24 July 2019

Why I applied…
Immigration law always struck me as a really interesting area of law that would involve a lot of direct work with clients who have very varied circumstances. This coupled with the chance to get to experience working life in Manhattan made this an enticing and amazing opportunity.

How I applied…
After sitting the bar exam in New York last summer, I attended a networking event hosted at Laura Devine Attorneys’ (LDA) Madison Avenue office. Speaking to people at the event made me realize that a summer internship in the US could be a real possibility. Whilst I was in Glasgow completing my Diploma, I kept in touch with LDA and sent in an intern application in February. The process from there was straightforward and the firm accommodated me being outside the US by allowing me to interview over the phone and on skype video calls. I’d previously imagined that it be difficult to get a visa for working in the US, but once offered the internship LDA assisted with my visa application and made the process of moving to the US for the summer as seamless as possible.

Skills and qualities needed…
As with any legal work, attention to detail is crucial for drafting advice and submitting applications on behalf of clients. Strong communication skills are also essential both for working with others in the office and for drafting work that will be sent to clients. Additionally, due to the nature of immigration law, a lot of applications are time sensitive and so it is also important to be efficient with your time to ensure deadlines are met as you are given real responsibilities as an intern at LDA.

Favorite part of my internship…
I think many typical internships can involve a lot of dull and repetitive tasks such as making coffees or scanning for hours on end. At LDA, I have involved on real client matters and get to be creative in applying immigration law to the varied and unique circumstances of different clients. This is a great learning experience and one which is very different to the type of learning typically offered in law school. Doing all this from an office that has a very friendly and welcoming atmosphere, as well as stunning views of Manhattan, has been a real highlight of my internship.

* Adam Ridley recently finished the Diploma in Professional Legal Practice at the University of Glasgow after doing an LLB at the University of Edinburgh. He is about to complete a 3-month internship at Laura Devine Attorneys (LDA) in New York.