The Barbara Rosenthal Summer Internship Program at Day Pitney LLP (high school students) 

Day Pitney's Barbara Rosenthal Summer Internship Program (the "Program") provides an opportunity for a rising diverse student in the junior or senior year of high school to experience working in a law firm during six weeks of the summer. The Program is named in memory of the firm's former executive director, Barbara Rosenthal, whose legacy inspires its spirit and purposes: (1) to expose diverse youth to a law firm and the corporate experience; (2) to help prepare them for corporate and community leadership; and (3) to provide a pipeline for minority students to enter the legal profession.

Program Core Curriculum

The Program curriculum has three components:

First, the Rosenthal Intern (the "Intern") will be assigned to research and write a memorandum on a specific issue of relevance to the administration of the Firm. Work on this project will continue throughout the full six weeks, with a rough draft due halfway through the Program and submission of the final product due one week before the last day of the Program.

Second, the Intern will work for two weeks in each of three administrative departments. These rotations will help the Intern learn how the law firm operates and understand the functions of several administrative areas including: the Human Resources Department, the Legal Recruiting and Diversity Department, the Professional Development Department, the Procurement and Real Estate Department and Firm Administration. The Director of each of these Departments will monitor the Intern’s workload, assignments and engagement for the two weeks he or she is assigned to the particular Department.

Third, as appropriate, the Intern will participate in internal firm meetings with the Day Pitney Summer Apprentices, including training sessions and informational practice group meetings as they are scheduled throughout the summer.

Mentoring

The Intern will have two mentors - a Director and a first-year attorney - who will assist the Intern in integrating into the Firm during the Program term and who will offer support and serve as a designated resource for any questions or issues that may arise.

Hiring Process, Selection Criteria, Wages, and Terms and Conditions of Employment

Highly qualified and motivated diverse students from Hartford, CT area and Parsippany, NJ area high schools are encouraged to apply. Relatives of current Day Pitney partners or employees are not eligible to be hired as an Intern.

The Intern will work sixteen-to-twenty hours per week for the six-weeks beginning on Monday, June 25, 2012 and concluding on Friday, August 3, 2012 on a mutually agreed-upon pre-arranged schedule (e.g., 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, or Monday through Thursday). The Intern will be paid $9.00 per hour for all time worked, with appropriate and lawful deductions taken from his or her pay. As a seasonal/temporary employee, the Intern will not be benefits-eligible.

To be eligible to be hired as an Intern, interested students must demonstrate and provide the following:

• The Intern candidate should be a member of the Class of 2013 or Class of 2014 and at least 16 years of age on the date the Program is scheduled to start.
• The Intern candidate must submit an application packet that includes:
• a completed Day Pitney employment application - click here to download.
• a copy of his or her most recent high school transcript
• letters of recommendation from two individuals not related to the student or to a Day Pitney partner or employee
• a personal essay explaining why he or she would like to be selected for the Program and explaining his or her interest in pursuing a career in law 
• consent form signed by a parent or legal guardian evidencing consent should the candidate be selected as an Intern - click here to download.

After soliciting application packets from Hartford, CT area and Parsippany, NJ area high schools, the Directors supporting the program will meet to select Intern candidates to be interviewed. Candidates will be interviewed with the goal of selecting an Intern with the following qualifications: at least a 3.0 GPA, very strong written recommendations, an excellent essay and strong interpersonal skills.

Program Application

Applicants should direct their application packets, postmarked or e-mailed no later than close of business on Tuesday, May 1, 2012, to:

For Hartford, CT applicants:
Jill Little
Legal Recruitment Manager
Day Pitney, LLP
242 Trumbull Street
Hartford, CT 06103

E-mail: jlittle@daypitney.com
T (860) 275-0468
F (860) 424-4796

For Parsippany, NJ applicants:
Marilyn Olivo
Legal Recruitment Manager
Day Pitney, LLP
One Jefferson Road
Parsippany, NJ 07054

E-mail: molivo@daypitney.com
T (973) 966-8318
F (973) 206-6747