#NLSEXTERNSHIP CHALLENGE: PROS AND CONS OF DOING YOUR EXTERNSHIP IN A BIG LAW FIRM

 
Chamber externship is almost here and the postings are out. Some have been posted to mushroom firms and some others to medium-sized firms and very few in Big Top Law Firms. Bear it in mind that externship is a time to not only learn but to study really hard and fast and as such you must flee from all manner of stress and distraction; Yeah yeah, I know you have heard that before. But know this; regardless of what kind of law firm you are posted to, fix your eyes on the primary goal which my dear, is to pass the bar exams with flying colours.

Before I finished from the Nigerian Law School, I thought that working in a Big Law Firm would be living life with ease; my dear, little did I know that I was building castles in the sky. I currently work in a Big Law Firm (Udo Udoma & Belo Osagie) and I can say for a fact that because it is a Big Law Firm, the clients are “Big” (both in size and number), the stress level is “Big”, the work to be done is “Big” ( I mean a whole lot of work) and trust me when I tell you that having interns or law school externs come into the firm makes everyone be like “Finally, people to do my research work for me” LOL.

Doing your externship in any Big Law Firm can be bitter sweet. It is a mix of bitterness and sweetness because while you are “stressed” (if at all you are stressed), you are bound to enjoy in the long run. Some Big Law Firms will not bother you at all. They would rather let you read for your Bar Final Examinations. Meanwhile, some other Big Law Firms on the other hand, will use you to research in the name of teaching or exposing you. Nevertheless, you need to pay attention to these things because it would help you in the long run to decide whether legal practice is your way forward.

While undergoing your externship at a Big Law Firm, please don’t go there and become “Oga Work No Pay”, you need to be smart about the kind of task you do. Don’t go around taking tasks based on Energy Law, Intellectual Property etc.; tasks that obviously can never help your Bar Final Struggle. However, if it has to do with written address, statement of claim, notices of meetings, resolutions…. you name it, please by all means take it on because it would certainly help your cause. You would need to certainly give yourself daily targets on topics to read. These Big Law Firms have great resourceful libraries; please use the life out of those libraries. If it means you hiding in the Library so as to meet your reading target; then please by all means but please set realistic targets. When you are asked to follow a counsel to court, please do so because there can be a revelation in court that day that will replicate itself in Bar Finals.

AGMs and EGMs are always the best places to go. There is a lot of food and drama during these meetings and trust me when I tell you it is so much fun. You get to see corporate law practice come alive and at the same time you are having a food-filled day.

Excitingly, when you extern in a Big Law Firm, you would most likely be paid handsomely for almost doing nothing. This is more like stipends for the 6 weeks you spent with the firm. Some firms will feed you really good to the extent that you will be bloated. While some will not give you a nickel but would rather take you out to an exotic lunch or dinner at end of your externship. And when I say exotic I mean EXOTIC.

Finally, you should be aware by now that in this life, there is nothing as good as making connections and having contacts in the right places. YES you are undergoing externship but in a couple of months you will need a job in a good paying law firm; so, use this avenue to build your contacts. Make friends, YES OH!!! Make friends with those in the Human Resources; Make friends with Senior Associates; I mean, people that can put in a good word for you when the time comes. You cannot extern in a Big Law Firm and yet not have at least a contact to help your destiny. That will be like being in the middle of an ocean and allowing soap to enter your eye. You cannot be stressed in a Big Law Firm and yet go empty handed; My dear pick a struggle.

Fix your eyes on the goal and prize of wonderful Bar Results and enjoy every moment. Don’t forget to be strategic about your every move. Let every minute count and most especially have faith in God and you will never be disappointed.


Bond Eke-opara