Court Administration Office, NC District Court

Internship Location: 18th District Superior Court Judges Chambers
Time period: August 2008 - November 2008

Student: Lynn Clark

The Superior Court Judges Chamber is a very professional, busy, and sometimes confusing place. Here you learn timeliness, reliability, confidentiality. When you walk into this environment you can feel a great sense of superiority, and importance. The Judges are not the only people of importance you become a very important part of the office. Your role as an intern is very important and contributes daily to the process of the office. In the chambers there are 4 resident Judges and up to 4 sometimes 5 visiting judges at a time. Each Judge is different and they all have serious positions. You have the responsibility of taking care of EACH and EVERY need of the Judges. The office also holds the Trial Court Administrator and the Trial Court Coordinator. You will also get involved in what they do and will also be asked to assist them from time to time. My internship at the Superior Court Judges Chambers was an excellent experience. I had the opportunity to learn all the professional Judicial Assistant duties within the Judges Chambers like how to set up the offices for visiting Judges, which are on a rotating schedule, the process of developing the court calendars, court dates, mediation assignments, pre-arranging consultations between Lawyers and Judges,arranging conference calls for Judges. I had the opportunity to proof read briefed cases provided to Judges by Attorneys and also decisions written by the Judges. This office handle only Superior Court cases, which are the most serious of cases. This is a great learning experience for future Attorneys. As a future Lawyer, you learn the paperwork process and the expectations the chambers have from the Attorney's in the cases, as far as the process, and the importance of getting the paperwork completed in a timely manner and correctly. This was an experience of a life time and I encourage all future Lawyer/Legal Assistant to think seriously about this internship. It is not a paid internship but it is a great opportunity and will have a tremendous impact on your future.
NC Court District 18

Private Practice Law and District Attorney's Office

Internship Location: Ott Cone & Redpath, P.A., and Guilford County District Attorney's Office 18th Judicial District (Both in Greensboro, NC)
Time period: Ott Cone & Redpath: December 2006 - July 2008, DA's Office: November 2007 - March 2008
Student: Parker Moore

When I was a junior at GC, it became apparent to me that I wanted to go to law school after graduation. Therefore, I decided, with a push from Dr. Klase, that it would be in my best interest to see what exactly lawyers do before spending (or borrowing) a bunch of money on a law degree. I got lucky and found a part-time office assistant position on GC's career services website with a small health law firm here in Greensboro. As a part of my job, I did normal clerical work, errand running, ordering supplies, etc. However, I also had a chance to work closely with various attorneys on a number of projects and got a real-life look at legal work. Working at Ott Cone & Redpath was really my first look into a legal career and it was a truly gratifying experience.

At the same time that I was working part-time at Ott Cone & Redpath and taking my classes at night, I interned with the Guilford County DA's Office in the mornings for a few months. The DA's office was the polar opposite of my other job, as I shadowed an Assistant District Attorney who was dealing with everything from drug felonies to murders. This was very interesting because I had an opportunity to help him prepare for a murder trial and even saw some of my old high school acquaintances who had gotten into trouble for one reason or another. I learned a lot of the intangibles here, such as how to deal with opposing attorneys, organizing case files, and time management.

The main point of my writing this post is to tell everyone who is even remotely considering going to law school to seek out a job or internship in the legal field before doing so. You may think you want to go to law school and you may think you will make a lot of money one day if you do. However, law school is hard and being happy in your occupation is more important than a BMW in the driveway. You should attempt to get a real-life look into the legal field and, when you do, talk to whoever you can about their law school experience. Law school is an investment and as such should not be taken lightly; you need to make sure it is really what you want before you commit to it. For your own sake, find an internship and make sure that it is for you. You cannot learn all you need to know by simply reading a book; you must experience things to complete your knowledge. By finding an internship, you become a more well-rounded candidate for acceptance into law school or getting a job in general.

Project Vote Smart

Internship Location: Project Vote Smart
Time period: May 2007 - July 2007 (10 weeks)
Student: Laurie Van Hall

Project Vote Smart, a non-partisan non-profit organization, provides people all over the country with information about their elected officials and government activities. Their website and hotline allow voters to access information ranging from state and federal bill summaries to biographical information about local, county, state and federal elected officials.

For 10 weeks I worked full time in their Philipsburg, MT office for the State Key Votes Department. My work consisted of keeping track of any legislation that received media attention in several states, and then summarizing this legislation and all actions on it, for online publication.

Although Project Vote Smart does not provide a stipend for their summer interns, they do provide free room and board for your entire stay in Montana. Interns arrive at varying times during the summer, and as many as 40 interns could be living on the Great Divide Ranch at any one time. I had one of the best experiences of my life at Project Vote Smart and made lifelong friends.

For more information visit the Project Vote Smart National Internship Program Website

My Internship

Internship Location: Crossroads Recovery Center
Time period: Current semester
Student: Ash Jones