What does a legal extern do?

Legal externs are law students who took the opportunity to do on-the-job training at a law firm. Instead of monetary compensation, they receive academic credits. Legal externs primarily engage in job shadowing. They are usually assigned mentors in the law firm, and they would shadow their mentors in their daily routines. Legal externs are exposed to the actual work done by lawyers. Legal externs are involved in cases, providing insights while building a solid case for their client, giving advice to clients, and representing clients under the supervision of the actual lawyers in the firm. They are usually not given administrative or clerical tasks since they are expected to do more tasks directly related to being a lawyer.
Legal extern responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real legal extern resumes:
- Create PowerPoint presentation used to train staff on managing copyright and trademark infringement risk.
- Research various aspects of criminal law; write inter-office memos defining the present juris prudence of issue research.
- Train attorneys and librarians to use the Lexis-Nexis legal research system.
- Proofread and edit attorney work product (grammar, usage, and content . )
- Hire by criminal defense and plaintiff's personal injury attorneys on a case basis.
- Proofread and edit legal documents for correct spelling, grammar, punctuation, syntax, format, and content.
- Review business associate agreements for compliance with HIPAA requirements.
- Maintain intranet site and serve as administrator for several Sharepoint sites.
- Prepare a PowerPoint presentation on utilizing forensics in custody cases for a supervising attorney.
- Travele to local government and private locations to file case-relevant materials and serve subpoenas.
- Perform manual legal research, and computer assist legal research using Lexis-Nexis and Westlaw databases
- Draft contract amendments, participate in HIPAA breach investigation and complete a risk assessment analysis.
- Prepare legal papers and correspondence, including motions and subpoenas utilizing legal terminology, procedures and documents.
- Conduct legal research on issues including national origin discrimination, mandatory arbitration clauses and class action waivers.
- Research rules of evidence in international commercial law for forthcoming treatise on international rules of evidence in arbitration.
Legal extern skills and personality traits
We calculated that 12% of Legal Externs are proficient in Litigation, Legal Intern, and Legal Issues. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Interpersonal skills, and Problem-solving skills.
We break down the percentage of Legal Externs that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Litigation, 12%
Maintained case information in electronic litigation support/case management system including case status, scheduling of deadlines and other pertinent information.
- Legal Intern, 10%
Completed competitive legal internship, developing valuable hands-on experience resolving a range of legal issues.
- Legal Issues, 9%
Researched cases and drafted objective attorney memos and recommendations regarding specific legal issues involving First Amendment liberties to supervising attorneys.
- Legal Memos, 6%
Drafted legal memos regarding various environmental rules and regulations, attended litigation related to land use, and observed client meetings
- Intellectual Property, 5%
Prepared a variety of intellectual property and human study contracts including confidentiality agreements, clinical agreements, and material transfer agreements.
- Pre-Trial Motions, 5%
Researched Chilean criminal law and drafted pre-trial motions and settlement negotiation documents in Spanish.
Most legal externs use their skills in "litigation," "legal intern," and "legal issues" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential legal extern responsibilities here:
Analytical skills. One of the key soft skills for a legal extern to have is analytical skills. You can see how this relates to what legal externs do because "lawyers interpret the law as it applies to their client’s case." Additionally, a legal extern resume shows how legal externs use analytical skills: "collected, analyzed, and organized non-legal research for use in litigation and policy presentations. "
Interpersonal skills. Another essential skill to perform legal extern duties is interpersonal skills. Legal externs responsibilities require that "lawyers must build relationships with current and prospective clients, as well as with their colleagues and other members of the legal community." Legal externs also use interpersonal skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "assist counsel and paralegals legal research attend court hearings and out of court legal proceedings file maintenance interpersonal communication skills with clients"
Problem-solving skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of legal externs is problem-solving skills. This skill is critical to many everyday legal extern duties, as "lawyers must evaluate information to propose viable solutions, mediate disputes, and reach agreements or settlements for their clients." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "resolved numerous cases prior to litigation through persistent advocacy and negotiation. "
Research skills. legal extern responsibilities often require "research skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "lawyers need to find laws and regulations that apply to a specific matter in order to provide appropriate legal advice for their clients." This resume example shows what legal externs do with research skills on a typical day: "conducted legal research on international human rights jurisprudence and explored strategies on incorporating international standards and jurisprudence into domestic litigation"
The three companies that hire the most legal externs are:
- Oracle49 legal externs jobs
- Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (finra)16 legal externs jobs
- American Civil Liberties Union Foundation11 legal externs jobs
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Legal extern vs. Housing counselor
A Housing Counselor works directly with clients and organizations to support moderate and low-income clients in overcoming barriers to housing and financial stability. They represent the homeowner in interventions and/or mediation proceedings with the mortgage servicer, lender, and/or other stakeholders.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between legal externs and housing counselor. For instance, legal extern responsibilities require skills such as "legal intern," "legal memos," "pre-trial motions," and "powerpoint." Whereas a housing counselor is skilled in "in-house counsel," "social work," "regulatory compliance," and "crisis intervention." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Housing counselors really shine in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $91,338. Comparatively, legal externs tend to make the most money in the professional industry with an average salary of $69,693.housing counselors tend to reach similar levels of education than legal externs. In fact, housing counselors are 2.3% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 8.5% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Legal extern vs. Attorney at law
An Attorney at Law is responsible for preparing and examining contracts involving leases, licenses, purchases, sales, etc. They advise clients concerning business transactions, claim liability, or legal rights and obligations.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that legal extern responsibilities requires skills like "legal intern," "legal memos," "pre-trial motions," and "real estate." But an attorney at law might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "real estate transactions," "trial preparation," "criminal defense," and "labor law."
Attorneys at law earn a higher average salary than legal externs. But attorneys at law earn the highest pay in the retail industry, with an average salary of $120,546. Additionally, legal externs earn the highest salaries in the professional with average pay of $69,693 annually.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Attorneys at law tend to reach similar levels of education than legal externs. In fact, they're 0.2% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 8.5% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Legal extern vs. District attorney
District attorneys represent the government in court and prepare criminal prosecution cases. Besides partnering on criminal investigations and evaluating police reports, district attorneys also consult with alleged perpetrators, law enforcement, and judges. They uphold professional ethics, abide by the country's prosecution laws, and supervise and guide legal clerks and associates. Moreover, district attorneys prepare and file pre-trial motions, study case law, and gather enough evidence needed to prosecute alleged perpetrators in the court. Also, they assess legal merits to bring criminal charges against the alleged perpetrators.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a legal extern is likely to be skilled in "litigation," "legal memos," "intellectual property," and "real estate," while a typical district attorney is skilled in "pre-trial conferences," "law enforcement agencies," "felony cases," and "misdemeanor cases."
District attorneys earn the highest salary when working in the professional industry, where they receive an average salary of $79,101. Comparatively, legal externs have the highest earning potential in the professional industry, with an average salary of $69,693.Most district attorneys achieve a similar degree level compared to legal externs. For example, they're 0.4% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 11.4% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Legal extern vs. Attorney
Generally, an attorney's responsibility is to advise the client with an ongoing lawsuit on the legal procedures and provide strategies to resolve the case as early as possible. An attorney compiles necessary documents or any records for appeal and client's defense. Attorneys must acquire strong problem-solving and critical-thinking skills to mediate disputes and settle pending litigation for the client's best interest. In some cases, an attorney's procedure depends on any evidence and research presented during the trial period. An attorney is expected to present clients on legal proceedings, seeking justice and justifying the law.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between legal externs and attorneys, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a legal extern might have more use for skills like "legal intern," "legal memos," "pre-trial motions," and "real estate." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of attorneys require skills like "appeals," "trial preparation," "real estate transactions," and "law practice. "
In general, attorneys hold similar degree levels compared to legal externs. Attorneys are 1.1% less likely to earn their Master's Degree and 29.2% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of legal extern
Updated January 8, 2025











