Penn State Gearing Up For Two Law Schools

What’s An Intern To Do?

 
Landing that first internship is a big deal in any profession. You get the experience. The connections. The class credit. You also get ridiculous hours. Possibly mindless tasks. And still no pay. The American Bar Association is waffling on allowing internships to be paid and count for course credit. If you are a law student and want to earn money you can either be a barista or something or work at a law firm. If you are a law student and want to make money and get college credit you have to be a barista and work at a law firm. This begs the question, why?
The simple answer is, if you are an intern, you are participating in an educational experience provided by your school and thus should be paying the school for it. Even if the education technically comes from a law firm, government agency or nonprofit. You are learning—not working.
The debate on unpaid internships both in and out of the law profession has been rampant for a while now. Proponents say it offers a professional experience that would otherwise not occur. Additionally, it provides that oh-so-important resume line. Critics say it exploits desperate college students, takes away from would-be entry-level positions and unfairly benefits a class able to afford months of work with no pay.
Still. Why? If anyone needs to make money while in school, it is a law student. If the ABA wants to continue to attract the best and brightest in a fair manner (not giving preference to those with already stable financial situations), shouldn’t it try to do everything imaginable to make that happen? The slippery slope of my mind goes to law classrooms filled with middle-upper and upper-class students, all with the same values. Of course that is unlikely for just this one ruling, but shouldn’t the ABA and law schools pursue a diverse student base and produce a variety of lawyers?
Time will tell on this issue.
Sources: Biz Journals and Connecticut Law Journal