Amanda Hoover – Law Internship

My name is Amanda Hoover. I am a senior at Garden Spot and an intern at Smoker Gard Associates LLP of New Holland for the fall semester. SGA (Smoker Gard Associates) is a law firm which mainly practices business, tax, elder, real estate, and estate planning law. These types of matters are not what most people, including myself before my experiences, would typically think of when considering the duties of a lawyer. Most often, lawyers are associated with criminal law and the court system which can seem to be more fascinating. However, the estate law practiced at SGA is more practical and a great service for all members of the community. Work by members of the SGA team allows everyday people to start a business, buy/sell a house, create a will and much more.

For the first two weeks of my internship, my mentor, Nicole Gard, had me observe each member of the office since they all work on different matters. Each day, I sat with a new person who would explain to me what they were working on and give an overview of the tasks they perform. I was able to ask questions and become familiar with the processes of the office. From early on, I learned how important records are. Everyone that I observed made sure to record everything that they made, changed, or received. Often times, they would record it in multiple places online and as a physical paper copy. After learning about all the different roles in the office, I sat with one of the paralegals, Jess. SGA has been working to rid of most of their paper files and upload them to their database called LegalFiles. Jess showed me how to enter old client matter sheets into LegalFiles which basically creates them an online profile. I would enter the basic information of the clients and the matters worked on for them. Then, I would find a compilation of all the documents related to the matter in a list of scanned files. I would add the file to the online profile in the database and then discard of the paper documents. Once I was comfortable enough to do this on my own, Jess helped me set up my computer in my office. For several days, I entered old client matter sheets on my own and was exposed to a lot of specific matter types that SGA works on.

Most of my work so far has been odds and ends. Usually, each day is different since Nicole likes to expose me to lots of different things. Some of my recent tasks include scanning old files, typing deed legals, composing letters to be mailed, and creating LLC binders. Like I said before, SGA records everything that they work on. So, even the simplest matter can end up with a file full of documents. Instead of storing all these individual files long term, they scan the files and then destroy them. When the file is closed, I can scan all the documents together to create one large document. Then, I would either create a new profile on LegalFiles, or I would add it to the existing one for the file. The physical papers are sent off to be shred. When a property is to be sold to a new owner, a new deed is made for the transaction. Deeds include a specific description of the boundaries of a property, called a survey, which is part of the legal description. I read the old deeds and retype the survey onto a new document to be added to the new deed. Additionally, I have had to write a few letters to be mailed out to clients. Sometimes, when someone is selling a property, they might have already paid property taxes for entire year. Since they are not living at the property for as long as they paid for, it would make sense that they would want a refund. Meanwhile, the buyer would not have to pay the taxes that the seller paid even though they live there. So, most times, the buyer would refund the seller by sending a check to SGA or it would be included in their total bill. Then, SGA would send a refund check to the seller for the amount that the buyer sent to them. I would draft a letter to accompany the check by using a template where I change the names, address and file information to match the client who will be receiving the check. Nicole would approve my draft and then I would print it onto paper with a special header, print the postage and labels, and put the envelope in the mail. Also, I have put together a few LLC binders to be sent out to clients. When an LLC is created, SGA puts all the signed and approved legal documents in a single binder to be sent to the company so that they have easy access to them if they ever needed them. Ashley, an administrative assistant, taught me how to organize the different documents and create labels and postage for a large envelope to be sent out into the mail.

Overall, I am very thankful for the learning experience that my internship has been. Going into it, I had no idea what to expect. Everything is brand new to me and I am always learning something new. An office job with lots of computer work is not ideal for me but I do enjoy the experience for the short time I am there. This internship has challenged me to be very particular and complete tasks with a lot of different steps. Most tasks are not simple. Instead, they require a system and a lot of repetitive procedures. Consequently, I had to form a habit of writing things down and taking notes of what I must do because it can become a lot to remember. This has also challenged me to ask more questions and seek out help. Most times, if I am confused or do not know what to do, it is unlikely that I could figure it out quickly on my own. Instead, I have learned it is better to ask questions and double check to avoid mistakes. As a long-term career, estate law does not interest me much. It is certainly interesting, and I appreciate it but I realized through this experience that I need a career that allows me to get up and move around and not just sit at a computer. Now, I can be sure to steer away from similar careers that involve a majority of desk and computer work. All in all, the knowledge and skills I will gain by the end of my internship will be great tools for the future and I am grateful for the privilege of working for Nicole and the experiences that it has brought.