
Legal Intern, The Law Office of Richard S. Basile
Major: Government and Politics
Minor: General Business
Class Year: 2022
What was a typical week like in your internship position?
Every day is different in the office, which makes it such an interesting place to work! Each day when I come in, I have a box of work to complete independently from the attorney in the office. Some of my work includes drafting legal documents, filing documents with the courts and assisting with zoom court proceedings. Our office works together as a team, so depending on how heavy my workload is for the day, I can delegate out some of my work to other interns. On days that I have less work, I help in the Landlord Tenant and Collections departments. There is always something to do in the office, which is great for a person like me who likes to stay busy!
What do you enjoy most about your current position?
I love interning at this law office for a couple different reasons. Working so closely to Mr. Basile, as his assistant, exposes me to many different areas of the law. He practices every type of law, except tax and immigration, so I am exposed to many different types of cases! The culture at the law office is extremely important to me. I find so much value in the way our office works hard every day as a team to get all our work done, but we still have a lot of fun. Our close-knit culture has led me to build strong relationships with my co-workers inside and outside of the office.
How did your coursework help you in your internship?
Taking Courts, Law and Justice (GVPT331) with Professor Spivey helped expose me to some of the legal language and thought processes as an undergraduate. However, I think gaining real-world experience through an internship is the most important thing to learn about a career field.
How did you locate your internship position?
I learned about this internship opportunity through the pre-law professional fraternity, Phi Alpha Delta. Joining PAD gives students interested in a career in the legal field many opportunities to network and develop professionally!
Advice for students:
Look beyond the face value of a company. Learn about their company culture and day-to-day activities before accepting an internship. I think it is important to gain experience in different types of work. If you think you know the field you want to go into, try interning in different environments whether it’s the private sector, public sector, corporate, etc. I’ve known for years that I was interested in attending law school. I had experience working in a large law firm, but also wanted to be exposed to a small office environment. Having the ability to work in both types of environments has showed me where my personal preferences align, and the type of work environment I thrive in.
Anything else you want to share with students about your experience?
If you are thinking about a career in the legal field, I highly recommend interning or working at a law office! Being exposed to the work and atmosphere that you would be working in everyday as an attorney is a great way to solidify your feelings about attending law school.