IMPORTANCE OF LEGAL INTERNSHIPS AS A FIRST YEAR STUDENT; AND HOW TO FIND THEM [INTERNSHIP SERIES-3]
AUTHOR- YASH DHIKLE *
EDITOR- RIYA LUHADIA
INTRODUCTION
As the holiday season approaches, you start seeing your peers and seniors all talk about a winter/summer internship. As a first-year student, should you intern? If yes, then where? Is it compulsory for fresher's to intern? Without having any prior knowledge, will I be able to intern?? I'm sure many such questions start troubling you. We shall deal with all of them and see how you can get an internship even without any prior experience.
IMPORTANCE OF INTERNSHIPS
Let us first understand what an Internship is; as per the dictionary, an internship is "any authority or formal program to give down-to-earth insight to beginners in an occupation or profession:" In layman's language, an entry-level position to coordinate homeroom information into the expert world. It is an opportunity to learn how the work is carried out in the natural working environment instead of textbooks.
As a first-year law student, it is crucial to utilize your time wisely and not get intimidated and influenced by peer pressure. Even though it is essential to focus on your GPA, you should not limit your learning to just academics. The first year is the year when a student has the most time to devote to co-curricular activities. A first-year student should explore various types of internships and expose himself as much as possible; this will help him with his future career prospect.
The most crucial reason is Networking! Interning allows you to meet students from various law schools. It helps you network with the Mentors, Recruiters in the arena, which is very important for call-back and PPO's. Building a professional network is of the utmost importance in a Law School.
These are the various types of internships a first-year student can do--
● LEGAL RESEARCHER- Working as a researcher and writing research papers helps you in academics and makes you familiar with the art of Legal and research and writing. Working as a researcher enables you to hone your research and writing skills, which is a valuable skill for a lawyer.
● LEGAL BLOGGER– A legal blogger researches a given topic and writes an article/blog on it. This immensely keeps the student updated with recent issues and provides wings to his opinions. The exposure you get researching various topics and writing articles on them goes without saying that it improves your knowledge. Still, this experience also helps in activities like Moots, debates, etc., where researching plays a valuable role.
● NGO VOLUNTEER(e.g., Aashman foundation, CRY, Sarkari school)– First-year students are generally advised to start internships with NGOs. But it is vital to have a variety for learning different types of the working environment.
● WORKING UNDER AN ADVOCATE- Let's assume you want to excel in Litigation; in that case, it is imperative to have firsthand experience under a practicing lawyer before committing to the career. Working below him will expose you to how the court functions, how to draft, how clients are managed, and much more.
Other opportunities-
● Intern at Human rights commission (State/National)
● Interning at a Trial court and Consumer forum.
● HR Intern
● Campus Ambassador
HOW TO CHOOSE AN INTERNSHIP?
Just like an adult butterfly has to go through various life stages before entering the adult stage. Similarly, a law student has to choose his internships wisely to become the perceived lawyer."
Steps to choose an internship –
Identify the area of interest – Do not apply to every internship out there; identify your area of interest; do you like researching, or maybe you like writing more! Choose the internship accordingly
Research about the company and the work they do and observe if their particular interests you
One should always consider all the aspects like time and effort, examinations and other engagements before committing to an internship.
HOW TO FIND INTERNSHIPS?
Finding an internship as a first-year student can be a grueling task; with numerous websites, demanding CVs, and much more; Drafting the CV according to the position you are applying for is the most important skill you should learn as a first-year student,
CV- The first step towards finding any internship is a well-drafted and professional CV
A professional CV and cover letter will help you stand out from the crowd; make sure you edit the CV as and when required while applying at different recruiters. Make sure there are no spelling mistakes and grammatical errors in the CV and the cover letter.
Timing- The time you send out professional mails like internship applications matters a lot! Always Mail at office timings. This not only increases the chances of the recruiter seeing your mail but also looks professional.
Preparation- Ensure you have researched enough about the company and prepared for the interview. Revise questions like Strengths or Interests or the reason to study law.
"But I have no prior experience!!"- Fear not, even you can land a good internship; Any academic achievement is done in school like Debates, Model United Nations, etc have a place in the CV, even online certificate courses!
Keep checking websites, which regularly post updates on internship opportunities like Lawoctopus.
Two main platforms will help you land an internship the most
● Internshala
CONCLUSION
An internship is a bridge that connects learning and working; it is the first step towards personality development and the foundation towards building a CV. It helps you develop your network and allows you to learn various skills like researching and multitasking. It is essential to work on асаdemiсs, but holistic development should be the goal of any first-year student. Our economy is changing daily, and with it, the talents, skills, and experience are required to be a part of the growth cycle. The job market is competitive, and for recent graduates, this also means a difficult learning curve. This is a significant reason why applied learning and internship opportunities are becoming increasingly important раrt of the college experience for all students. Moreover, an internship helps you to determine which part of your field you enjoy the most. Happy Interning!!
REFERENCES
● ShreyLodha, 11 Reasons Why Internship is Important for Law Students - iPleadersiPleaders (2021), 11 Reasons Why Internship is Important for Law Students - iPleaders.
● Julie Maio, 10 Reasons Why an Internship is Important to All Students Big Ideas Blog (2021), 10 Reasons Why an Internship is Important to All Students | Big Ideas Blog (suny.edu).
*The Author is a 1st year BLS LLB student at Government Law College Mumbai.
Disclaimer: The opinions and views in this article are personal and independent opinions of the author. VAIDHA doesn't hold any liability arising out of this article.
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