Balestriere Fariello is a private trials and investigations law firm with a public service focus. We're looking for law school 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.

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 apprentices 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, 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 law students as apprentices beginning in Summer 2010 (for full or part time ) and strongly prefer those who are also willing to commit to work at the firm during the Fall 2010 semester (for full or part time work).

We spend a lot of time training apprentices such that the longer term 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.

Requirements

Law students must have completed at least one year of school before beginning the apprenticeship, though those completing two years are preferred. While law school apprentices are not required to commit to working the entire academic year, those who do so will be strongly preferred.  Law school apprentices who work at and are trained at the firm during the summer have the possibility of being paid for their work on an hourly basis in the fall and spring semesters after their first summer of work and training.

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 apprentices have written papers with lawyers at the firm or joined the firm as attorneys.

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).

Finally, the firm will create an email account for each apprentice, which they must check at least once daily on days the courts are open when they are not at the firm, and must be available for emergency phone calls during reasonable hours if something urgent comes up in one of their cases while they are not in the office.

We understand that, during the semester, school is a student’s top priority.  At the same time, if a apprentice commits to working a certain number of days or on a given project at the beginning of the apprenticeship, we expect the apprentice to fulfill that commitment and keep her word.  Changing the time commitment after the semester begins is a basis for our terminating the apprenticeship.

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 “Law School 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.