This blog post is part of our ongoing guest Blog Series: “Opportunity Knocks.” For a full schedule, please see: http://law.scu.edu/lcs-blog/upcoming-blog-series-opportunity-knocks/
When I pursued my externships, it was as much to serve a familiar adage — “There’s no substitute for experience” — as it was to decipher what practice areas I could live and love on a daily basis. As a 3L I worked at the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, in San Francisco, and the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, in San Jose. Through those placements, I not only developed skills, I found work that I loved and assets for my job search.
Experience is valuable, no doubt about it. In my placements, I wrote evidentiary memos, motions in federal litigation, and a Ninth Circuit brief. I drafted a Title VII deposition outline, brainstormed voir dire, observed court proceedings, provided input on opening statements, and contributed to the negotiation of a multi-million dollar bankruptcy claim. All these assignments and experiences better prepared me for the post-law school world.
More importantly, externships can be fun! They allowed me to test drive litigation and I found I genuinely enjoy it. If that makes you cringe, the good news is there are plenty of non-litigation placements. For example, a friend worked in the SCU Athletics Department, tackling NCAA compliance issues. And there are transactional firms, tech startups, courts, Fortune 500 companies, and regulatory agencies, throughout Silicon Valley and the Bay Area.
Through an externship you might find your passion. Conversely, you might go cold on a practice area, which is just as valuable. There are few things more useful than discovering the practices or subject matter that will push you into another career field.
Lastly, a good placement will provide assets for your job search. Like the majority of my peers, I enjoyed the inglorious distinction of graduating without a job offer in hand. My post-graduation job search was short lived, in part, because I had developed advocates for my success. For example, an Assistant U.S. Attorney wrote a letter of recommendation to accompany my writing sample — a brief I wrote under his supervision — describing my work on the brief and other aspects of the case. That letter undoubtedly strengthened my application. Winning advocates for your success will also legitimize claims on a resume, where we are all bound to sing our own praises.
My recommendations:
1. Investigate. Find out where students externed. Ask to be connected with students or alumni who found intriguing placements and seek out their insights.
2. Start Applying Now. The U.S. Attorney’s Office hired its law clerks (externs) a year in advance. So if you were going into 3L and starting to think about working for them, your time already passed. Identify the placement(s) you want and make contact yesterday.
3. Invest in the Opportunity. Make the most of your externship. Ask your supervising attorney why they adopt one approach over another. Let them know the skills you hope to develop. Pursue responsibility and challenging assignments. Be confident in your ability to learn, even if you feel lost or incompetent at times. To varying degrees, we all start out lost and incompetent. Embrace it.
Josiah Prendergast
Josiah Prendergast earned his B.A. at U.C. Berkeley and received his J.D. from Santa Clara University School of Law in 2013. He recently joined Wanger Jones Helsley P.C. — a business litigation firm — as an associate. While at Santa Clara Law, Josiah worked at the National Labor Relations Board, the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Dep’t of Justice, and the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. He can be contacted at jprendergast@wjhattorneys.com.