From Our Students: Summer Internship Experience
Published February 28, 2024
An integral aspect of law school involves gaining practical legal experience beyond the confines of the classroom. One avenue through which students obtain this experience is by participating in internships during their two summer breaks while in law school. My initial internship between my 1L and 2L years was with Benderson Development—a Buffalo-based commercial real estate developer. Through this blog, I am pleased to share an account of my experiences during that summer and offer insights for other prospective law students who may glean valuable information from my journey.
How I Learned About the Position
In the first stages of the process, I began searching for internships through the School of Law’s internal job board, known as LOCK, administered by the University at Buffalo School of Law Career Services Office (CSO). All law students are given access to this job board by the end of 1L orientation and can apply to a plethora of different positions, including internships, clerkships, summer associate programs, diversity programs, and full-time jobs. Application requirements will differ, but generally include a resume, cover letter, transcript, and in some circumstances, a writing sample, all of which are uploaded to LOCK, much like other job boards. In January of 2023, I noticed that Benderson had posted a position for a Law Clerk for summer 2023 on the job board and was accepting applications through March. I had a general interest in working in corporate or real estate law, so I decided to throw my hat in the ring and see if I would get an interview.
I also learned that recruiters from Benderson would be at the career fair that the Career Services Office hosts each spring, usually at the start of the spring semester in early February. With this information I made it a point to stop by the Benderson booth to say hello to the recruiter and hiring manager. This allowed them to put a face to my name, and provided me with the opportunity to delve deeper into the company and the position. I aimed to showcase my enthusiasm for a career in commercial real estate, and my diligence paid off. Approximately two weeks later, I received a notice from the recruiter that I had been selected to do a phone screening before progressing to an interview with the hiring manager.
Interview Process
Once I received the confirmation of the first-round interview, I made sure to get some time on the calendar with one of the CSO counselors to prepare for the phone screen. The phone screen is a short conversation between the candidate and the recruiter, in which the recruiter determines if the candidate would be a good fit for the posted position and if they want to then pass the candidate along to the hiring manager. These calls are usually relatively informal, and consist of a handful of standard “fit” questions, and the recruiter may also ask for a little more detail on the candidate’s background. I asked the CSO what I should expect from a phone screen and how I should tailor my answers to key questions such as:
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- “Why Benderson?”
- “Why do you want to work in the commercial real estate industry?”
- “Why do you want to be a lawyer?”
This gave me the confidence to go into the phone interview with HR knowing I could sell myself and make a positive impression. In fact, the recruiter asked me many of the questions that the counselors told me they would, and I had the perfect answer for all of them. This impressed the recruiter enough to pass me on to the final interview with the hiring manager.
The interview with the hiring manager was a 45-minute Zoom interview, where I was asked about my experience on my resume. One of the pieces of advice I received from the CSO was to know my resume “like the back of my hand” so that I could tell a story about how I would be a good fit with the company. This also made the interview more conversational and relaxed, as I did not have to think too hard about what I was going to say. I think one of the things that won them over was that I was able to portray that I wanted to be a transactional attorney rather than a litigator (more on that in a bit) and that I would be a cultural fit. Whatever it was, they must have liked me because about two weeks later I received an offer for the Law Clerk position. Benderson was my top choice for summer employment, so I had no reservations accepting the offer right away. I breathed a sigh of relief knowing that I had something lined up for the summer so early in the spring semester!
Why I Chose Benderson
One of the main reasons that I chose Benderson for my summer experience was because they have an excellent reputation as a top real estate developer. They are one of the largest privately held commercial real estate developers in the country with over 800 properties across the United States, including well known properties in the Buffalo area such as Consumer Square at The Boulevard on Niagara Falls Boulevard, only a five-minute drive from campus. I also felt like having a name-brand company on my resume would set me up well for future internship and job interviews in my 2L or 3L years.
As mentioned, when discussing the interview process, I knew I wanted to do transactional work rather than be a litigator. I felt like doing transactional work was more about building bridges and working towards a common goal, compared to litigation which is highly adversarial and confrontational. My interest in commercial real estate came from one of my visits back to Buffalo when I was living in New York City and saw how much progress had been made in redeveloping the city in its sort of Renaissance. I wanted to be a part of that, and I thought getting experience at Benderson would be a great way to contribute. Having worked in corporate America prior to coming to law school, I was also much more comfortable negotiating deals and reviewing contracts rather than writing briefs and arguing in court. Working at Benderson would allow me to work on various facets of commercial real estate law including reviewing leases, identifying potential legal issues with development projects, and let me learn the business from the inside. I learned more about what life is like working in-house as compared to working for a firm as well.
One of the most interesting aspects of the Summer Law Clerk program at Benderson was that it was completely brand new, and I would be one of two law clerks to be a part of the pilot. I saw this as a great opportunity to get on the ground floor of a fledgling program and help to build something of a legacy that could endure beyond my tenure.
Summer Experience
My experience over the summer was very collegial. From the very moment I walked in the door, I was greeted by many friendly faces that were extremely willing to answer questions or just sit down and have a coffee and explain what the company does and the role the Legal department has in its operations. I got an overwhelming sense that everyone at the company genuinely and thoroughly enjoyed working there and had a passion for their work. As I was being introduced to the members of the team, I was in awe at the tenure of some of my colleagues. They posted company anniversaries in the cafeteria, and many of the attorneys that I worked with had been there for decades and planned to end their careers there. They were very welcoming and could not wait to have the Law Clerks start on some new projects. We would have regular company-wide lunches to get to know each other on a more personal level and really develop a connection with the company.
My direct manager, who was counsel for the leasing of storefronts to tenants, was very accessible and provided great mentorship throughout my time at Benderson. This included providing guidance on the projects I was working on, introducing me to as many contacts at the firm as possible, and even helping me prepare for potential summer associate positions in 2024. It was great to have someone who was so heavily involved and invested in my growth because of the steep learning curve that comes with starting your first legal job. Having a supportive supervisor is crucial, especially in Buffalo, where the legal community is close-knit. Given the likelihood of encountering individuals you've collaborated with in the past at various points in your career, having a supportive supervisor becomes even more valuable. Additionally, such supervisors serve as excellent sources for future employment recommendations or client referrals.
Job Duties and Projects
One of the first assignments I was given during my summer at Benderson was performing legal research regarding issues that can potentially arise at one of the hundreds of properties that Benderson owns. This was interesting because they own properties across the country, therefore I had the opportunity to learn about different state laws across a variety of jurisdictions. Much of this research was identifying how courts would enforce certain provisions in the leases Benderson has with its tenants and the remedies that would be available to them should a tenant breach the lease. I was then tasked with reviewing their current leases and identifying any potential issues that may lead to disputes and litigation in the future based on the research I had done, and then proposing edits to the leases. I would then go into a formal review for each lease with my manager to discuss whether the proposed changes made sense. I was very enthusiastic about this, because it allowed me to tap into my business background and analyze not only the terms of the lease but also the economics of it and how it would be structured to be the most profitable for the company. I was then asked to do this for different properties in multiple jurisdictions, because the laws vary from state to state. In total, I completed about six individual projects by the time the clerkship concluded.
Summary
Overall, I had an amazing time working for Benderson Development. I was very sad to leave after the nine weeks were up, but I was incredibly thankful for the opportunity to work and learn at such an amazing company. The people were top notch, the work was rewarding, and I came away having learned more than I ever could have imagined about working as in-house counsel for a leading commercial real estate developer. I really hope they decide to continue with the Summer Law Clerk program, because I would highly recommend it to any law student! I was very fortunate to have landed an amazing internship, and with the proper preparation and diligence, you can too. Best of luck on your internship journey, and if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at bmcarlo@buffalo.edu!