Legal Summer Internships 2023

AdvocacyIRE

Hi all,

Have started the process of receiving PFO emails and Interview Offers from some law firms that I have applied to. Thought it might be helpful if people would post their stage of the process here to alleviate some of the anxiety when waiting to hear.

I believe Arthur Cox have concluded their individual interviews having had their group interviews earlier this week. McCann Fitzgerald have sent out PFO's. I personally have not heard of any other firms that I have applied to.

DisgruntledLawMan

3rd year student currently going through the time of my life trying to get one of these! I think I may have underestimated how competitive these were.

PFOs (guessing this basically means "rejection e-mails" - actually have no idea) from Arthur Cox (after first group interview), Maples (didn't even get to interview), McGann Fitzgerald (interviewed), Dillon Eustace (interviewed), and William Fry (interviewed badly, so wasn't too disappointed with this one).

Have had radio silence from Phillip Lee, but considering it's been nearly two months since I applied and apparently they have a history for ghosting folks (from reading through older threads), I'd say we can write that one off too.

Have applied for Beauchamps now which is more or less my last chance for a "big" Dublin internship - will be looking smaller scale if this doesn't work out (not that that's necessarily a bad thing experience wise, but it'd be nice to be in a pathway to a training contract going into fourth year - as the internships nowadays seem to be pre-trainee programmes for all the world).

Stressful enough stuff! Would be great if we got a couple more prospective interns into this thread to share their experiences - or even some trainees or older folk who have been through the process to offer their thoughts, advice, condolences, etc.

Hope you've been sorted already OP and that you're not still on the hunt!

AdvocacyIRE

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120389083#Comment_120389083

After an individual interview with Arthur Cox which I felt went quite well, I was unfortunately rejected. Heard nothing back from Fieldfisher over a month after their closing date, which is a poor reflection on the company. It would appear this is a very difficult year to secure a summer internship, perhaps due to a post-Covid influx of final years and graduates seeking the same positions.

It's a very difficult process mentally and can quickly knock the confidence. I'm hearing some people have multiple top-tier internships this year while the rest of us scramble to get any! Did you hear back from Beauchamps @DisgruntledLawMan ?

DisgruntledLawMan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120408542#Comment_120408542

That's too bad! The ghosting from certain firms would definitely leave me reconsidering applying for them in future...Such bad form.

Very good point re: the post-COVID wave of applicants - hadn't considered that at all. It will offer a good excuse and some consolation should things not work out!

No news from Beauchamps; but they said they would let people know by the end of the month - so I've a few more days until I start panicking (unless someone has heard information that offers/interviews are out).

Keep the faith!

ad_astra

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120411870#Comment_120411870

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.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120408542#Comment_120408542

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).

AdvocacyIRE

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120442145#Comment_120442145

Many thanks for your reply @ad_astra ! I actually heard back from Arthur Cox and someone must have deferred their place or dropped out because I was offered a place! So that means I will have two internships in Dublin this summer, June in AC and July in MHC. I was rejected by RDJ in Dublin but hoping the two firms will give me some experience anyway. It really is a competitive environment and getting any internship at all is an amazing achievement. Best of luck in RDJ. It will be interesting to see how the firms compare re culture, workload and intern training.

ad_astra

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120443729#Comment_120443729

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.

DisgruntledLawMan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120442145#Comment_120442145

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120443729#Comment_120443729

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120445451#Comment_120445451

Unfortunately, silence has continued from Beauchamps into this month so that's looking like another one to cross off the list. Totally agree with you about the vibe of McGann Fitzgerald, absolutely loved the place when I went in for my interview and had high hopes for good news, so it was definitely a bummer getting a "No" there. Enjoyed the vibes out of Dillon Eustace as well. Cox's was great for the conversation with other applicants and a bit of a novelty with regards to the group interview style - made a few friends out of it if nothing else!

Congratulations are in order for the two of you! I'll crack open a bottle of whiskey this weekend for ye - will help me take the mind of my own sorrows! A couple of more smaller places seem to be offering internship programmes so it's on to them so for one last hurrah before I start looking locally. No issue with a smaller gig, but obviously having a bigger name stands out well on the CV and leaves you in a good position after graduation with regards to a career path. Either that or I might get an e-mail at the eleventh hour like you did @AdvocacyIRE - very jealous of you having two placements!!!!

Thanks for the insights as well @ad_astra ! I find it odd that the Phillip Lee programme closed for applications a good while ago, yet it appeared on Indeed again nine days ago. Perhaps they are still processing, but I won't be keeping my hopes up.

Again, congrats to the two of you - hopefully we can make it 3/3 soon!

ad_astra

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120446236#Comment_120446236

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 😭

DisgruntledLawMan

The miracle has happened everybody!

I actually heard back from Beauchamps last week unexpectedly - I had presumed when I hadn't heard from them at the turn of the month that my chance had gone, but I ended up getting an interview. They were very eager and I got offered a place a couple of days later! Relieved doesn't even begin to describe it.

Just wanted to share that we made it 3/3. Best of luck to you all with the FYPs and the exams!

AdvocacyIRE

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120525368#Comment_120525368

That's fantastic news! It's so interesting how we each had such different routes through applications, interviews and ultimately offers. I'm sure this thread will offer great solace to any law students in similar situations in coming years.

inisfree0504

Did anyone apply/hear back from Fragomen? The original deadline was the 16th April, but I haven't heard anything since.

ad_astra

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120525368#Comment_120525368

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.

DisgruntledLawMan

Looks like a good few of these are open again. It would be interesting to hear if anybody has gone through the process of applying for these this year! I know the thread was good comfort to me last year in applying for some of these roles so I don't think there's any harm in bumping it for another year.

I myself will not be seeking out an internship this year but I'd be happy to offer information, advice and (hopefully) congratulations to anybody else who is going through the process this year.