My Summer Internship at Prudential – Iskender (Alex) Bayrak
Working in the legal department of Prudential was a great internship experience following my first-year of law school. At Prudential I was introduced to corporate law, the financial industry, and the role of diversity in the legal profession.
I was assigned a supervisor in the Corporate Governance and Securities division who mentored me throughout my stay at Prudential. My advisor made sure I was assigned a variety of interesting projects. Some were short term, such as preparing SEC filings, while others were long term, such as cataloguing the universe of laws that govern the operations of the company. My advisor also included me in meetings and teleconferences.
In addition to these daily tasks, Prudential organized presentations and field trips to law firms, financial companies, and community partners. During these “lunch and learns” experts talked about specific aspects of the law or the financial industry. These were great opportunities to hear firsthand about career opportunities in securities law, insurance law, labor law, compliance, copyright law, or in litigation.
As part of its mission to introduce the interns to the legal profession, Prudential also set up meetings with New York City law firms. Partners and associates reviewed our resumes, conducted mock interviews, led mediation and negotiations sessions, and offered valuable insights into how to succeed in law firms.
Another unique aspect of the Prudential internship was its emphasis on diversity. In the first week, interns were given the opportunity to attend a “Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD)” conference in Dallas, Texas. At this three-day event I learned about the value of a diverse professional network, how my diversity contributes to the legal profession, and how I have a duty to help other prospective law students from diverse backgrounds to succeed.
Without doubt, I made great friends at Prudential. It was truly the perfect ending to my first-year of law school. I strongly recommend that law students consider this program.