So, I have convinced you that you need an internship. You have written an amazing cover letter for that dream public defender internship. You nailed every interview question and you have been hired! Now it is time to begin you public defender internship. The only question that remains is, how do you succeed?
Here are 10 tips on how to succeed at your public defender internship (and in no particular order).
Tip #1 Dress For Success the First Day of Your Public Defender Internship
I have seen students ask on a number of Reddit forums, “How should I dress for my first day of my internship?” The answer is simple! Wear a suit.
Don’t even ask. Just do it, because if you show up in a suit it tells your supervisor that you are taking your public defender internship seriously. It also means you can tag along in court on the first day.
You will also want to bring a spare suit to keep in the office because there will be some days where you won’t be scheduled to go to court. It may be a research and writing day for example. But that doesn’t mean you won’t be needed in court!
Existing and new clients have crisis pop up all the time. You never know when you will need to run over to the courthouse for an arraignment, or even to watch a hearing. Be prepared!
I will always remember that one summer where I had a client get picked up for a minor offense, but needed representation in court that day. I ran to my intern’s office and said, “Hey, Mr. X was just picked up. Suit up, you’re doing the arraignment!.” Their response? “I don’t have a suit with me today.”
Not only was I disappointed in their lack of preparedness, but they also missed out on a great opportunity to advocate for our client in court. Don’t let that be you! Show up to your first day looking like a pro and have a spare in your hand too!
Tip #2 Be Social
Being social matters in any internship. Networking with your superiors will get you assignments. But getting to know people, and more importantly, having them get to know you, is critical in getting hired!
Your first public defender internship can be nerve-wracking. This is what you want to do with your career and you don’t want to mess it up, (let alone your client’s lives!).
On top of that pressure, you are surrounded by experienced attorneys who are extremely busy. Public defender offices can be fast paced environments and it may seem like people are too busy to talk. But, you need to put yourself out there!
You will usually have one or two attorneys assigned to mentor you. They will help you meet people and get assignments. But you don’t want to just rely on your mentors.
Observe your environment and find opportunities to become part of the office. For example, if the attorneys eat lunch at 1 in the conference room, you eat lunch at 1 in the conference room. It is a great way to meet people, let them meet you, and hear all the war stories from court that day.
Knock on doors and introduce yourself. Let the attorneys know you are there and that you are ready to take on any assignment they have. A simple, “Hey, I’m Jessica, one of the interns. I just wanted to introduce myself and see if you have any cases that you need some help on.” Even if they don’t have any work for you at the moment, they will soon.
At the end of the day just remember, public defenders LOVE interns. We are buried in work, barely have time to research and write motions sometimes, and need all the help we can get! We also enjoy mentoring law students; helping train the next generation of public defenders.
Tip #3, Tip #2 Applies to Investigators and Secretaries Too!
You will come to understand quickly that the success of your practice depends less on other attorneys and more on your investigator and legal assistant. I would be 100% lost without either.
One misstep interns made during their public defender internship is not getting to know the legal assistants and investigators in the office. This matters because your ability to work with your entire legal team is a critical part goes to whether you will succeed at the job.
And while it will vary from agency to agency and office to office, if the support staff likes you, it will trickle down to the hiring folks.
Tip #4 Your Internship Is a Job Interview So Stay Busy!
Do not ever forget that your public defender internship is not just about getting experience. You are on a months long job interview.
If I see an intern taking it easy, they are not getting a second look from me. Don’t go on Twitter or Facebook unless it directly relates to a case. Don’t read the news unless your are at lunch.
Tip #5 Ask Questions
Asking questions during your public defender internship it critical. First, you are going to learn from the answers. Second, asking questions prevents you from making mistakes. And third, asking questions shows attorneys that you want to learn and are trainable.
I know the third point seems obvious, but you would be surprised by how many interns have come into my office thinking that they know everything. If you are not receptive to feedback and constructive criticism, then you are not getting a job.
Asking questions also allows the attorney to assume a mentoring role. This in turn helps you build a relationship with that attorney. The more relationships you build, the better your chances for employment.
Tip #6 Be Mindful of Deadlines
I don’t need to tell you to be on time for work each day, (in fact, I say arrive early and stay late). But it is equally important to be mindful of any deadlines for your assignments.
There is nothing worse than giving an intern an assignment, with a deadline, and not getting by the deadline. There may be times when you find that you have taken on a few more assignments than you can handle. You can either give them back, (not a good look), or put in some extra, albeit unpaid, hours and get it done!
If you feel like you need some extra time, just ask the attorney. A simple email that says, “Hey, this issue is really interesting. Would it be ok if I got it to you a few days late? I want to make sure I have covered every angle.” Or, “I am working against a few deadlines. Would it be ok to get you the assignment a few days late?” These are not unreasonable requests. And if the answer is “not,” then it’s a good thing you asked!
Tip #7 Double Check Your Work
You will receive a number of assignments from attorneys. Most, if not all, will require that you submit some sort of writing to them. It may be a motion, a memorandum of law on a specific topic, or it may be notes from a client meeting.
You need to make sure you get your assignments to the attorney by their deadline. Just as important is making sure the finished product is of high quality. Triple check for spelling and punctuation errors, (the same way you would for cover letters and resumes!). And because this is a legal job, make sure your citations are in the correct format. My pet peeve is when interns, or attorneys for that matter, improperly cite a case or other source.
You also want to make sure your legal research is accurate. Did you runs a Shepards report on Lexis or key cite on Westlaw? The biggest benefit of interns is their uncanny ability to do amazing legal research. Turning in a poorly researched memo or motion is not going to move you any closer to a job than showing up late to work.
Tip #8 Seek Feedback Early and Often
It is really impossible to know what you are doing right or wrong unless you ask. Early on it is good to stay on top of this. If one is not already part of your internship, ask your supervisor if you could do a weekly check in. Just a quick sit down over coffee, or a beer, where you can get some feedback on how you are doing. It’s also a great way to ask questions.
You may not always get the most in depth feedback on your work from attorneys. As I mentioned, they are busy people. But don’t let that stop you from following up with them. And while it can be frustrating to get a simple, “it was good” for a motion you spent hours laboring over, if you get asked to do another assignment by that attorney, you know you did a great job.
Tip #9 Demonstrate Your Care For the Client
For me, I can tell right away if someone is cut out for a career as a public defender by the way they speak to and speak about their clients. This job is 100% about the client and if you don’t get that, you won’t get very far.
In evaluating an intern, I ask myself a number of questions; did the intern want to meet with clients?, how did the intern treat clients?, how did the intern speak about clients outside their presence?, did the intern care about the outcome of the case even after their assignment was complete? Just some things for you to think about.
Tip #10 Get On Your Feet!
The scariest part of the job is being on your feet in court. All eyes are on you, your client’s life is on the line, and you don’t know what the heck you are doing. But, this is a trial attorney position you are shooting for. Put that fear aside and get up there!
Do not expect to be perfect your first few times in court. In fact, don’t expect to be good. But that’s ok! Nobody expects you to be great in court. But, the more you do it the better you will get.
To this point, a lot of being an attorney comes from on the job learning. When you are in court, pay attention! Watch how the judge conducts their courtroom. Observe how different attorneys handle themselves. Pick and choose what parts of each person;s style jives with your personality.
By the way, this is why choosing a law school with a killer clinical program matters! Michigan Law just started a Public Defender Training Institute. (We will be doing an interview with a founder of the program every soon!).
Is That It?
Well, there are a lot of things you can do at your public defender internship to succeed, but I think this is a good start. As always, if you have any questions reach out to me on Twitter or Facebook . You can also email me at GideonsSoldiers@gmail.com
