My internship experience

I am interning for Ben Crump Law this summer and it has been everything I could ask for. This internship has given my the experience and insight to decide of becoming a lawyer was right for me. It has showed me what really goes on behind the scenes. Becoming a lawyer involves extensive amount of time and preparation to provide clients with the best representation. It will continue to benefit my future career by equipping me with the experience of conducting legal research, reading briefs and complaints, speaking and coordinating with clients, attending meetings and more. It allows me to grow skills that make me stand out during any future endeavors. During my internship, it has grown my drive to become a lawyer because it has shown me that helping people is a fundamental quality to maintain for myself, and being a lawyer would allow me to help and advocate for those who cannot or do not know how. Justice is something that has been pondered over since before time, I want to be part of that conversation.

My internship ties to my political science major specifically one of the political science classes I took: Ethnic and Minority Politics. This class focused on the role of minorities in out political system from history to present. In addition, it focused on the systematic racial discrimination occurring in the USA. Ben Crump Law focuses on bringing justice to people who have been victims of racial injustice. I was able to utilize the knowledge from this class in my internship and use it as a driving force to join the fight against the racial injustice and believe in the message and awareness the firm is sharing.

I do not believe one would need any educational requirements to be successful in this internship. The learning environment in this internship is wonderful for growth. They encourage learning and questions, thus if you do not know something, they are always willing to teach you to help you be successful. 

After completing this internship, I realize being a lawyer requires patience, organization, compassion, understanding, love,  and empathy. You must be patient with the legal system as a whole. When they say it moves slow, it does, but it means you need to stay organized and on top of time and deadlines. You must be compassionate and empathetic because as a lawyer, you may be dealing with people at their lowest times: during a divorce, custody for their child, estate management after a loved one passes, facing time in jail. One needs to understand what is on the line for them and that they are looking at the lawyer for help. Give them that support and provide them your very best. And of course, how can you do that if you do not love what you do to begin with? In addition, being good with technology and different office platforms in fundamental. Technology is utilized to keep co-counsels and clients in touch. It allows us to stay organized and on top of things from near and far. To add, legal research is a big must. You must be able to know the basics of research and how to optimize your time spent doing it. 

For incoming interns I advise you to always say YES. As an intern, go into your internship with an open mind. Be willing to do a lot of things so you can learn because that is what internships are about. Try things so you can learn the most from your time. So when you get offered if you can to do something, say yes.