OK, not really. Still, it's the next best thing.
I recently had a meeting with the supervising attorney of a legal internship with a government entity. I've been working on various legal projects for the last few months, with some time off during the winter break. The range of issues is pretty astounding, from property work to due process to freedom of information-ish things. That's pretty interesting, already, to have that great variety in doing these things.
But I realized something else: it's exciting to know that a government entity is taking what I wrote, in some cases explaining the legal consequences of actions or whatever, and actually based on the information I provided. Of course, I'm supervised by an actual, licensed attorney, but it is still humbling to look at how important the work is turning out to be. Lives are potentially changed based on what I am doing. Hopefully, the community is a better place because of what I'm doing.
Basically, I get to be a lawyer before I'm actually a lawyer. I have to admit, I really love it. As much as I love law school and will hate to leave (I know, my geek-o-meter just overloaded), I think getting out there to do actual practical work full-time will be even better.
