Public Interest 2016: Thoughts, Anxieties, Experiences Forum

[Manali]

Anyone applying for fellowships this summer? Yikes, can't believe that time has come.

Already submitted an app for a job AFTER law school. Seems so early and terrifying.

Start for the summer on Monday though and excited for that.

I hope to get my fellowship and clerkship apps out before I start on May 31. Not much of a vacation, lol.

[Manali]

I am interested in my 2L employer as a fellowship sponsor. How far into the internship should I ask my supervisor? The beginning? Mid-way?

[Anonymous User]

Is it too "gunner" to ask your supervisor for more work? Workload is a little light...

[Anonymous User]

Is it too "gunner" to ask your supervisor for more work? Workload is a little light...

I think it depends on how long you've been working. If it's week 1 than yes, but if it's 3 or more than I think you can broach the topic but I wouldn't ask more than once.

[Nebby]

Is it too "gunner" to ask your supervisor for more work? Workload is a little light...

When I wanted more work I would email the intern person who sends assignments and say something along the lines of, "I don't have any pending assignments do if something comes up I can work on it."

I also email any attorney that has given me an assignment and say something like, "I don't have any pending assignments, so if something comes up on that project I previously worked on then I can help. Or if something new comes up I can work on that too."

Treat all work experience in law school as opportunities to prepare for practice. That means you should always be doing work, requesting feedback, asking questions (interns can get away with questions that an associate can't), and learning how to navigate different personalities.

[Nebby]

Is it too "gunner" to ask your supervisor for more work? Workload is a little light...

I think it depends on how long you've been working. If it's week 1 than yes, but if it's 3 or more than I think you can broach the topic but I wouldn't ask more than once.

1Ls shouldn't give advice

[stego]

Is it too "gunner" to ask your supervisor for more work? Workload is a little light...

I think it depends on how long you've been working. If it's week 1 than yes, but if it's 3 or more than I think you can broach the topic but I wouldn't ask more than once.

1Ls shouldn't give advice

How can you tell?

[Nebby]

Is it too "gunner" to ask your supervisor for more work? Workload is a little light...

I think it depends on how long you've been working. If it's week 1 than yes, but if it's 3 or more than I think you can broach the topic but I wouldn't ask more than once.

1Ls shouldn't give advice

How can you tell?

They don't appear to know what they're talking about

[Anonymous User]

Is it too "gunner" to ask your supervisor for more work? Workload is a little light...

I think it depends on how long you've been working. If it's week 1 than yes, but if it's 3 or more than I think you can broach the topic but I wouldn't ask more than once.

1Ls shouldn't give advice

How can you tell?

They don't appear to know what they're talking about

Not a 1L. Speaking as someone who has supervised interns in the past, having them continually ask for work when there is nothing is a pain in the ass. No one wants to have to come up with assignments for you when there are none. They are very grateful when you can entertain yourself in lulls.

[Nebby]

Is it too "gunner" to ask your supervisor for more work? Workload is a little light...

I think it depends on how long you've been working. If it's week 1 than yes, but if it's 3 or more than I think you can broach the topic but I wouldn't ask more than once.

1Ls shouldn't give advice

How can you tell?

They don't appear to know what they're talking about

Not a 1L. Speaking as someone who has supervised interns in the past, having them continually ask for work when there is nothing is a pain in the ass. No one wants to have to come up with assignments for you when there are none. They are very grateful when you can entertain yourself in lulls.

What was the capacity? Were you at a law firm, public interest org, or government?

Snarky response: I am sooooo sorry that a legal intern, whose primary purpose is to help your org and to gain valuable experience, is trying to do just that.

More-serious response post: I partially understand your frustration, even though I think you assume some of the risk when you volunteer to supervise interns.

Serious response not directed at you:

Legal internships should be an opportunity for an organization to gain additional help with workload, and an opportunity for legal interns to gain valuable experience. If an organization has such low workflow that an intern has three or more days of no assignments, then that organization should scale back the number of interns they hire or should reevaluate their internship program entirely.

[Hahalollawl]

If the nonprofit I will be at claims to have a casual dress code, should I still go in a suit the first day anyways or is dress shirt and tie with black pants formal enough?

[Barack O'Drama]

If the nonprofit I will be at claims to have a casual dress code, should I still go in a suit the first day anyways or is dress shirt and tie with black pants formal enough?

I wouldn't do black pants. Charcoal/dark navy is TCR.

[Nebby]

If the nonprofit I will be at claims to have a casual dress code, should I still go in a suit the first day anyways or is dress shirt and tie with black pants formal enough?

Eh I error on the side of wearing the suit day one, and by lunch shedding the jacket and tie in accordance to everyone else's clothing

[zot1]

There's seriously nothing wrong with going up to your supervisor and saying, "let me know if you need help with anything." It doesn't have to be during any specific time period.

Now, a lot of places may not have tons of work for you, even though they should, but you shouldn't have to be staring at your shoes for 8 hours straight. You're there because they need free help and you need experience. Make sure you gain as much of that as you can. It will make you more marketable in the future.

[Nebby]

There's seriously nothing wrong with going up to your supervisor and saying, "let me know if you need help with anything." It doesn't have to be during any specific time period.

Now, a lot of places may not have tons of work for you, even though they should, but you shouldn't have to be staring at your shoes for 8 hours straight. You're there because they need free help and you need experience. Make sure you gain as much of that as you can. It will make you more marketable in the future.

Yep.

To the people reading this, Plz don't listen to an anonymous poster complaining about interns. I'm positive that the anonymous supervisor is just a shitty supervisor

[Kratos]

There's seriously nothing wrong with going up to your supervisor and saying, "let me know if you need help with anything." It doesn't have to be during any specific time period.

Now, a lot of places may not have tons of work for you, even though they should, but you shouldn't have to be staring at your shoes for 8 hours straight. You're there because they need free help and you need experience. Make sure you gain as much of that as you can. It will make you more marketable in the future.

Yep.

To the people reading this, Plz don't listen to an anonymous poster complaining about interns. I'm positive that the anonymous supervisor is just a shitty supervisor

weren't you a k-jd?

[Nebby]

There's seriously nothing wrong with going up to your supervisor and saying, "let me know if you need help with anything." It doesn't have to be during any specific time period.

Now, a lot of places may not have tons of work for you, even though they should, but you shouldn't have to be staring at your shoes for 8 hours straight. You're there because they need free help and you need experience. Make sure you gain as much of that as you can. It will make you more marketable in the future.

Yep.

To the people reading this, Plz don't listen to an anonymous poster complaining about interns. I'm positive that the anonymous supervisor is just a shitty supervisor

weren't you a k-jd?

Yep and I've had shitty experiences with shitty supervisors that don't give out enough work

[Kratos]

There's seriously nothing wrong with going up to your supervisor and saying, "let me know if you need help with anything." It doesn't have to be during any specific time period.

Now, a lot of places may not have tons of work for you, even though they should, but you shouldn't have to be staring at your shoes for 8 hours straight. You're there because they need free help and you need experience. Make sure you gain as much of that as you can. It will make you more marketable in the future.

Yep.

To the people reading this, Plz don't listen to an anonymous poster complaining about interns. I'm positive that the anonymous supervisor is just a shitty supervisor

weren't you a k-jd?

Yep and I've had shitty experiences with shitty supervisors that don't give out enough work

I mean that anon's response was essentially wait it out for a little and then ask, but don't be fucking annoying and hound people. Seems fairly reasonable. not sure why I even responded, I don't care and have no real issue with what you said either. I'll just go fuck myself.

[Anonymous User]

Probably stupid question that hopefully someone can answer.

The Skadden Fellowship application form isn't a fillable PDF (parts of it might be fillable)--do people type it up separately? Handwrite the application? Use a typewriter?

I don't feel like asking my advisor this if I can get an answer from someone here.

[WhiskeyAndCupcakes]

.

[Nebby]

Probably stupid question that hopefully someone can answer.

The Skadden Fellowship application form isn't a fillable PDF (parts of it might be fillable)--do people type it up separately? Handwrite the application? Use a typewriter?

I don't feel like asking my advisor this if I can get an answer from someone here.

Typewriter. If you handwrite or create text boxes, it will go in the trash

[A. Nony Mouse]

Probably stupid question that hopefully someone can answer.

The Skadden Fellowship application form isn't a fillable PDF (parts of it might be fillable)--do people type it up separately? Handwrite the application? Use a typewriter?

I don't feel like asking my advisor this if I can get an answer from someone here.

Typewriter. If you handwrite or create text boxes, it will go in the trash

If you create text boxes properly it just looks like you've printed/typed on the form though. (You don't literally put them in boxes.)

[Nebby]

Probably stupid question that hopefully someone can answer.

The Skadden Fellowship application form isn't a fillable PDF (parts of it might be fillable)--do people type it up separately? Handwrite the application? Use a typewriter?

I don't feel like asking my advisor this if I can get an answer from someone here.

Typewriter. If you handwrite or create text boxes, it will go in the trash

If you create text boxes properly it just looks like you've printed/typed on the form though. (You don't literally put them in boxes.)

I was being facetious