Need advice concerning legal internship...

[Adhesive]

Well, if I remember correctly, there are a few board members who are practicing law in Japan or have some sort of connection to the Japanese legal world. I'm hoping I can get some advice on both choosing and traveling the right path.

I have a bit of a dilemma. I'm in my second year of law school and I'm contemplating an internship in Japan. The problem is that this sort of thing is typically done at the end of your first year in law school. All Japanese internships, via the law school's study abroad program, are unpaid, where as most internships taken by second year students in the States are paid positions.

I already have an offer for a paying summer internship here in California. However, I don't think it's my ideal workplace, and my wife and I would really like to spend our last free summer in Japan, where she and our daughter can visit family and friends, etc. I'm also genuinely interested in working abroad and don't want to let the opportunity pass.

The problem is that I'm absolutely, 100% hard-up for cash. We barely have enough to live on with my student loans and my wife's meager salary. Sacrificing a paying summer job in the States to go to Japan and work for free would mean even more debt and scraping-by. I also worry that a short internship in Japan via the school's study abroad program won't be as competitive on a resume as another student's three month internship here in the states.

So, my question, besides whether I should even consider an unpaid internship in Japan over a paid internship in the States, is if finding a paid internship in Japan, on my own, is in the realm of possibility.

Do Japanese firms or in-house legal departments take on summer associates from foreign countries without going through their respective schools? Would it be realistic for me to start sending off my resume and expect a reply? I would love to do an equivalent 2-3 month US-style internship in Japan. If this is even feasible, does anyone have any recommendations on where to start?

In summary:

1. Is taking an unpaid internship in Japan my second year of law school crazy?

2. Is it possible to get paid internships in Japan?

3. Is taking a paid internship in Japan my second year crazy?

4. Why did I go to law school?

All replies are appreciated.

[amdg]

1. Is taking an unpaid internship in Japan my second year of law school crazy?

Yes.

2. Is it possible to get paid internships in Japan?

No idea. But don't even think about it.

3. Is taking a paid internship in Japan my second year crazy?

Yes.

4. Why did I go to law school?

Either one of three reasons (a) you didn't know what else to do (b) you love the law (c) you want the dollars. Of the above, (b) is the only real answer.

The years leading up to, and the years following, your graduation are crucial times. You need to make the right decisions. The hard truth is that you won't learn anything in Japan, and you may even 'unlearn' some things. The only positive I can see in your reasons for wanting a position in Japan is for your wife to see her friends again. That's all well and good, but if you are serious about your profession you'll let her go back by herself for a month or two, while you concentrate on making the right choices.

[Adhesive]

The years leading up to, and the years following, your graduation are crucial times. You need to make the right decisions. The hard truth is that you won't learn anything in Japan, and you may even 'unlearn' some things. The only positive I can see in your reasons for wanting a position in Japan is for your wife to see her friends again. That's all well and good, but if you are serious about your profession you'll let her go back by herself for a month or two, while you concentrate on making the right choices.

Thank you for your reply. Your advice echoes much of what I already knew but was afraid to admit. I guess I was just holding out on the hope that I'd be proven wrong by someone more knowledgeable of the legal arena.

[amdg]

I might be a bit negative. I guess, if you went to a US firm in Tokyo that has a good rep for the kind of law you want to practice, then it could be a good experience. But under no circumstances move to a Japanese law firm.

[kamome]

amdg is 100% correct. There is one Japanese firm I know of that might take you on (whether paid or unpaid I don't know), and they have a team of foreign lawyers you could work with. But if you have a paid internship in the States with a reputable employer, absolutely take it. If your wife wants to go to Japan, send her off while you work your internship in the US. There is no substitute for getting your experience stateside.

Why is the internship you've been offered less than desirable? Care to reveal the firm/company name? Is it outside the area where you want to practice?

[Adhesive]

Why is the internship you've been offered less than desirable? Care to reveal the firm/company name? Is it outside the area where you want to practice?

PM sent.