Balestriere Fariello is a private trials and investigations law firm with a public service focus. We're looking for college students who want a true apprenticeship experience, where they will do meaningful work on cases which are themselves meaningful, will learn and grow by working alongside lawyers and other professionals, and who have mature, responsible attitudes, willing to do whatever work is necessary to get the job done.

The Firm actively recruits college seniors as analysts and hopes increasingly to hire as analysts those who have already worked at the firm as college apprentices.

We are not a prestigious law office. We do not care to be. Students interested in prestige or an attractive line on their resume should save their time and ours and apply elsewhere. We have absolutely no tolerance whatsoever for arrogance, poor attitudes, or lack of commitment. We are willing to do whatever work necessary which is consistent with our integrity to win in our cases -- we are not "better" than any work -- and demand students who work with us share that attitude. We only want students ready to work hard alongside other committed professionals, and have fun, in a genuine apprenticeship experience.

We expect much more from our apprentices than do other law offices and value training and mentorship as core values of the firm. We give undergraduates work usually reserved for law students, and give law students work usually reserved for junior associates. In the past, legal college apprentices have worked on a variety of projects including the following:

• Drafting complaints against one of the world's largest companies in a major, complex class action.
• Research on procedural and policy aspects of class action lawsuits.
• Writing first and later drafts of memoranda of law filed in current cases.
• Researching all cases decided by a judge regarding arbitration agreements.
• Interviewing witnesses for criminal cases in state court.
• Assisting in depositions in a regulatory action before the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.
• Preparing for and assisting at trial.
• Development of a marketing strategy for the law firm.
• Work on commercial litigation involving a construction contractor.
• Intense research on how fees are awarded in the different kinds of cases which the firm handles.
• Transcribing manuals on litigation procedure or substantive law.
• Investigation in a major civil rights matter involving allegations of serious police misconduct.
• Filing documents in court and serving documents on adversaries or witnesses.
• Writing and organizing articles for the firm newsletter.

Who Should Apply

The firm is currently seeking college students as apprentices for periods:

• Summer 2010 (for full time work);
• Fall 2010 to Spring 2011 (for full time or part time work).

We spend a lot of time training apprentices such that the longer term or more intensive work period makes sense both for the firm and for apprentices. Any apprentices who start in the summer and continue to work with us during the school year participate in the firm's training program, lecture series, and social events.

For any full time fall program, students must be at least in their second year of school, though more senior years are preferred. Students must be able to work full time in the firm during normal business hours.

For any part time program, students must be college seniors graduating by spring 2011. We expect to hire analysts from our senior year apprentice program.

Requirements

Apprentices must be serious about their commitment to the firm and their work.  This is essentially a job, not a class, even if exposure, training, and simply learning are integral parts of the experience.  In the past, we have asked a few apprentices to end their work with us on the spot when they showed us that they did not treat their work or their colleagues seriously enough.  Poor attitude or a lack of respect for fellow apprentices, law firm staff, clients, witnesses, or anyone else is a basis for immediate termination of the apprenticeship.

Apprentices must also be very careful in their work, pay attention to detail, possess excellent writing and research skills, be ready to take initiative and be creative, work well in teams, but also be able to slog away in a given project by themselves, be willing to do whatever work is necessary for a given matter or research project, and be prepared to work on multiple tasks in multiple cases over the course of their apprenticeship.

An interest in public service is very important.  Concern for doing justice is crucial.  High integrity is essential.  Fitting in with our staff in our particular environment is necessary.

We, in turn, will meet our responsibility to make the apprenticeship a challenging and rewarding one and to involve apprentices as much as possible in our work.  Committed apprentices have become integral parts of the firm in very short order.  Past college apprentices have joined the firm after graduation as full time analysts.

Benefits

There is no cash payment to apprentices. However, the firm does cover public transportation expenses within New York City, and apprentices will be invited to take part in the firm's training program and a regular lecture series featuring lawyers and judges from both state and federal courts (During the school year, the firm will also reimburse apprentices who commute to New York from out of the City for all or part of their transportation costs). There also are social events during the apprenticeship, paid for by the firm.

Students are very strongly encouraged to receive credit for the apprenticeship. The firm will assist them in any way necessary to make that happen and REQUIRES that apprentices attempt to obtain credit.

Past apprentices have also written papers with lawyers at the firm. As noted, past apprentices have gone on to full time employment at the firm, and our hope is that we shall hire more and more of our full time staff from the firm's college and law student apprenticeship programs.

Time Commitment

For any period deemed full time, apprentices must work in the firm at least four full days a week, and are required to use their own laptops with wireless modems to access the firm’s network. For any period deemed part time, apprentices must work in the firm at least one full day a week when school is in session, though two days in the office are strongly encouraged, and must perform at least 15 hours of work per week (in and out of office).

Application Procedure

Interested applicants should submit the following to recruiting@balestriere.net as soon as possible:

• cover letter (specifically note whether you can obtain credit and what steps you have taken to seek credit for your work at the firm),
  
• resume,
  
• writing sample,
  
• unofficial copy of an up to date transcript,
  
• contact information for at least three references (including at least one employer reference).

Write “Legal College Apprentice Application” and the period of time in which you're interested in the subject heading of the e-mail.

More Information

For more information check out our website at www.balestriere.net.