None of the mistakes below make you a bad intern. They’re just things nobody bothers to explain until after you’ve already done them once, usually because the people around you assume you already know. So consider this the conversation someone should have had with you before day one. Read it, and you’ll walk in ahead of most of the room.
Quick answer
The internship mistakes that hurt most aren’t dramatic. They’re small and quiet: submitting research without reading it, not proofreading, going silent when you’re stuck, missing deadlines without warning, and leaving without a thank-you or a reference. Fix these and you’re already a memorable intern for the right reasons.
Before the internship:
- Not researching the team before you start. Walking in knowing nothing about the practice area or the kind of work signals you’re just there for a certificate. Spend an hour understanding what they do. It changes how you show up.
- Treating a small or boutique internship as beneath you. Some of the best learning happens in smaller teams where you’re actually handed real work. Prestige is not the same as exposure.
During the internship, the work:
- Submitting research you haven’t actually read. Pasting ten judgements you skimmed is worse than handing over three you understand. Your job is to make the work usable, not to prove you can use a database.
- Not proofreading. Typos, wrong section numbers and sloppy formatting quietly tell a senior how you’ll handle a real matter. Always read it once more before you send.
- Guessing instead of confirming the task. If you’re unsure what’s being asked, confirm your understanding before you spend two days on the wrong thing. “Here’s how I’ve understood this; am I on track?” is a sign of competence, not weakness.
- Going silent when you’re stuck. Disappearing for three days and returning with nothing is the mistake seniors remember. Research first, then ask a specific question. Being stuck is fine; hiding it isn’t.
- Missing a deadline without warning. Things happen. What matters is telling someone early, “I won’t finish this by 5; I can have it by tomorrow morning,” instead of vanishing and hoping nobody notices.
During the internship, how you show up:
- Getting defensive about feedback. A correction isn’t an insult; it’s the whole point. Absorb it, apply it, and don’t repeat it. Interns who take feedback well are the ones people want to keep.
- Being great to partners and careless with everyone else. Associates, clerks and staff often shape the decision about you. Word travels. Be genuinely decent to everyone.
- Oversharing or breaching confidentiality. What you see in a matter stays in the matter. Posting about “the huge deal I’m working on” is a fast way to lose trust, and it can be a serious professional issue.
- Being on your phone or visibly disengaged. Even in slow moments, look present and willing. Ask if there’s anything you can help with. Interns who seem checked-out get given nothing, which becomes a boring internship, which feels like proof they were right to check out. Break that loop.
The mistakes at the end (that cost you the most):
- Not keeping a record of what you did. You will forget the specifics within weeks. That vague memory becomes a vague CV bullet. Note every task as you go.
- Leaving without a thank-you. A short, genuine thank-you note on your last day is what keeps you in someone’s memory when an opportunity comes up later. It costs you five minutes.
- Not asking for a reference. Ask while your work is fresh: “Would you be comfortable being a reference for me?” A strong reference is one of the most valuable things an internship gives you, and it expires from memory if you wait too long.
- Disappearing completely afterwards. The relationship is half the value. A brief update every few months keeps a warm contact warm. Careers are built on these quiet, maintained connections.
YLCC ACTION STEP: If you’re starting an internship this week, set one rule for yourself: never submit anything you haven’t read once more for errors, and never go more than a day silent when stuck. Those two habits alone put you ahead of most interns.
PLEASE DON’T DO THIS: Please don’t treat “I didn’t know” as the reason to skip the thank-you and the reference at the end. Nobody is born knowing this. Now you do, so use it.
FAQs:
- What’s the single most common internship mistake? Submitting research you haven’t read. You’re delivering volume instead of value.
- Is it bad to ask questions during an internship? No, asking good questions (after trying) is a sign of a strong intern. Going silent when stuck is the real mistake.
- How do I recover if I’ve already made a mistake? Own it early, fix it, and don’t repeat it. How you handle a mistake matters more than the mistake itself.
- Should I really ask for a reference? Yes, before you leave, while your work is fresh. Most seniors are happy to say yes if you did good work.
- What if my internship gave me no real work? Ask for it politely, help where you can, and still note what you observed. Then choose more hands-on teams next time.
Thank you for reading!
If you found this article helpful, explore more resources from YLCC and continue your legal learning journey.
