Legal Summer Internships 2023

Beauchamps never even got back to me last year, so I wouldn't be surprised if its radio silence again this year. I worked in a different office last summer with one of there former paralegals, and he told me their not the best for communication, so that was some closure at least! Same with Philip Lee here, nothing after the email acknowledgement and none of the applicants in my course have received anything either. I noticed they received around 250 applications on indeed.ie (and presumably much more by direct email) so I wouldn't despair over the slow pace.

I was interviewed and rejected from Dillion Eustace and McCann Fitzgerald too, I was honestly devastated with the latter - I really liked the vibe of the place and the focus on public and admin law, but sure look it is what it is. No joke, I met a William Fry associate while I was working my restaurant job last October and he told me straight up that they don't give preference for previous interns or like giving out conditional traineeship offers without at least a good few FE1s exams done, so I heeded his advice not to apply this year and will follow up in October with a few under my belt. He gave me his name and card so I might just get in touch!

That said I was accepted to RDJ Dublin this morning so I'm relieved I have a path forward more than anything! I'm sure something will come up, especially if you were accepted to all those interviews already. Like you said, keep the faith!

I sent out about 20 applications this cycle: Law Society vacancies page, indeed.ie and combing through the Indo's "Best Law Firms" list and checking all their websites. I'm in final year in a very competitive course that focuses relentlessly on the "Top 5/6" firms (whatever they are!), so last year I just applied for those law firms hoping for the best. Even if you are clearly qualified, its a shot in the dark for most of them with 5-10% acceptance rates, so to get any internship is an achievement.

I got to the individual interview in Arthur Cox in 2022, but after being turned down last year I didn't even bother this time around. Its obviously a very well respected firm and what not but I don't think it would have been a fit for me. It is eye opening to talk to trainees and qualified solicitors about there experiences on this front - AC is well known for its excessive grind culture, and the place is notoriously cliquey and "corporate woke" (surface branding, that is).

Congrats on AC and MHC @AdvocacyIRE ! You'll be set for summer, I know MHC hires their trainees straight from their interns so that very promising as far as your options going forward. My brother, just qualified, met some of his traineeship class who moved to MHC and couldn't speak more highly of the place with regards to work culture and the like. Obviously AC is one of the most prestigious firms in the country, and notwithstanding my personal perceptions of the place it could absolutely be a better fit for you, and an internship is the best way to find that out. That's really what we need to get out of the internship process, figuring out our professional objectives and preferences. Pity we won't be sharing an office in RDJ though! 😭 😭 😭 I got waitlisted at Byrne Wallace today; I thought the interview went very well, although I've heard mixed reviews of the firm as a place to work.

Don't stress about it - you still have another year of college left to think about your professional future. I was in the exact same spot last year worried that I wouldn't get anything, and you clearly are a few steps ahead of me regardless if you got so many interviews before your final year! Learning from my own experience, just throw your CV anywhere and everywhere, and prepare a modulated cover letter (i.e. mix and match sentences in body of the text referring to specific area practiced/case taken on by firm). You have no idea what you might get - it could be something you never even thought about. I just got an shortlisting email from a small firm in Newbridge, kicking myself that I didn't do something like that this time last year to gain experience before final year.

Also yeah, the Philip Lee thing is odd isn't it? As for the Jameson, knock back one in my place, I have a dissertation to finish and lets just say I am never darkening the door of academia again after this is finished. All on top of interview season 😭

Congrats! You must be so relieved, I certainty was when I got an internship! I didn't get Beauchamps, although I wasn't expecting in either after a rejection last year.