The Basics of Family Law
Family law is a branch of the legal system that encompasses a spectrum of family-related issues and domestic relations matters. From divorce and child custody to property division and adoption, family law touches upon some of the most sensitive aspects of life.
At its core, family law concerns the legal implications of familial relationships. The significance of family law transcends mere legal boundaries; it shapes the social fabric of communities. In effect, family law is meant to protect familial relationships and resolve related disputes in an orderly, predictable manner. Thus, it is a branch of law imbued with both practical and emotional implications.
Researchers in the field of sociology, psychology and anthropology have studied the evolution of family and household structures for decades; the data concerning such evolution is often used to predict and interpret changes in laws related to marriage and divorce, child custody and guardianship, spousal maintenance, and community property .
Most divorce practitioners aim to negotiate and conclude these matters amicably outside of required court appearances, although court procedures matter a great deal, particularly when a case extends to trial. Family law attorneys should also maintain a flora of experts—whether financial, psychological or therapeutic—within the scope of the broader family law discipline.
The field of family law is constantly evolving. It has expanded beyond the nuclear (heterosexual) family to include same-sex couples and individuals. Visitation, primary parenting, and child support guidelines have also become more flexible as gender roles have changed.
While aspects of family law are fairly universal across jurisdictions, local laws and procedures affect every family unit differently. Family law practice, therefore, means dealing with the specific social, economic, and legal realities of a given jurisdiction or geographic area. And within each jurisdiction, different types of practice take place in a variety of settings, including large firms, small boutique firms, non-profits, corporations, and government offices.
The Benefits of a Family Law Internship
Family law internships offer invaluable experience and insight into the practice, but the benefits go well beyond that. A family law internship provides an opportunity to network with other family law practitioners. You may find (though all too infrequently) that you can carry your client with you, or refer the client to an attorney for whom you interned. Of course, you should not take a position in order to try to gain future employment with the firm. There is nothing worse than to be intern for a firm that does not allow you any client contact and treats you as a billing number. A well run law firm is one that will give its interns work to do and some responsibility for a case. That does not mean that the intern should be the one corresponding with clients if the matter is contentious or confidential.
A family law internship allows you to see how a family law practice operates. You will often be given more significant responsibilities than you might be given in a general civil practice. In some settings, the intern is the revenue generating worker on the file. A clerkship allows you to build your resume and rely on references / referrals from attorneys, paralegals, law students, clients, judges, court clerks, mediators, and others. This is a great way to build your reputation.
Interning gives you a chance to learn the ropes in a safe environment. You can attend court hearings, arbitrations, mediations, and even settlement conferences with your supervisor. You may be able to otherwise observe an attorney at work. Don’t be afraid to ask to observe a motion hearing or trial, particularly if the attorney you are working with is not busy that day.
Searching for Opportunities for a Family Law Internship
Finding family law internship opportunities is possible in many different ways, and it is best to pursue as many as possible since volunteering in this capacity can help you gain necessary experience that will prove useful later in life. The following are a few potential resources you might check out to help you find an internship in family law.
One of the easiest ways to get started on your quest for a family law internship is to seek out available listings on online job boards. These job boards allow you to search for postings by specific criteria, such as industry, location, date available, and position. A couple of examples of online job boards include Snagajob and Monster. Universities and colleges are excellent resources for job seekers, no matter what your specialty. Your college’s career center should have a variety of different open positions posted, and frequently host information sessions and networking events for you to take advantage of. You might also use LinkedIn to connect with people in your industry of interest. Coordinating meetings with any professors or mentors with existing connections in the legal community is also a good idea. Many of them may be able to hook you up with a family law practice that is looking for interns, or at least offer valuable advice on how to advance your career on the right path.
The Experience of a Family Law Internship
The day-to-day duties of a family law intern will depend on the department in which they work, but are likely to include some or all of the following:
Attending meetings: The best way to learn about the practice of family law is to observe your colleagues at work. Invite family law attorneys practicing in the same office as you to allow you to attend meetings that do not involve confidential clients. Take good notes, and don’t be shy about asking questions when appropriate. Similarly, with the permission of the client, ask if you can attend court appearances.
Client contact: Expect to conduct client intakes over the phone or in person. You may also be asked to explain the firm’s retainer policies, obtain pertinent documents from clients or marshalled assets, or work with clients to gather additional information to a case. This would also be a good time to ask questions, so be sure to do so.
Research: Depending on the complexity of a matter, you may be asked to investigate any of the following areas, depending on the stage of the litigation process:
Short research projects: These may include cases cited in another matter , for example, where a family law attorney needs to provide context to other practice areas within the firm; or exploring a fairly straightforward legal issue.
Legal writing: You may be called upon to draft a number of documents, from lawsuits and pleadings, to affidavits, wills, or property settlement agreements. Your supervising attorney will review and give you feedback on your work, so be sure to take notes on their recommendations.
Some internships will require students to complete an exit interview with the department head and/or supervising attorney. This will be a good opportunity to assess how you handled your internship, what came easily to you and what was most challenging, as well as how you might like to improve your work in the future.
Other duties of a family law intern may include:
Career Tip: Of course, being employable for a firm means showing up to work on time, dressing appropriately, following the instructions of supervising lawyers, and researching well – all of the things that make you a promising candidate for employment.
Succeeding at a Family Law Internship
So you got the internship. Congratulations! You are clearly on the trajectory to becoming a gifted family law practitioner. Meanwhile, some basic tips for success:
Maintain a polite and professional demeanor. No matter your mood, you will be expected to show up and behave like a legal professional. This does not mean that your employer expects you to be perfect. Just be polite and genuine.
If you do not know something, ask. No one will expect you to know everything. A willingness to learn is much more valuable than a rote knowledge of basic family law principles.
Be proactive. Show your willingness to help. Ask your supervising attorney if/what they need you to research for that day. Or, propose an area of law that interests you and ask how you might be able to contribute.
Be on-time. Your job is to be helpful. Showing up late without notice is disrespectful the attorney’s time.
Only take work home if asked by your employer. Even if you ask your employer for extra work and they give it to you, try to focus on getting it done during normal business hours. People who hire law clerks value their personal time.
These are just some basic tips for being a successful family law intern. Please feel free to reach out to us with more, we would be happy to receive them. Best of luck!
Career Options After a Family Law Internship
Once you have successfully completed your internship and participated in on-going networking opportunities, it’s time to turn your attention to the future and how you can leverage your internship into a career.
Start With a Strong Resume
Your experience can be worth multiple lines on your resume. Not only should you list the responsibilities and roles you undertook with a short description of the tasks, but the "experience" section of your resume should also include other achievements you received through your internship like professional development seminars, workshops and networking events .
Network, Network, Network
Your internship is the perfect opportunity to meet and mingle with those who can help advance your career. Speak up, ask questions and consider conducting informational interviews with those you may want to emulate yourself after one day. The more you do to cultivate your professional relationships, the more will pay off down the line.
Keep Learning
Not only should you take advantage of any professional development opportunities offered through your internship, but you should continue to pursue seminars, workshops and continuing education on your own. You should also stay up to date on developments in family law to demonstrate you are familiar with current trends with the field.
