Gaining Practical Legal Experience in Law School

Lawyers Who Launch

Practical legal experience is a coveted resume builder for law students and recent law school graduates. This week we are sharing a few opportunities for you to gain practical legal experience - all with a networking bonus.

1. Legal Clinic

Most law school have legal clinics associated with this schools. This is a direct routine to experiences that you would not otherwise have in the classroom. A clinic can also help you learn more about an area of law so you have a better idea of what you want to pursue after law school.

2. Mock Trial

The opportunity to compete on a mock trial team cannot be replicated anywhere else in law school. Getting on your feet and arguing before panels and judges will give you that experience and a big resume boost.

3. Judicial Internship

While the most common way we think about law clerks in the courts is the year following law school, that is not the only path. Many courts bring in interns for a year or a semester. This is a front row seat to our justice system and will give you exposure like nothing else.

4. Law Firm Clerkship

Whether you spend a summer in a law firm, or maybe longer, law firm clerkships are a classic way to gain experience as a student. The variety of clerkships vary from firm to firm - there is no one size fits all approach. Consider you interests and reach out to local firms to see whether you are just what they are looking for.

Networking Bonus:

All of these opportunities gives you the chance to expand your professional network and work on your networking skills. Interested in networking, but unsure where to begin? Check out The Law Student’s Guide to Networking - available on Amazon.

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Nothing contained within this podcast is intended or should be construed to be legal advice and does not create any attorney client relationship. Your jurisdiction will have rules of professional conduct that you must follow. This discussion does not focus on the any such rules, including the rules from the jurisdiction where we practice.