Newby question - Legal Internships/Jobs for undergrads (long)

[Camaro_Kyle]

Hello everyone. After roaming around on the internet looking for information on law school and law as a career, I found this discussion board.  After only a day, I have already learned a lot. Right now I am a sophmore in community college and will be transferring to a 4-year university in the fall. The plan is to go to law school after this, assuming I have the gpa, LSAT scores, and funds to do so. 
Here is the question - I have became unemployed for the final portion of this last semester so I could concentrate on my grades, but for the semester coming up I am going to have some open days and I would really like to fill this time with a good job or internship/volunteer position hopefully in a legal type atmosphere.  I think this will really good on my resume, and let me see just how hectic this type of work is.  I have already tried my local public defenders office and DA's office, but neither had open positions. So what should I do?  It doesn't seem very professional to just show up on a firms doorstep and ask if they need anyone to file paperwork or other oddjobs.  But if this is what it takes, then I am game.  What has everyone else done? Should I lose the entire internship idea and just go get a job waiting tables?
Thanks,
Kyle

[gentoo]

Definetly get some internships in there somewhere. I don't think schools really care where you interned or what you did, as long as your internships show that you are a well-rounded and responsible person. For example, I had two internships during my UG, one at a senator's regional office, and the other for the county's probation department all while working PT and going to school. Although they were not law firms or DA offices, they will get the job done on my application, if you know what I mean. Bottom line is, get some community service or internships in there somewhere. If you can't find a law type position, find an internship someplace else. Definetly utilize the free time you have now before its too late.

As for looking for internships, my UG's career services center had internships posted. I got my internships through my politcal science department, and you received credit for doing it. The internships ranged from public service to law enforcement to the D.A.'s office. All you had to do was fill out a form and the department took care of the rest. You intern for 6-10 hours a week, and at the end of the term you write a paper and you get units. It was a great deal and easy as cake. Check out the career center at your UG, and maybe the poli sci department and/or your own major department. Good luck!

[NoelleMyBelle]

Talk with your alumni office and find some people who graduated from your school who are now practicing lawyers.  Contact them and see if they need help or if they know of a firm/agency that does.  The legal community is small in most places, and it's never too soon to start networking. 

[crake04]

Follow Noelles advice.  Your alumni network will be your number 1 friend after you graduate; they will get you jobs, especially in the law (provided your school was good).  My experience has been that alumni love to help out recent graduates, and that is how I found my job in a firm.  This is one of the great mysteries of college in a way--how many people you network with is legitimately as important, maybe more so, than your grades.  I went to a small catholic college in New England and I will tell you that I would feel entirely comfortable hiring an alum of my school because I know the caliber of student it turns out.  That is very true in law, where many have strong attachments to their alma maters.