 | | | GJEL attorney Andy Gillin speaks with students during last year's summer internship program. Photo Peter Fleming | | | | | | High school students who have ever wondered what it would be like to be a lawyer, to work in the legal profession, or are just curious about the different branches of public and private law, mediation and civil cases, will have an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the profession during a summer internship program offered by Orinda law firm GJEL Accident Attorneys. Designed for students interested in learning more about a career in the legal industry, the five-day internship, beginning July 21, will allow 20 students to meet different types of law professionals and gain a better understanding of their day-to-day lives.
"I was interested in seeing what it is like to be a lawyer," says Miramonte High School sophomore Lucy Portnoff, who participated in the first internship program last year. "They taught us a lot, and I was surprised by the number of different fields of law, such as labor, real estate, social security, juvenile, or copyright law."
The week-long internship was the idea of attorney Andy Gillin, who has been partnering with the Miramonte High School mock trial program for years. "He noticed that there was a gap in the knowledge high school students have of the law profession," says GJEL attorney Ralph Jacobson. "He wanted to give them a more practical idea of what the day-to-day life of lawyers and other law professionals is like."
Portnoff remembers a packed week, with students meeting from 9:30 to 4 p.m. daily. It was lecture-based with practical exercises and a little bit of homework reading briefs or other documents. "It was an educational experience," says Portnoff. "We got to observe a mediation and the lawyers at work. We were also asked to work together as a jury on an existing case. Many different guest speakers came in and talked to us about their specialties."
Jacobson adds that beyond the partners at GJEL who mostly specialize in personal injury, the firm invited other lawyers with different specialties to speak to students. "We asked someone working in the Oakland Public Defender's Office to come and explain what it is like to work for the state," says Jacobson. "We also invited people such as paralegals and administrative support personnel to talk about what they liked in their profession and its challenges." According to the attorney, while the week was slightly academic, the interns were shown what a civil procedure is, as well as a legal dispute, its different phases, and also how law firms are organized. "There was no blue print out there for this kind of internship," he adds. "We just did our best to make it well rounded."
"The whole week was very collaborative and we got to work together with the other students," says Portnoff, adding that she is still in touch with some of them. When they chose the 20 participants from among the 70 applications they received, Jacobson says the lawyers tried to build a geographically diverse group, while assessing their level of interest in the profession.
"This year I am applying for an internship with the Alameda County District Attorney's Office," says Portnoff. "I continue to be interested in law, but have not decided yet on an undergraduate field of study." Portnoff was one of the youngest participants last year as a freshman; Jacobson says that most students were sophomores and juniors.
"I got to interact with the students on the first day and then later on, when we worked on the mediation, they observed," says the attorney. "At first they were shy and quiet, but by the fourth day, they were lively, inquisitive and curious. It was a lot of fun and a great pleasure to work with them." He concludes that some of the students might go into law, and that they will now make a more informed decision if they choose that career.
To apply for the 2014 internship, go to http://www.gjel.com/news/gjel-summer-internship-program.html and download an application.
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA