Why Consider Legal Internships in Pittsburgh?
Pittsburgh is not just a city of industry and innovation, but also a place where legal minds can flourish. The legal community here is robust, with a diverse range of practices, from corporate to intellectual property, health care, and beyond. For law students and graduates seeking internships, Pittsburgh offers an unparalleled opportunity to work alongside some of the brightest legal minds in the region.
One of the most significant advantages of pursuing a legal internship in Pittsburgh is the opportunity to build relationships within the legal community. Many law firms and organizations rely on interns to assist with research, drafting documents, and providing general support. These tasks not only give interns invaluable hands-on experience, but also enable them to interact with attorneys and other legal professionals on a daily basis . This experience is crucial for networking and can open the door to future career opportunities.
Another aspect that makes legal internships in Pittsburgh so unique is the size of the legal market. With a smaller pool of law firms and legal organizations compared to larger cities, such as New York or Chicago, law students are often given a broader range of responsibilities and experiences. As a result, interns can gain a more comprehensive understanding of how a law firm functions as a whole, as opposed to only working within a specific department or practice area.
Pittsburgh’s legal community is filled with individuals from a wide range of backgrounds and expertise. Whether you’re interested in corporate law, civil rights, or entertainment law, you’ll find a legal organization to suit your needs. Legal internships in the city provide the essential experience you need to help launch your career in the right direction.
Leading Law Firms that Offer Legal Internships in Pittsburgh
The following are some of the top law firms in Pittsburgh that commonly advertise their internship programs for undergraduate and law students. A listing of a firm here, or lack thereof, is not to be construed as an endorsement of any particular law firm or any particular program.
K&L Gates is one of the largest firms in the world. The Pittsburgh office offers summer associate opportunities as well as internships for undergraduates who must complete a certain number of hours for school. As a summer associate, you’ll work closely with a group of attorneys on a specific project and act as a team on the project to the maximum extent possible. That means you’ll learn the ins and outs of a specific area of the law that interests you.
White & Williams is a 2015 Law360 "Powerhouse" and has more than 100 attorneys in their Philadelphia and Princeton offices. Recently, a group of summer associates from White & Williams worked together with three practice groups to create a guide for starting a successful nonprofit.
Founded in 1913, Dickie McCamey employs over 160 attorneys in multiple offices. It’s the largest firm in Washington, D.C. that only provides insurance and litigation services. They provide paid internships for law students and undergraduates looking for work experience. In 2017, the summer class had 12 second year law students and five undergraduate interns.
A 2015 Law360 "Powerhouse," Reed Smith’s large footprint and global presence have made it a leader in the legal industry. In 2016, the firm received the CAI Law Firm Diversity Award for the third time. Summer associates are given a two-year business law project to work on as a group and are considered for partnership after working at the firm for two years.
Legal Internships with Legal Institutions
Beyond the traditional law firm associateships and clerkships, Pittsburgh offers a diverse range of opportunities for legal internships within government agencies, non-profit organizations, and corporate legal departments.
Please reach out to your law school leading up to your summer to inquire about any specific opportunities they may have at these institutions or others you come across. You could also inquire whether they have an internal job board or private resource to assist you in your search of what is available to you otherwise.
Interning with the Allegheny County District Attorney’s office or the City of Pittsburgh Law Department can be a rewarding experience for current law students. Legal interns are paid at or near minimum wage to assist in a variety of ways for both offices. You may be called upon to do anything from research to drafting motions & pleadings to even client interactions. Although not offered at every level of study, oftentimes these offices will give preference to upperclassmen when deciding between applicants of equal merit.
The Public Defender’s Office provides legal representation to indigent defendants in criminal proceedings. Office locations for the Public Defender’s Office are in Downtown Pittsburgh, East Liberty, and Allegheny County Airport. Currently, there are multiple legal intern opportunities on their site.
The City of Pittsburgh Controller’s Office is not a usual place where legal interns work, however, it is an avenue worth exploring. Through the Office of Audit and Compliance, which reports to the Controller, legal interns could be utilized to review and draft draft statements, rules, policies, and procedures to regulate the internal operations.
Along with local government positions, many non-profit organizations and legal aid societies in the city also hire legal interns. Some small firms also hire legal interns outside of the summer hiring period so be sure to send in an unsolicited resume where you think there is a position that may interest you.
Other businesses that employ lawyers may also have legal interns. Corporate legal departments, banks, insurance companies, and even hospitals may have a legal intern position available to you depending upon the timing of the year.
Carefully consider all of the options available to you as you search for the place you want to land your first legal job.
Legal Interns in Pittsburgh: Requirements and Process
Several law firms, companies, and government agencies in Pittsburgh hire interns to assist with legal functions. While requirements generally vary by position, most law firms in Pittsburgh prefer applicants who have completed their second year of law school. Other employers prefer to hire law students and graduates to work in-house with the company. Many employers and government offices only hire interns who have been awarded academic credits in exchange for completing the internship. As a result, prospective legal interns should consult career services at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law or Duquesne University School of Law regarding internship requirements. Both schools offer courses that help students find internships and submit applications.
Pittsburgh law offices tend to hire interns on an as-needed basis and do not always advertise openings. As a result, students interested in gaining internship experience should take an active approach by contacting law offices in the area directly, regardless of whether positions are advertised. Any time a prospective legal intern contacts an office, he or she should verify whether their academic program permits it and, if necessary, they should receive permission from faculty members to earn academic credit in exchange for their internship. A well-written cover letter should accompany each resume. The cover letter should specify why the applicant is qualified and how working at the company would benefit both the business and the applicant. Interns often work for a limited amount of time, so internships are usually short-term positions. Most employers prefer applicants who commit to work at least 10 to 15 hours per week due to the time and resources spent training new staff members. While some applicants may be tentative about contacting employers directly, especially law firms that are industry leaders, making the effort almost always pays off. Interns who are willing to go the extra mile and be proactive about the search process often stand out among applicants and will be considered for future opportunities.
Program Skills and Experiences in Legal Internships
Letterkenny Army Depot Federal Credit Union, a $100mm credit union located in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, is seeking a part-time member service representative. Two years of experience in the financial services industry is required, and a college degree is preferred. The salary range is $12 to $15 per hour. Pennyslavia Opportunity Fund, a non-profit housing development fund in southwestern Pennsylvania in which the firm is an investor, is seeking a project manager for its real estate ventures. This person will identify and assist in the development of potential investment opportunities and in the oversight of the construction process. A bachelor’s degree is required, and a minimum of 2 years’ experience in a real estate development or construction related enterprise is preferred. A salary of $80,000 to $100,000 is anticipated.
Internships with law firms are a great way to supplement one’s legal education. Not only do internships provide the typical law student with an overview, in actual practice, of what they may actually be doing once they have entered the legal workplace, it also provides them with great connections in the firm and its practitioners. While internship contacts are more than happy to anthropomorphize them about how law school is going and what additional courses may benefit them, that is not the only thing that a law student should be getting out of their internship by any means.
Legal scholars point out that internships can broaden a law student’s employment opportunities and make them more competitive. A law degree, it seems, is now not always good enough. If a law student has an opportunity to work at a prestigious firm, for example, not only will their resume look a lot more impressive, they may also be more prepared for an interview and have more to say as their own experiences while interning are a good ways to show what kind of a person you would be on the job . Internships may also make a lasting impression on employers who use them to hand-pick their next hire, after they’ve seen how a student performs over an extended period of time. Working directly with private clients, if the intern has that opportunity, may also make them more confident when they eventually set out to become a private client.
Interns, of course, continue to expand the body of legal research underway at law schools, so as to ensure a law degree encompasses all the information a future attorney might need in the United States. Many law firms, in fact, now use interns to help their attorneys prepare a bench memorandum – a document which succinctly encapsulates all of the law surrounding a particular issue and outlines the best possible strategy for bringing a case.
Internships often give students opportunities to hone their communication skills, as well as present themselves in a professional atmosphere. An entry-level legal position will involve a lot of writing, and legal internships tend to help students improve their writing without the extreme pressure of performing to the level of a partner at their own law firms since they are actually still students of the law. Classroom and book lessons pale in comparison to seeing how such tasks are actually performed in the real world; if this applies to writing, it certainly applies to legal research.
While law school will help law students prepare to pass the bar exam in their home state, having actual courtroom experience is something few individuals have and, those who eventually pass the bar are extremely fortunate to have. Since most law students take their last exams just prior or during the same year that most bars become available, a legal internship provides law students with valuable courtroom experience. This experience – seeing how a case plays out from beginning to end – is something that few individuals can boast about, so law students who have the opportunity through an internship to experience this, hands on, will have a significant edge over their peers.
Pursuing Growth and Networking in Pittsburgh’s Legal Community
Opportunities for Networking and Career Growth in Pittsburgh’s Legal Sector
Legal internships open the door to a promising career in various areas of law. One of the areas in which legal interns can make invaluable contacts is in information privacy and security law. Privacy is becoming an increasingly important concern for companies and governmental units across the board. Legal interns who work in this area can learn how to facilitate information transactions and reduce risks by creating or maintaining policies, guidelines, and best practices, develop contract language, and identify, process, mitigate and remediate risks. Information security is another critical area for legal interns; they can learn about computer and network security and how it relates to company operations in order to facilitate data, intellectual property, and other valuable assets that are stored on systems or transmitted over networks. Other possible areas of law for legal interns to explore include corporate law, real estate law, labor or employment law, litigation, contract law, and everything in-between. Depending on specific interests, legal interns can also narrow their focus to a specific type of law such as entertainment, insurance, family, or merger and acquisition law. In addition to putting those with a legal education on the fast track toward great employment possibilities, internships within the field of law offer opportunities for networking that are essential to maximizing the chances of being offered a position with one of the firms you’ve worked for or finding a new position.
Internships offer direct access to networking opportunities that are essential to building a successful and lucrative career. When employed with a firm that specializes in the type of law you want to practice, you have your foot in the door. Professional networking such as attending events, conferences and industry meetings with law firm partners, associates, and other legal interns on assignments are perfect ways to develop valuable relationships that offer career benefits.
Past Interns Share Their Experiences
"Interning at [a large law firm] in Pittsburgh was an invaluable experience. It wasn’t just about sitting at a desk all day; I got a real feel for what it’s like to work as an attorney. The partners really took the time to teach me how to think like a lawyer, not just find information." — Sarah, Law Clerk
"I enjoyed my time at [a medium law firm]; the attorneys were very supportive and made sure I had both substantive and procedural experience working in different areas of law. I rotated every few months from corporate to litigation to tax. I helped with research, writing, e-discovery and document review . I even had the opportunity to draft my very own motion, which went to the Allegheny County court!" — Kali, Law Clerk
"When I first started as a law firm intern, I was totally lost when it came to research; I found myself running around looking for law books, asking where do I even begin? Slowly but surely, I learned the ropes. Within weeks I felt serviceable and by the end of my summer, I felt confident in my ability to research. I learned how to be a useful resource, something that should come in handy once I’m actually out there practicing law." – Juan, Law Clerk
"I did a legal internship at [a large company]. I really didn’t know what I was getting into, but the people were great. I even got to talk to the CEO. The experience was essential in helping me decide a career path." — James, Paralegal
