The John A. Golden ’66 Pre-Law Fellowships provide funding for a summer legal internship to highly qualified Colgate students interested in pursuing a graduate law degree and a career in law. Two or more Golden Fellows will be selected each year based on academic and extracurricular achievement.
To be eligible for funding, applicants must: - Be a rising senior during the summer of the internship
- Have a GPA of 3.5 or greater
- Have campus leadership involvement
- Have a demonstrated interest in pursuing a graduate degree and career in law
Awards will support the following internship-related expenses: - Transportation to/from the internship site
- Lodging
- Food
Past recipients have worked or interned at: - Litigation group of Melick, Porter, and Shea, LLC, Boston, MA
- Entertainment Legal Department of William Morris Endeavor, Beverly Hills, CA
- Early Case Assessment Bureau at King’s County District Attorney’s Office, Brooklyn, NY
- Asia Advocacy Branch of Amnesty International in Washington , DC
- Specified-Purpose Acquisition Companies Project for Graubard Miller, New York, NY
- Harvard Law School, Cambridge, MA
- 22nd Judicial Circuit Court of Missouri, St. Louis, MO
- Felony Trials Bureau of the Erie County District Attorney’s Office in Buffalo, NY
We strongly encourage potential applicants to speak with Career Services advisers; Colgate faculty, mentors, alumni, and other legal professionals in law firms, nonprofits, the government sector, and public companies to identify and pursue meaningful experiences.
Resources for exploration can be found through
naviGATE – Colgate’s online jobs and internships platform – and
Spotlight on Careers (for username and password
contact Career Services).
NOTE: Students do not have to have secured an internship in order to apply for the fellowship, but must have taken documented action steps to obtain one.
The application for funding through the John A. Golden '66 Pre-Law Fellowship is found on
naviGATE. Students must have completed the
Career Search Ethics workshop to be able to apply.
All required documents must be submitted for the application to be considered complete.
March 1, 2013
Katherine McDonald ’12 - Summer 2011
Briefly describe your summer internship.
Last summer, I interned for the law firm, Melick, Porter & Shea, LLP, located in downtown Boston, where I had the opportunity to explore the legal profession. I worked on a wide variety of projects, ranging from professional liability cases to insurance fraud and property claims. As a research intern, I analyzed case documents, including medical records, policy statements, and affidavits, and then drafted chronologies, summaries, and memorandums based on my findings. I collaborated with attorneys to discuss my impressions of each case, prepared documents for subpoenas, and took notes during depositions. This internship exposed me to the fast-paced, professional environment of a law firm.
How did you secure your internship?
I pursued this internship by reaching out to a family friend, who is a partner at Melick, Porter & Shea, LLP. I submitted a resume and cover letter, and then had two rounds of phone interviews before securing a written offer.
How did funding make a difference in your summer?
My internship was unpaid, so the funding provided me with the opportunity to live in Boston this summer and participate in an LSAT course.
What internship-related advice would you give to your Colgate peers?
My advice to my fellow peers is to use your internship experiences to make more informed career decisions. Through my time at Melick, Porter & Shea, I was able to identify the background I need to pursue a degree in law. As a prospective lawyer, I must continue to develop a proficiency in writing and speaking, reading, researching, analyzing, and thinking logically. In terms of career exploration, this internship gave me a more realistic perspective of the legal profession. Being a lawyer is a more demanding career than I initially believed. Even my supervisor, who is a senior partner in the firm, still spends long hours researching, conducting interviews, and preparing documents for litigation. A lot more time is spent on administrative tasks than in an exciting courtroom environment. I recommend that all students use their internships to gain a comprehensive view of the advantages and disadvantages of a career they are interested in pursuing.