Government Senior (Pre-Law Intern) Michael McGehee
I decided to take the IE Pre-Graduate internship
course because I knew
that I wanted to pursue a career in law, but I wanted to know what
it
would be like to immerse myself in the classes and possibly culture
of the
legal field. I knew this course was a chance to at least see what the
classes in law school will be like, but I didn't realize the opportunity
I
would have in meeting lawyers and being able to pick their brains about
the legal profession. Not to mention my mentor happened to by a first
year law school student so the ordeal of applying and gaining acceptance
into a law school of his choice was fresh on his mind. I was able to
gather information about what is most beneficial in getting into the
law
school of my choice from someone who has "been there done that".
The most valuable thing I gained from the IE Pre-Grad Internship is assurance that the legal field is something I want to pursue. Epictetus, the person credited for starting the philosophical view of stoicism, says that, if a person wants to truly pursue a career, he or she must truly find out what it entails so as not pursue half heartedly, and more importantly be completely sure that that is something you truly want to and is able to do. The example Epictetus used is wrestling were he warned against playing at wrestling "like a child" if that is something you truly wanted to do. Rather you must pursue it to its end if that is what you're committed to doing but you must find out every detail possible about what it takes to be a successful wrestler. Likewise to be a successful lawyer a person must access every detail that is possible before you actually pursue the career. This course has allowed me to heed Epictetus words of wisdom because I was able to find out more about law school than otherwise would have been possible. I also discovered how interesting I found actually participating in a class at law school. My mentor apologized to me because our schedules only allowed me to attend a class about legal research. He told me that I was attending the worst class in his schedule, but I found the class extremely interesting and enjoyable. Also I found that my classes in constitutional law were invaluable in understanding what was going on in the law school class I attended. This just reaffirmed my desire to attend law school and work in the legal field, and also bolstered my belief that I would be able to excel once I started attending law school.
I also was invited to a Thurgood Marshall Legal Society banquet were many lawyers in the Austin area were in attendance. This gave me my chance to talk to them and learn more about what it it's like to work as lawyer, and all its pros and cons. Without my participation in the pre-graduate school internship I doubt I would have had the chance to attend the banquet and meet all the lawyers I met that night. It was a wonderful experience and I thank Robert Ford for giving me the chance to experience it. I recommend this course to anyone who wants to pursue a career in law or even just considering such a course. This opportunity has allowed me to gain valuable insight to what it's like to be in a law school class, and more importantly I have gained an experience friend who as went through the process of applying and getting into law school, has made it through his first and hardest year of law school and already has a position at a law firm this summer. He assured me I can call on him in the future for any help, information, or just to catch up in the future. Any person hoping to attend law school I hope, should be as fortunate as me to have had such a great opportunity as I have to attend law school class there before even being admitted, and have the foresight to take advantage of it. If you are like me, an opportunity like this will only make you work harder to gain admittance into a school of law.