Getting good legal experience as a volunteer Forum

[studebaker07]

I am transferring into a different school and will begin my 2L without any substantive legal experience. Although I have plenty of experience in the private sector in the areas of sales and internet technology development, I am concerned that 2L summer will come and I won't have any major legal experience. I am planning on participating in an externship next spring.

I talked with a 3L at my school and he suggested volunteering at a local firm or organization this fall. Hopefully this will add some kind of substance to my resume.

My question: how common is it for law students to volunteer at a firm (not on an extern basis) but simply as a research assistant? Are firms even allowing students to do this given how slow the legal market is right now?

[General Tso]

technically, a company must pay you unless you are an intern.

to be an intern, you should function in a self-serving, learning capacity only. when you start performing duties that the firm would normally need to pay someone for, then you are an employee and not an intern.

i offered to work for free at a huge number of law firms this summer, and found no takers

[kaydish21]

technically, a company must pay you unless you are an intern.

to be an intern, you should function in a self-serving, learning capacity only. when you start performing duties that the firm would normally need to pay someone for, then you are an employee and not an intern.

i offered to work for free at a huge number of law firms this summer, and found no takers

This is solid advice, but really I just wanted to post to say your avatar is making me hungry.

[General Tso]

technically, a company must pay you unless you are an intern.

to be an intern, you should function in a self-serving, learning capacity only. when you start performing duties that the firm would normally need to pay someone for, then you are an employee and not an intern.

i offered to work for free at a huge number of law firms this summer, and found no takers

This is solid advice, but really I just wanted to post to say your avatar is making me hungry.

i get that alot

[dood]

...

[General Tso]

BRO u have to change that avatar. I AM SERIOUSLY STARVED.

hit up the Panda Express then...their orange chicken is no general tso, but it's not half bad either