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Obtaining the perfect legal internship is every law student’s dream but first you have to find the right outlets. A simple Google search is just one way you can go about it but don’t forget about some of the most obvious ways either. Usually they are the ones most people tend to forget about so make sure to take full advantage of the resources you already have.
- Personal Resources:
Your friends, family, and school contacts might have ideas and connections that can help you identify and land that ideal internship
- Family
More solid opportunities come from contacts made through family members than any other source.
- Friends
Use them well, and find out if their families have connections.
- Professors
Treat any contact that comes from a professor like gold. He might have spent years cultivating it.
- Career Centers
They have vast usable contacts and opportunities. Keep in mind, though, it’s a career center’s job to help you get a position, not to get it for you.
- Alumni
The alumni office and its website will usually provide the means to search for alumni in your targeted industry.
- General Resources:
A wealth of internship-related information is available from the following sources:
- Job Fairs
These offer opportunities to speak directly with company representatives about current or future opportunities. It helps to have a resume and a focused message to make the most of the recruiter’s time.
- Internet
Job and career websites and company websites all have searchable databases. A job-posting site could offer hidden gems—along with plenty of duds. Check out Lawcrossing.com for more information on thousands of great legal jobs.
- Trade Publications
These often list internship programs, with contact information and descriptive summaries.
- Professional Conferences
Most have student rates; some let you attend for free in exchange for one day of volunteering. Also, most conferences have student receptions. Attend them to network with peers and working professionals.
- Company Websites
Many students overlook the career section of a company’s website in favor of the big job-posting sites. However, many company sites let you apply online. Even better, get the name of a recruiter at the company from your career center and personally follow up on your online application.
- Professional Associations
If there’s a career you’re interested in, there’s a professional, dues-paying association for it. Most have student rates. Contact the association to learn about internship opportunities. Local chapter meetings may present opportunities to find out who’s hiring.
- News Outlets
Who’s hot and who’s not? Keeping up on the news can give you the inside scoop on why you should call a target company, and it can help you propose a study on industry trends.
