There is back to school fervor in my house with my two kids expressing enormously vacillating emotions about the new year. Panic, happiness, sadness, nervousness, confidence — it is definitely a whirlwind of feelings as we plan outfits and practice our social media first day poses with the same seriousness that we contemplate our snack choices. I often reminisce of my own first days of schools, including the happiest of first days — my final ones, in law school.
I have recently found myself encouraging my kids to expand their interests and join extracurricular activities. Given my background, I push debate and theatre over hockey and pottery, the emphasis, of course, being on public speaking, analytical thinking, and growing confidence. How blessed are these children that they need not feel pressure to choose clubs that will get them a job or expose them to a career opportunity?
For those of us who are solo practitioners, or who work for small law firms, the start of the school year is the start of opportunity. Extra curriculars for the law student seeking a solo or small firm career are especially important. Contacts and relationships must be made early in a law school career to ensure that a job, someday, may become a possibility. Internships, clerkships, and mentorships make careers and influence choices, often more than any class.
Typically the law student’s presence in a small or solo law firm is abundantly appreciated by the law professionals. At times, the student’s presence means that the work force has doubled by 100 percent. For clients, a benefit of a small law firm is not only lower prices, but interaction and facetime with a specific attorney. The result is that often matters can take longer to complete. With an intern, specifically one in the summer, the speed of the firm changes. The momentum can be exhilarating, a change from the rest of the year.
Interning for a small firm gives the student experiences that one may not have in a larger setting. Court appearances, client meetings, closings — these are just a few of the opportunities that a foray into the small law world can provide someone who is even just starting law school. Small firms cannot provide the same payment and perks as big firms, but they make up for it in meaningful work and participation in active cases.
In the trusts and estates sector, an intern for a small firm may get to assist in the probate of an estate, filing papers with the local surrogate’s court, legal research, observing settlement conferences, constructing genealogical charts, tracking down long lost relatives, or even something as macabre as the supervision of the cleaning out of a decedent’s house. In the realm of estate litigation, the role of the legal intern or summer associate, observing depositions or assisting with discovery, can be very thrilling. To that end, something as mundane as witnessing a last will and testament can leave an indelible mark on a student yearning to learn the trade.
As we start the new year, all students should look to enlarge their learning with hands-on training. For the law student, especially one who seeks to work in a small environment, the summer is not the only time to learn the field. As September unfolds, and the court’s activity increases from the summer months, all students should take advantage of the opportunities that small and solo firms provide. Doubly, solo and small firms should not fear the start of the school year, and pursue relationships with students year round.
Cori A. Robinson is a solo practitioner having founded Cori A. Robinson PLLC, a New York and New Jersey law firm, in 2017. For more than a decade Cori has focused her law practice on trusts and estates and elder law including estate and Medicaid planning, probate and administration, estate litigation, and guardianships. She can be reached at cori@robinsonestatelaw.com.