Internships
Internships are a great way to get experience in a field before making the big decision about whether law school is the right path to the career you want to pursue. The answer to the question, "Should I do an internship?" is always, and empahtically, YES.
Who is eligible for an internship?
If you have completed 45 credits, and have a GPA of 2.0 or higher,
you may do an internship. Some departments have additional requirements.
When should I do an internship?
Some students do internships during the summer; some prefer to do
them during the academic year. If you are hoping to learn more about
the legal profession from your internship in order to decide whether
to apply to law school, then you will probably want to do one during
your junior year or the summer before or after your junior year.
How do I find a law-related internship?
There are many sources of information about internships:
your department, UMass Career Services, and your own contacts through family
members, neighbors, acquaintances. Amherst College provides an extensive list of law-related internship opportunities (PDF), complete with contact information. If you have a lot of room available in your schedule, you should also consider the Student Legal Services Office (SLSO) internship (PDF), right here on campus.
How much academic credit will I get?
If you do an internship through your department, there may be a
specified number of credits for the internship. If you do an internship
through Career Services, you may designate how many credits you
will receive.
Where do I go on campus to find out about
internships?
Your first step should be to check out the UMass
Career Services website. It has a comprehensive overview of
the field experience programs offered at UMass.
How do I find a faculty sponsor?
Start with your undergraduate advisor who may refer you to a specific
person in the department who handles internships. Otherwise, ask
any faculty member who you know from your courses if he or she would
be willing to be your sponsor.
Will a law-related internship help me get
into law school?
Not necessarily. Law schools don’t require that applicants
have any legal experience. They are looking for students with a
well-rounded liberal arts education. Your academic record is far
more important than extra-curricular activities or internships.
Why would I do an internship?
One way to find out if you would like being a lawyer is to spend
time around lawyers to see what lawyers do in the course of a day.
This will help you determine if the tasks they perform are ones
you would enjoy doing. Working in a law office or government agency
may help you clarify your goals and give you an added incentive
to work hard preparing for the LSAT and applying to law school.
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