{"id":3027,"date":"2010-06-18T12:57:18","date_gmt":"2010-06-18T17:57:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.uakron.edu\/law\/?p=3027"},"modified":"2010-06-18T12:57:18","modified_gmt":"2010-06-18T17:57:18","slug":"tips-from-career-planning-on-having-a-successful-summer-work-experience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.uakron.edu\/law\/2010\/06\/18\/tips-from-career-planning-on-having-a-successful-summer-work-experience\/","title":{"rendered":"Tips from Career Planning on Having a Successful Summer Work Experience"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>I just came across the following article and wanted to pass it along to all of you who subscribe to the Career Planning blog. Although the article was written for those working in the public interest arena this summer, the advice offered really applies to law students working in any setting. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Best regards,<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Barbara Weinzierl<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This week\u2019s Expert Opinion, on how to maximize your summer internship experience comes to us courtesy of Deb Ellis, Assistant Dean for Public Service at NYU School of Law, where she directs the Public Interest Law Center (PILC) and the Root-Tilden-Kern Scholarship Program and oversees the Judicial Clerkship Office.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Exams are over and you\u2019ve begun your public interest internship!\u00a0 How can you be the kind of intern that employers will rave about and hopefully want to hire as an attorney someday?<\/p>\n<p>From my perspective as both a public interest practitioner and now a law school counselor, I have developed eight tips based on what I look for when I hire:\u00a0 individuals who take initiative \u2014 who can figure out what needs to be done on their cases and projects.\u00a0 In short, I look for people who are <strong>proactive<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Sometimes students find that it takes a change of perspective to be proactive after a year spent in classrooms, where their role is more passive. But in the work world it is essential to take responsibility for your own learning.\u00a0 If you make that effort \u00a0\u2013 to think through your priorities, contribute as much as you can to your employer, and be a team player \u2013 you will learn the most, and have the most fun, too.<\/p>\n<p><span>\u00a0<\/span><strong><em>Tip 1. <\/em><\/strong><em>Know your goals and be proactive in seeking out opportunities to accomplish them.<strong> <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>Early in the summer, identify what your goals are.\u00a0 Possible goals include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Creating a writing sample<\/li>\n<li>Strengthening legal research skills<\/li>\n<li>Observing court proceedings<\/li>\n<li>Developing client interview skills<\/li>\n<li>Representing a client at an administrative hearing<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>What should you do once you identify your goals? Because your first responsibility is to meet your employer\u2019s needs, you have to be strategic \u2013 if you simply announce your goals, you will be viewed as self-absorbed and entitled.\u00a0 Many employers will make it easy by asking about your goals.\u00a0 But if they do not, you can still seek out opportunities to develop your skills. \u00a0It may sound like a truism, but if we know our goals, we are more likely to look for ways to accomplish them.\u00a0 For example, if you want to create a writing sample and the employer gives you an option to write either an outline or a memo, you would choose to write the complete memo.<\/p>\n<p>Identifying your priorities will give you the courage to volunteer for assignments that may seem intimidating.\u00a0 I recall, regretfully, how early in my career I passed up an opportunity to do a substantial argument in federal court because I thought I was too junior.\u00a0 Now I\u2019ve learned that the only way to gain experience is to seize it!<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Tip 2: <\/em><\/strong><em>Discuss your internship with your supervisor before or soon after your arrival.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>It is best if your supervisor initiates such a meeting, but if she does not, you should be proactive and ask if you can meet briefly to discuss the office\u2019s expectations of interns. Among the issues to discuss are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The office\u2019s needs and expectations<\/li>\n<li>How to request guidance on an assignment<\/li>\n<li>Whom to go to if you need more work<\/li>\n<li>Your eagerness to do a particular kind of work (such as create a writing sample), subject to the office\u2019s needs<\/li>\n<li>Reading that could help you contextualize your work<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><em>Tip 3: <\/em><\/strong><em>Be realistic about your expectations for feedback.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Realize that your supervising attorneys are busy people.\u00a0 Their job is to serve their clients, not to mentor you, although they would like to do both.\u00a0 It is realistic to ask for written feedback on one piece of major writing; it is unrealistic to expect feedback on every assignment you hand in. \u00a0\u00a0Realize that in the work world, handing in a project and receiving no feedback is par for the course.\u00a0 In some cases you can figure out if your supervisor found your work valuable by observing how she used it\u2014was your research incorporated into the brief she filed with the court?<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Tip 4: <\/em><\/strong><em>Honor your duty of confidentiality to clients. <\/em><\/p>\n<p>Assume that all case matters and client information are confidential unless your supervisors inform you otherwise.\u00a0 If a matter is confidential, you may not discuss it with those outside your office, except in terms that are sufficiently vague as to protect the identity of both the client and the adversary.\u00a0 Be careful! \u00a0Do not discuss cases or clients in elevators, on the subway, or in other public places.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Tip 5: <\/em><\/strong><em>Be professional in all conduct and prepared at all times.<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Wear appropriate dress (no tank-tops, shorts, or very short skirts).\u00a0 If you want to be able to observe court appearances, dress in suitable clothing on every day a court appearance is possible.\u00a0 For some offices, this means <em>every day<\/em>.<\/li>\n<li>Get to know the support staff by name.\u00a0 Always say \u201cplease\u201d when asking for assistance and \u201cthank you\u201d when they have completed a task for you.<\/li>\n<li>Always carry pen and paper (and use them).\u00a0 As a supervising attorney, nothing irked me more than when a student came to a meeting unprepared to take notes.<\/li>\n<li>Always be on time, in the morning, and for meetings.\u00a0 You may observe that attorneys come in late \u2013 don\u2019t assume that you can, too.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><strong><em>Tip 6: <\/em><\/strong><em>Meet with your supervisor mid-summer to evaluate your progress.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>In the hundreds of intern evaluations that I read each year, I\u2019ve noticed that students find a mid-summer evaluation much more productive than an end-of-summer one, because it gives them a chance to immediately implement the feedback they receive.\u00a0 Thus, I advise you to meet with your supervisor (or if you don\u2019t have one, the attorney whom you have done the most work for) mid-way through the summer to ask how you are doing.\u00a0 Ideally, your supervisor will initiate this meeting.\u00a0 However, if she doesn\u2019t, you can subtly \u201cmanage up,\u201d and ask her if she would have time for a brief meeting because you would like to ensure that you are doing all you can to be an effective intern.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u00a0<\/em><strong><em>Tip 7<\/em><\/strong><em>: Be indispensable and take advantage of all learning opportunities.<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Attend lectures, discussions, brown bag lunches, outings or field trips.\u00a0 Some organizations take note of which interns attend all of the events that the office provides.\u00a0 The more involved you are, the more likely it is that the employer will want you back!<strong> <\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Be a team player.\u00a0 Do your own copying and faxing, and offer to help the attorneys with these tasks as well.<\/li>\n<li>Find ways for your supervisor to depend on you.\u00a0 Make sure every citation is perfect. As a junior member of the team, you may know more about technology than your supervisor\u2014this is a good way to be indispensable.<\/li>\n<li>Downtime is an opportunity\u2014and Facebook is NOT your friend! Use downtime to observe court, look for new projects, or do background reading.\u00a0 No one ever became indispensable by playing Farmville.<\/li>\n<li>\u201cHow can I help?\u201d is one of my favorite queries\u2014whether from my son before dinner or from a colleague on a busy day.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><em>Tip 8: <\/em><\/strong><em>Make your supervisor your mentor.<strong> <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>Most attorneys want to be a good mentor, but often don\u2019t have the time for leisurely lunches or long chats.\u00a0 Make it easy for them to mentor you by using any time you have together to ask questions and seek their advice.\u00a0 For example, if they\u2019re walking out of the office to get coffee, ask if you can join them.\u00a0 During a break in a meeting, don\u2019t text \u2013 talk to your colleagues.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Author&#8217;s Conclusion:<\/em><\/strong><strong> <\/strong>Having hired dozens of interns and attorneys in my career, I know that internships are crucial: hiring a former intern as an attorney meant that there would be no surprises\u2014we knew in advance how sensational she or he would be! \u00a0Being proactive as an intern will guarantee that you will gain the skills, knowledge, and recommendations that will help launch you in your public service career. Good Luck!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I just came across the following article and wanted to pass it along to all of you who subscribe to the Career Planning blog. Although the article was written for those working in the public interest arena this summer, the advice offered really applies to law students working in any setting. Best regards, Barbara Weinzierl &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.uakron.edu\/law\/2010\/06\/18\/tips-from-career-planning-on-having-a-successful-summer-work-experience\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;Tips from Career Planning on Having a Successful Summer Work Experience&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":951,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,117,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3027","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-career-planning","category-employment-opportunities","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uakron.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3027","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uakron.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uakron.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uakron.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/951"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uakron.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3027"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uakron.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3027\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3029,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uakron.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3027\/revisions\/3029"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uakron.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3027"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uakron.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3027"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uakron.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3027"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}