Jimerson Birr's Business Law Internship for High Schoolers - 10 Reasons Why You Should Apply
If you find yourself interested in law and business, and deciding on how to pick between the two - maybe you don’t need to decide at all! Business law might be your thing.
You should consider an internship to get a better feel for everything business (or commercial) law covers, because it can be quite wide. Since becoming a lawyer is a significant effort and investment of time, why not intern in high school?
Shadowing professional lawyers as an intern will teach you to navigate the complexities of the legal system, understand the intricacies of corporate operations, and develop critical thinking skills that will be invaluable in any career path. Today’s blog post covers Jimerson Birr’s Business Law internships for high schoolers.
Who is eligible to apply?
To be eligible for Jimerson Birr’s internships, you need to be a high school student able to work at their office in Jacksonville, Florida. Beyond that, you are expected to be a motivated, communicative team player with a strong interest in business and law.
If you are not from Florida, you might want to look out for similar internships in a state of your choice. We’ve got you covered here!
What are the Jimerson Birr Business Law Internships?
Jimerson Birr is a Florida-based law firm ranked as one of the Best Law Firms in America according to US News & World Report. Their 4-6 week internship program is designed to give you a real taste of the business law world. You'll get to work at one of various departments, from accounting to legal services, and work alongside industry leaders to hone your professional abilities. The firm claims a strong commitment to client-focused solutions, meaning you'll learn how to think like a lawyer: strategically, proactively, and with a keen eye for detail.
Are they prestigious?
Jimerson Birr is a pretty well-known law firm - it’s been rated one of the Best Companies to Work For in Florida for seven consecutive years by Florida Trend Magazine, and as one of Law Firm 500’s Fastest Growing Law Firms three times. This reputation means that the experience you gain here carries weight, whether for college applications or your future career.
The exposure you’re given also seems to be solid, as you’ll be working with department heads to ensure your professional skills develop. Overall, we would rate this as somewhat prestigious in any scenario, but especially valuable if you’re considering a career or higher education in business or business law.
How does the application process work?
Applications are typically due in the spring, and work like how you’d expect a normal job posting or internship posting to work. You'll need to submit a resume, cover letter, and likely include some recommendations.
How are the internships structured?
As a Jimerson Birr intern, you’ll choose the department you want to work with during application itself, whether accounting, communications and marketing, legal services, or information technology.
A typical internship can last anywhere between 4 and 6 weeks, depending on the nature of the work you’ll be doing and the team you’ll be working with.
Throughout this period, you’ll be working directly with the firm’s staff and attorneys, attending biweekly team meetings, and actually contributing to active cases and research.
8 reasons why we think you should apply to Jimerson Birr's internships
You’ll gain real-world experience, actually helping with case research, analytics and legal documentation.
You will gain experience in accounting, communications and marketing, legal services, and information technology.
You’ll benefit from the mentorship of some of the best attorneys in Florida.
You’ll build valuable, useful skills like business report writing, communication, critical thinking, time management and presentation skills. These will assist you regardless of where you go on to build your career.
You’ll boost your profile for college applications, by demonstrating that you’ve already worked in a high stress, high performance environment.
Internships like these are also an excellent avenue for career exploration. Six weeks is a good time to understand if this is the career you’re best suited for or not.
You’ll get great networking opportunities, not just with the attorneys and partners at the firm, but their business clients as well.
You’ll understand more thoroughly what is expected of you in a corporate work environment once you’re done with college. This is a lesson whose value you’ll appreciate when it’s hiring season.
If you’re looking for an incubator program that helps you establish a developed startup in high school, consider the Young Founders Lab!
The Young Founder’s Lab is a real-world start-up bootcamp founded and run by Harvard entrepreneurs. In this program, you will work towards building a revenue-generating start-up that addresses a real-world problem. You will also have the opportunity to be mentored by established entrepreneurs and professionals from Google, Microsoft, and X.
You can access the application link here!
Lumiere Research Scholar Program
If you’re looking for similarly useful learning opportunities in law, you could also consider applying to one of the Lumiere Research Scholar Programs, selective online high school programs for students I founded with researchers at Harvard and Oxford. Last year, we had over 4000 students apply for 500 spots in the program! You can find the application form here.
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a PhD student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.
Image Source: Jimerson Birr logo