Pros
Limited exposure to basic legal research and regulatory topics.
Cons
The internship lacked proper structure and meaningful mentorship. Although I had applied for exposure to general corporate and capital markets work, interns were sometimes assigned unrelated tasks, including litigation research, which did not align with the expectations communicated during the application stage. Much of the work involved mechanical tasks such as copy-pasting information, checking presentations for legal accuracy, and compiling large sets of judgments with unrealistic timelines and little guidance. Communication regarding stipend eligibility and evaluation criteria was not transparent, which created uncertainty for interns who had invested significant time and effort. Even after completing the internship work, the stipend was denied citing a “subject to performance” clause, despite the lack of clear performance benchmarks communicated beforehand. Feedback on work was mostly generic and did not reflect the actual tasks completed. Workplace culture could also be uncomfortable at times some seniors communicated in a rude manner, and there were instances of late-night calls or messages without clear professional boundaries, which can be difficult for interns to manage.
Advice to Law Students:
If you are specifically seeking structured exposure to general corporate or capital markets work, it may be better to explore internships at established law firms or boutique law firms/organizations that provide clearer training and role expectations.