Why Pursue a Legal Internship in San Francisco
The path to success in the legal field often involves gaining practical experience through internships. Choosing San Francisco as the city to launch your legal career through an internship can be a game changer for young lawyers. With its thriving legal landscape, top-tier law firms and organizations, and diverse legal communities, the Golden City provides an unmatched environment to kickstart your journey into the legal profession.
San Francisco’s legal scene is a fusion of history and innovation. The city boasts a long-standing tradition of excellence in legal work, with numerous firms and organization committed to providing high-quality representation. Law firms such as Morrison & Foerster LLP, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP and Farella Braun + Martel LLP have established themselves as industry leaders and provide ample opportunities for aspiring lawyers to gain invaluable experience.
But what truly sets San Francisco apart is its vibrant legal community. The city’s diverse blend of residents translates into a wide range of legal specialties and fields. Whether you’re interested in corporate law, intellectual property, environmental law, or boutique specialties, you can find opportunities all around the Bay Area . This diversity allows interns to explore various areas of the law and choose paths that align with their passions and career goals.
In addition to law firms, San Francisco is home to numerous legal organizations, non-profits, and government agencies. These offer a plethora of opportunities for interns to make an impact in their communities while gaining experience. Organizations such as the Legal Aid Society of San Francisco, Bay Area legal Aid, and the San Francisco Human Rights Commission have valuable experience and skill building opportunities to offer.
San Francisco also hosts regular networking events, seminars, and workshops. These events allow you to connect with judges, practicing lawyers, and seasoned professionals. Participating in these events can be a significant advantage when entering a competitive job market after graduation.
Choosing an internship in the city can be extremely beneficial in numerous ways for aspiring lawyers. It also provides opportunities for pro bono work, which San Francisco encourages, allowing interns to give back to their communities.
Law Firms That Offer Internships
One of the best ways to gain experience in the legal field is to seek out an internship. While many people naturally think of internships at major New York City law firms, the Bay Area is actually highly connected and offers opportunities at many of the same firms. Notably, MoFo (Morrison & Foerster) and Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe have recognized brands and central offices in the San Francisco area. MoFo is one of the firms that actively recruits through campus on a national basis. This means that there may be opportunities to work in their San Francisco office through a summer internship. This firm has internships available during the summer and the school year. Internships are also available through the Volunteer Legal Program. Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe also has a brand name and an office in the Bay Area, and it is one of the most prominent law firms outside of New York City. This firm also recruits nationally and also has summer internships and year-round opportunities. Some of the leading law firms throughout the country, including some of those that have offices in the San Francisco area, may recruit for interns in select cities through LawCrossing.
Advantages of Legal Internships and Career Development
A summer internship in the legal field offers invaluable practical experience. It provides you with an opportunity to apply what you’ve learned in the classroom and better understand how the law is utilized and practiced on a daily basis. In addition, you have the chance to network and build connections. The persons you meet while on an internship could become lifelong friends and professional contacts. They may also serve as your mentors and even help you find a position in the future.
Many times lawyers have openings for entry level associates or even for summer associate internships. By making a good impression as a summer associate, you could be in a position to receive an offer of permanent employment.
Essential Skills and Abilities
Key skills and qualifications that are desirable for legal internships in San Francisco include strong analytical skills, legal research abilities, ability to communicate clearly, and professionalism in dealing with both the employer and clients. Employers look for legal interns who have completed relevant coursework in legal studies and have demonstrated leadership ability in prior roles. Solid written and verbal communication skills are vitally important in the legal field, and legal interns will spend a considerable amount of time conversing with clients. Law firms also expect to see previous experience in the form of volunteer work or relevant internships.
How to Land a Legal Internship
How to Apply for Legal Internships in San Francisco
The path to securing a legal internship in San Francisco begins with crafting a resume that highlights your educational accomplishments, relevant work experience, and other transferable skills. Whether you are in pursuit of a summer associate position, or a law clerk position over the school year, it is important to highlight your most impressive work experiences and professional attributes using a concise, detailed resume that is relevant to the position you are applying for. If you have portfolio samples or previous work product, it may also be a good idea to provide this in a separate document alongside your resume as an internship application experience addendum. You can also prepare a general cover letter to send with your resume and application materials to provide a bit more substance to show your interest in the firm of choice.
Keep in mind that your resume and cover letter may be the only documentation that a legal hiring manager will have to review before deciding whom to interview , so it is crucial that these documents be as detailed and relevant to the open position as possible. It is also a good idea to organize your resume by listing your most relevant work and education experiences at the top of the page rather than chronologically for internship applications. Internships are typically part-time positions during your law school years that are designed to provide you with the actual company experience that will be needed to be a successful candidate for full-time attorney work after you graduate and pass the bar exam. Law school can be a challenging endeavor that takes up most of your time and energy each week, but legal internship experience is invaluable for finding successful employment after you graduate.
Navigating Challenges During an Internship
Intering is far from a bed of roses on a Wong Kar Wai super cool day. There are challenges, and legal internships in San Francisco come with specific hurdles. Here are some issues you may face alongside ways to overcome them:
Too much work or not enough?
This 600 lb elephant is not uncommon in the legal internship world. Sometimes interns are just getting input directly from clients without an associate (and sometimes the staff think they don’t need an associate), and therefore are handed too much work. Recognize the issue and don’t be afraid to tell someone you have too much work. It’s better than the opposite scenario of not doing enough work at all.
Relationship with supervisor
It goes without saying one of the most challenging relationships for any intern is their direct supervisor. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, and proactively get insight into how you can build an even more valuable relationship. Ask about interests of the supervisor at a level that is appropriate, and make sure your actions show they’re a priority.
Firm culture and bullying
Firms come with their own unique cultures and norms, some of which can be maddening. The best thing to do is adapt, and don’t take feedback to heart. A lawyer’s response may not be personal; it may just be the way they communicate with everyone.
Pressure and deadlines
The multitude of demands legal interns face can be overwhelming. As always, don’t hesitate to ask for help when needed, or even break up the work with some time away from the desk. There’s no shame in stepping away from the grindstone when it’s not working for you.
Interviews with Interns and Their Experiences
Although Leah’s internship in San Francisco was brief, she gained a lot from her experience working for two weeks as a receptionist for an employment law firm. One of the first things Leah noticed upon arriving at the firm was the office culture: "The firm is rather small with five young employees and it’s a very relaxed atmosphere." This atmosphere was one of the many benefits of being an intern. She was able to familiarize herself with basic legal office duties such as filing clients’ documents and working in Microsoft Word while helping to create a relaxed work environment at the same time. Another major benefit of the experience was that Leah knew several of her colleagues personally through her high school. So while it was a summer job, it still had a social aspect to it, which made her enjoy it that much more.
Leah learned about a variety of employment law topics during her time in the office, the most interesting one being about disability law. "One day, one of the attorneys was telling me about the Americans with Disabilities Act. Each state has its own version of the act , which was actually really interesting to me because I didn’t know that states could have their own laws on this topic." Leah was extremely proud to be able to use the knowledge she learned at school in a real-life situation. She recalled a moment where the firm was looking for a lawyer who was fluent in Spanish because one of their clients only spoke Spanish when she described how her most favorite memory at her summer job was when she finally got the chance to speak. "I told the associate that I knew a couple of sentences in Spanish. He thought this was a perfect opportunity to see if I had what it took to be fluent enough to translate. I was thrilled and jumped right in! All I could think at the time was ‘wow I cannot believe I just did that!’"
Overall, Leah learned a lot from her two-week experience at the firm. If she were to give advice to future interns about applying and working in San Francisco, she would say, "Apply early! The sooner the better if you want to get your first choice. Have something special about yourself in your application! I think this is a huge reason why I got my position. I had previous experience working in an office, I know how to answer phones and my balance between school and work demonstrates my work ethic. I would also recommend to come with an open mind, not to know exactly what you want, but to be open to a whole new experience! And don’t forget to have fun!"