BY:
IFEANYI UGWUANYI
ifeanyiugwuanyi247@gmail.com
EXPOSITION
Student practice and learning of court room processes and procedures are the necessary tools of being a potential lawyer, however, more often than not, many a student either shy away from these or feel that the endeavor is muchless outside their area of specialization. It is not uncommon to see a law student spend all his long vacation period at home. Given the one year work experience that most employ
Following from the above, it is assumed that one is expected to acquire the requisite minimum work experience before leaving the four walls of the university environment. The relevance of embarking on an internship sojourn as concerns a student of law cannot be overemphasized. It serves as an eye opener in the sense that it exposes the student to the realities of legal profession. Ordinarily such exposure cannot be gotten inside the classrooms and can never be gotten any other way. It helps the student to build a work-life experience and culture. Funny as it may sound, it helps the student to build contacts with smarter individuals in the field and lots more.
Well, for want of space, I will like to posit that out of experience and service as the consultant of Advocates Movement, I have come to realize some recurrent questions that students often ask about internship. Most of these questions are hereunder highlighted. Solutions to the questions are equally provided with a view to assisting fellow students in grabbing internship opportunities alongside cutting edge along global best practices.
What do you mean by internship?
The Word Web Universal English Dictionary and Thesaurus defines the term internship as a job taken by a student in order to learn a trade or a profession. It went further to define an intern as a student who works, “often without pay” (emphasis is mine) in order to gain experience.
Merriam Webster Online Dictionary sees an intern as an advanced student or graduate usually in a professional field gaining supervised practical experience. Following from this, it is obvious that internship is not a classroom affair.it is practice-based, take note. Without more, internship can be described as a temporary position with emphasis on “on-the-job” training rather than merely employment, and it can be paid or unpaid
How do I find an internship placement?
The most effective internship searches utilize a variety of different search strategies. A great place to start is the Career Center website - many Internship listings are available online therein. You can search your interests by keywords. You may also want to use the word "intern" or "internship" in your search. You will find information about additional internship opportunities elsewhere on career center website
If you want internship information, sign up for CareerMail (under Career Interest, make sure to select "Internships") and check out Job & Internship Guide.
Also, take advantage of all your networking opportunities. In addition to making contacts through friends, family, current/former employers, classmates, and faculty members, there are many other networking avenues you can pursue. A great place to start is the carrier portal of prestigious firms. You may also learn about internship openings through newspapers, newsletters, job fairs, work/study abroad programs, hometown contacts, professional associations, student organizations, trade magazines, and your major department office.
While there is a great deal of information available, you must be persistent in your internship search. Start early and seek out help from a career counselor. Have a plan that includes a great resume and cover letter, appropriate follow-up, and good record keeping. Be prepared, open-minded, flexible, and professional. It's up to you to make all your contacts count!
When is a good time to start looking for an internship?
If you mean during which year of academic study, the second semester of your freshman year is not too soon. Allow yourself at least one semester of academic study to adjust to the rigors of campus life. Then, depending on your major, GPA, and courseload requirements, you may be ready to intern. May I bring to your notice once more that your academic work is always your first priority.
If you mean at which point during the year, the Career Center receives internship listings continually. It's probably best to begin your internship search the semester prior to your desired placement. That way, you'll have time to respond to listed positions and initiate contacts on your own as well. Lead time can give you a competitive edge when it comes to composing an effective cover letter or tailoring your resume/CV to a desired internship.
Do I need a resume to apply for internship?
This depends on the sponsoring organization or firm. Oftentimes you need a resume/CV and a cover letter for your application. Millions of articles and tutorials are available online on how to write a good cover letter and a great CV. However, the question is: how do I make my CV and cover letter to stand out? In other words, you need to fashion out a mechanism (through learning) on how to make your application documents and or details to be unique.
Can I get academic credit for my internship?
Well, I may not be able to answer the question of whether experiences garnered from internship sojourns can contribute to your grade point (GP) BUT I would rather advice you to make enquiries from our colleagues in Nigerian law school. It may be possible to get academic credit for your internship, but not from the Career Center.
Only academic departments can offer credit, and policies differ greatly from one department to the next. Often your internship must relate directly to your major and will require you to complete a substantial research project or writing component as part of special studies course. Make no mistakes about it. The experience you garner may add to your GP as an undergraduate but MUST add to your GP during your law school programme. You are free to quote me anywhere.
When should I start looking for a summer position?
It is advisable that one starts searching in the preceding fall semester in order to take full advantage of all the resources and listings available to one. Some deadlines are very early! Starting early allows you to more evenly balance the time required to conduct a successful summer job search with other demands on your time. Being better informed will help you make better use of academic breaks to investigate summer job possibilities. It will ultimately help you to get all the application requirements like result transcripts (where needed) ready.
What salary can I expect?
Salaries vary according to experience and skills required, year in school, type of position, type of employer, and location. For undergraduate interns here in Nigeria - using Lagos and Portharcourt as a case study, reputable law firms pay up to fifty thousand naira or substantially higher for special skills and significant experience per month. Some other firms, Udo-Udoma & Bello Osagie for instance pay in dollars depending on the number of hours put in work by an individual intern. Firms like KPMG, SimmonsCopper, Templars, Olaniwun Ajayi, Banwo & Ighodalo and fleets of others sure pay up to the afore stated amount. Internships can be both paid and unpaid depending on the same factors mentioned above.
How many hours can I work as a student?
Well, the gist of the matter is this: reputable law firms believe in “no work, no pay”. The amount you will receive at the end of the day must reflect the hours you put in work. It is not arguable that you are intelligent and this is the reason why you must demonstrate and exhibit that your brilliance in every single task assigned to you. It will not be uncommon to find firms where interns put in as long as 9 – 11 hours per day including weekends. Did I just say weekends? Yes! Probably you may not be told at the outset that your weekends will be encroached on, but sooner than later after resuming work, you will get to know of that. The above notwithstanding, there are still firms (Sui Juris LLP, Probitas Partners, Okeke & Ajumogobia, Bola Ajibola, to mention but a few) where interns put in an average of 3-5 hours per day.
Coming from the angle of internship duration, it may last for weeks and months depending on the firm and your academic calendar.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, I verily appreciate the fact that some students may still like to be clarified on some issues, however, it is the humble believe of Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi that the pieces contained above has reasonably taken care of the numerous questions that faces an average law student on the verge of embarking on an internship programme. We need not travel to Bangkok to understand that the study of law should not be theory based alone.in other words, there should be a marriage between our knowledge of theory and practice. And one of the cardinal ways of initiating this marriage is the substratum of this write up. Many a student shy away from taking opportunities under the umbrella of the so called – ‘I don’t want to be a practicing lawyer’. My timely counsel to such students is: it is always better to err on the side of caution/surpsulage. #takethelead.
BY:
IFEANYI UGWUANYI
Consultant, Advocates Movement,
LAWSA Public Relations Officer,
ifeanyiugwuanyi247@gmail.com
