What Are Legal Internships and Where Can I Do One?

What Is a Legal Internship?

Similar to vacation schemes, open days, mini pupillages, a legal internship is a type of legal work experience that will set you on the path to a legal career. However instead of taking place in a law firm setting, legal internships usually happen within the in-house legal department or a large company. They last longer than most other forms of law work experience and can range from a month to a year, so doing one is a great idea for those who are taking a gap year.

The experiences gained during law internships will help you bolster training contract or pupillage applications. Law internships also provide invaluable insight into how the legal department interacts with other departments within an organisation such as human resources and finances. They offer a broad range of legal and commercial work experience across several areas which will look fantastic on your CV!

Watch our video with former legal intern, Wing, for more information!

What Do Legal Internships Involve?

The exact format of any law internship is difficult to predict and will very much depend on where you undertake it. You’ll be involved with a range of tasks including:

• Helping draft and negotiate legal documents
• Proofreading and reviewing forms of documentation
• General office administration
• Sending internal and external correspondence
• Attending meetings

What Kind of Law Internships are Available?

There are a large number of internship opportunities available in organisations that can give you an idea of how the legal system functions in human rights law, EU law and criminal law and commercial law.

Organisations Offering Legal Internships

How Do I Apply for Law Internships?

For most law internships, you will need to visit the organisation’s website for more details about the application process, but it usually involves sending in a legal cover letter and CV or filling out an application form.