" pretty good with the attorney's there. Just let them know that you would like to have the opportunity to go to trial with them for the experience etc... I am sure they would at least consider, and worst case scenario they just say no.

True. I could tell them that I want to watch them in action at least once. Maybe they'd be receptive. Thanks for the post.