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.
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