How to Build a High-Impact Internship Program

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Are you a law firm owner looking to create an internship program? In this episode of the Maximum Lawyer Podcast, Adam Rossen - a lawyer who founded his firm in 2008—shares the 15-year journey of developing a robust law firm internship program. The episode highlights lessons learned, the importance of mentorship, community impact, and practical advice for building effective internship programs, especially in the legal field.

Having a solid internship program can really make your law firm stand out and be something to use to attract and retain new talent. Adam speaks to some of the key things to have when formalizing a program. One thing to incorporate is speakers. This will create a real world experience for interns who can learn from the best. Adam had some judges speak to his summer interns this past year. Another component is having a summer book club which makes the program more formal and curriculum based. His students read a book on the federal criminal justice system, written by a judge.

Adam and Tyson chat about how to recruit for an internship program. One thing a firm can do is create some marketing materials to promote the firm. If you have a good relationship with colleges and universities in your city, you can connect with them to help promote the program to their students. Something to consider, which is something Adam has done in his firm, is connect with criminal justice organizations to help recruit individuals who don't have a background in law to intern at the firm. These can be individuals who are looking for a change in career or who have been in contact with the law and want to work in the field.

Listen in to learn more about creating a robust internship program!

4:04 Growth and Speaking to Students
10:18 Formalizing A Program
14:06 Program Structure & Recruitment

17:28 Advice for Starting an Internship Program
20:27 Long-Term Impact & Networking

Connect with Adam:

• Website

Tune in to today’s episode and checkout the full show notes here.