Law school students were abruptly thrown into remote learning earlier this year to avoid the spread of coronavirus, and most can expect a telecommuting experience while summer interning at law firms, government agencies and other legal organizations.
“All of our students have been working remotely,” said Susan Brooks, associate dean for experiential learning at Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law. “There may be some attorneys that are going into their law offices, but I’m not aware of any law students. All their work this summer is happening remotely.”
Indeed, while some law firms have cut summer associate programs, many have launched remote programs or developed simulated experiences. Law schools are also stepping up and creating opportunities for their students, including the University of Illinois at Chicago John Marshall Law School and New York Law School recently kicking off simulated summer associate experiences.
Law school students can get the work done remotely, but telecommuting presents some hurdles for students to have a worthwhile experience. Law schools warn students and their supervising attorneys must persistently initiate conversations that exposes the student to the inner workings of the organization and provides the student with networking opportunities.
While some tasks, including legal research, aren’t hindered by telecommuting, other opportunities are nonexistent or difficult to accomplish when working remotely, Brooks explained.
“There are probably more students that are having this opportunity to do in-depth research as one of the side effects to doing their work virtually, as opposed to working in-person. They would probably do some research but other things, right now aren’t realistic for them to do,” she said.
Students likely lost the spontaneity of sitting in on a client meeting or court proceeding while working remotely, Brooks added. “We are trying to support supervisors to create those opportunities for meetings and check-ins, but it certainly is going to be more formalized and planned out compared to if the student was in the office.”
However, persistent communication can break telecommuting’s barriers and ensure students are exposed to all facets of the organization, law schools said.
Georgia Latino Law Foundation president Ana Maria Martinez hopes to create a remote interning experience that includes more than conducting research, but also sparks networking opportunities and exposes students to the inner workings of a professional legal environment.
Set to start June 1, Martinez launched a virtual internship pairing 2L law students with Georgia judges “specifically designed as a hybrid mentorship and interning opportunity,” she said.
To create a worthwhile experience, students and supervising attorneys most thoroughly communicate expectations and have non-project-related discussions, Martinez said.
“One of the things we recommend for the students and judges to do is have one check-in call weekly, ideally more often than that,” Martinez said. “With the main supervisors they should have one or two touch points to discuss the work and provide a first base for chitchat, figure out what people are working on and what are the challenges. That’s the biggest issue of remote internships is you don’t get to get to know each other and chitchat.”
Florida A&M University College of Law interim director of legal clinic and field placement Kim Crag-Chaderton stressed communication is essential while interning remotely and students should schedule at least weekly calls with their supervising attorney to ensure their progress matches their initial goal.
Additionally, thoroughly explaining what research sources and books are needed for a project can improve a student’s experience, Martinez said.
“I think the hardest part in this is when law students aren’t there in-person they miss the opportunity to see how things progress. With having those conversations out loud, ‘This is what we expect you to use [for research].’ It will make them feel empowered to do a good job.”
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