INTRODUCTION
I want to say that the facilitators of this session started to set a trap for me since they thought about me speaking on the topic: “the role of internship in building a successful legal career”. I call it a trap because how can somebody who is yet to be a successful legal practitioner speak to an issue that accommodates ‘success in the legal profession’. But I later realised that the gravamen of the discussion will be on the role of internship in one’s sojourn to becoming a successful legal practitioner. The topics look the same but I feel more comfortable addressing the latter.
I am really excited about the privilege to speak on a topic that has to do with internship. This is because rather than learn from the mistakes of others in knowing valuable internships to undergo, I learnt from my own mistakes. As a result, I still nurture little regrets to not have started interning right from my year one as an undergraduate. I would have been better off and more exposed. But, here I am.
THE ROLE OF INTERNSHIP IN BUILDING A SUCCESSFUL LEGAL CAREER
I would assume that everyone here already knows what internship is. About 5-6 years ago, the role of internship was not really felt. Because, only excellent grades used to be better off. So, you go to school, study hard and make your As. Finish with a first class and you are very likely to secure a placement with one of the best firms. Then, it was all about grades.
On the other side of the ring which is now, things have changed. Most employers, more than excellent grades, want to have a feel of what a prospective employee can do. One of such ways to ascertain this is through INTERNSHIP experience and this necessitates the question “what exactly are the roles of internship”.
As a matter of fact, undergoing internships help to know what side of interest one needs to throw more weight. Let’s say, for example, you have passion for corporate law or Energy and Natural resources, it will be unwise for you not to ascertain how passionate you are in your area of interest. Because a lecturer in school taught you few classes on Law of Business Association, you then conclude that your interest lies there. Such conclusion may cost you. As such, a functional dictate of reasoning would cause you to undergo internship in a corporate/commercial law firm or a firm whose practice areas accommodate Energy and natural resources. When you do, more than what you were taught in class, you would most likely see it from the practice perspective and be able to know whether the passion is still intact after your experience.
Undergoing internships in your area of interest, as an undergraduate, creates a rebuttable presumption that you have some knowledge on such area, hence, employers excitingly take solace in offering you the job because you are really not an amateur as opposed to your other colleagues who have only interned in the classrooms.
In recent years, more than excellent grades, some got offers from the best firms because of their internship experiences. An example that readily comes to mind is a friend of mine got offer in a law firm because he has interned in virtually all the biggest four auditing firms (PwC, KPMG, Deloitte, EY). As a matter of fact, he graduated with a 2.1 and applied for the same job with first class graduates but he got it because he effortlessly matched what they were looking for, just because of his internship experience.
Also, internship enlarges your line of connection. You meet other colleagues from other schools, you meet Associates and Senior Associates and even Partners, for the smart ones. For instance, I got internship placement in a law firm where I met another intern who studies in Scotland. We met and we became friends. She introduced me to one of her ideas where I really gained a lot from. She sends me often, fully sponsored conferences across the world. Also, I assist in writing personal statements, motivation letters and all. She introduced her friends who needed similar services and the pay was huge. All from INTERNSHIP! So, you would realise that right from your undergraduate years, you are already building international networks as a result of your internships
Buttressing further, quality internship experiences and an excellent grade both make you an irresistible applicant for jobs. For instance, University of Ibadan alone produced 21 first class last year. Let us assume that the 21 of them applied for a role in a law firm, it is very likely that first class graduands with internship experience have better chances to be employed. More than the cramming and pouring, the beauty of the legal profession lies in one’s ingenuity in rendering quality advise in solving client’s problem. Internship provides this skill. Because, for a fact, everyone here including myself would just want the international exposure which may lead to what is indigenously and popularly known as ‘japa’
Internship exposes you to International Best Practices and the professional culture, even as an undergraduate. You would be surprised to see some graduates of law compose a mail and such mail is worn with unforgivable mistakes, which ordinarily should be punished with life imprisonment if it was an offence. It is really sad! Some undergraduates of law learnt the art of writing a faultless mail while interning. People have got jobs because of the manner they couch their mails and vice versa. Just imagine someone sending out a mail to the Human Resources Manager and writes “Dear HR,”. Please what is the meaning of HR o? Head of Research? It tells so many things about the person sending the mail. A quality internship experience would heal this professional deficiency
CONCLUSION
Notably, as much as internship can help in building a successful legal career, it can also mar such career. This is because impression really matters in the legal profession and the profession is a small circle. Some never got employment in a law firm because of the impression they imprinted while they were there. So, it is important to note that while interning in a law firm, one needs to thread carefully.