2 answers
Mason
Student
Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
1
Question
Asked
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When should I begin applying for law internships?
Hi, I am a Sophomore in college. My college major is Pre-Med but I am changing to Pre-Law next semester when I start at a four year university.
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2 answers
Amber Lee
Tax Associate
92
Answers
New York, New York
Updated
Amber’s Answer
Hi Mason,
Good for you for thinking and planning ahead! Since you're still in undergrad, I would say you can begin applying anytime for both legal and non-legal internships. Actual legal internship opportunities for undergrads are kind of rare, but sometimes smaller law firms do hire undergrad students so it doesn't hurt to poke around and see if anyone is offering those opportunities. Some local courts also host undergrad students for the summer.
If you're unable to get a legal internship at this point, fret not! You can always search for law-adjacent internships and volunteering opportunities--anything to boost your resume, really. It might even be beneficial to complete an internship in an area that is unrelated to law. For example, if you're interested in health law, you can get an internship at a medical / pharmaceutical facility so that you can gain an understanding on the inner workings of that specific industry and consider how laws and public policies are shaped by it (laws do not exist in a vacuum after all!).
Once you begin law school, more internship opportunities will be made available to you through on-campus interview programs. You will be expected to complete summer internships, and you will also have the opportunity to participate in externships and clinics. These programs are typically more robust and would contribute to your growth in a more meaningful way since you would have had a pretty solid legal foundation by then.
All that is my long-winded way to say: apply to internships that will give you marketable and transferable skills, and you can begin applying anytime.
Good luck!
Good for you for thinking and planning ahead! Since you're still in undergrad, I would say you can begin applying anytime for both legal and non-legal internships. Actual legal internship opportunities for undergrads are kind of rare, but sometimes smaller law firms do hire undergrad students so it doesn't hurt to poke around and see if anyone is offering those opportunities. Some local courts also host undergrad students for the summer.
If you're unable to get a legal internship at this point, fret not! You can always search for law-adjacent internships and volunteering opportunities--anything to boost your resume, really. It might even be beneficial to complete an internship in an area that is unrelated to law. For example, if you're interested in health law, you can get an internship at a medical / pharmaceutical facility so that you can gain an understanding on the inner workings of that specific industry and consider how laws and public policies are shaped by it (laws do not exist in a vacuum after all!).
Once you begin law school, more internship opportunities will be made available to you through on-campus interview programs. You will be expected to complete summer internships, and you will also have the opportunity to participate in externships and clinics. These programs are typically more robust and would contribute to your growth in a more meaningful way since you would have had a pretty solid legal foundation by then.
All that is my long-winded way to say: apply to internships that will give you marketable and transferable skills, and you can begin applying anytime.
Good luck!
Cyrus Sachinvala
International Tax
3
Answers
Cleveland, Ohio
Updated
Cyrus’s Answer
The honest answer is that the most impactful thing you can do right now isn't chasing internships, it's building the foundation that makes law firms want you later. Law firms recruiting 1L interns are heavily influenced by two things: how you performed as an undergrad and how you came out of your first semester of law school. So your best investment right now is your GPA, getting involved in activities that demonstrate leadership and critical thinking, and starting to prep seriously for the LSAT, that score is a major factor in where you land, and where you land shapes your early opportunities significantly. The good news is your Pre-Med background isn't a setback, it actually signals discipline and analytical rigor, which law schools and firms respect. Focus on finishing strong as an undergrad, get into the most competitive law school you can, be an outstanding 1L, and the internship opportunities will follow naturally from that. The door opens fastest for students who have clearly done the work to deserve it.