Pre-law internship gives students first-hand experience

BSC’s Exploration Term gives students an opportunity to intern during the 9-5 workday without having to juggle a complex class schedule. This January, 108 students conducted internships here in Birmingham and across the country, including through BSC’s Pre-Health and Pre-Law advisory programs. Five aspiring lawyers interned at local law firms and two worked with criminal judges. Hunter Hays, a sophomore economics major and history minor, landed a spot at Five Points Law Group, a firm specializing in employment law, family law, and estate planning. We asked him a few questions about his experience.

What kind of work are you doing? I was expecting to perform general clerical work and observe the attorneys operate. I was not expecting to receive such hands-on experience in the legal profession. I have been able to attend multiple court sessions and depositions, collect data and information from medical records and write reports summarizing said information for attorneys, and perform research critical to impending court cases. In one instance, when performing research for a deposition in an employment case, I analyzed close to 2,000 pages of documents in search of evidence to support our client’s claims. After seven hours of reading, analyzing, summarizing, and organizing my research into an argument to present to the attorney I was working for, we were able to use the documents I compiled as exhibits in the next day’s deposition. Ultimately, of the 18 pieces of evidence we submitted to the court, 13 were of my own research.

What did that feel like? I have often heard of the “lawyer high” an individual gets when finding a critical piece of evidence. Having seen the bewildered look of a man left speechless by evidence I presented, I can testify the “high” is both real and addictive.

Did you do an Exploration Term last year? In 2018, I participated in a Broadcasting and Announcing class taught by Curt Bloom, radio announcer for the Birmingham Barons, our local minor league baseball team. I received great experience learning about the media field and thoroughly enjoyed getting to listen Mr. Bloom’s stories each day. We were able to tour various television networks and radio stations around the city during the course of our class. Ultimately, it was an outstanding experience.

What are you thinking for future Exploration Terms? Next year, I hope to use my research stipend as a Harrison Honors Scholar and perform research abroad for my Honors Project. At the moment, I am thinking about doing my project on the religious revivals of Scotland and Wales. Roaming the hills of Scotland where John Knox preached has long been a dream of mine, I genuinely hope to make it reality around this time next year.

What do you like most about Exploration Terms? I love how the professors at BSC genuinely care about helping students gain valuable experience in the world outside of our campus. Not only has E-Term helped me find a career I hope to pursue, it has given me a greater appreciation for Birmingham itself through engaging with the community. Overall, my Pre-Law internship has been the most beneficial educational experience I have had since coming to Birmingham-Southern.