Learning Through A Law Firm Internship

Jordan Weiner, a Political Science major with minors in History and Philosophy, is a member of the Verrazano Class of 2014.  He is currently interning at the law firm of Michael Coscia & Associates.  Read below for Jordan's experience in his own words.

In September of 2011, I began my internship in a firm that specializes in matrimonial and commercial litigation.  I have been privileged to work directly with Michael Coscia, JD and have accompanied him to numerous hearings and trials.  My position as an intern has exposed me to various stages of the litigation process.  Moreover, under Mr. Coscia's guidance I have learned to draft subpoenas and various discovery demands.  A subpeona is a paper that requires someone to appear in court or produce documents.  If someone doesn't abide by the request there could be reperucussions such as a fine or even being arrested.  Discovery demands are demands that you send to the other side for papers such as bank statements and tax returns.  On one occasion, my responsibility was to create a financial spreadsheet on Excel based upon the business records of the opposition.  My investigation enabled me to uncover hidden monies which became crucial at the time of the trial and assisted in ultimately settling the case.

I have learned as a student that there are numerous pathways one can take when choosing a possible career.  One of the most crucial pathways is through an internship.  Through an internship, a student learns both the positive and negative aspects of the profession.  Prior to my internship, I was undecided about attending law school.  It has been over a year since I began my internship with this firm, and I have truly grown from the experience.  My internship has enabled me to decide that, after graduation, I will attend law school and I hope one day to be a practicing attorney in New York.  I plan to continue interning so that I can become familiar with various fields of the law.  This will enable me to determine what areas I wish to focus on as an attorney in the future.