Applications for the 2024 1L Summer Internship are due by 5:00 P.M. on February 15, 2024. See below for details.
We are excited to announce that we are now accepting applications for the 2024 1L summer internship at Darkhorse Attorneys. Each summer, from June to July, Darkhorse hosts law students who recently completed their 1L studies in an unpaid internship, where they are exposed to both corporate and intellectual property law. Darkhorse Attorneys is a boutique law firm of IP attorneys located in Lynchburg, Virginia, serving clients nationwide on business law, trademark law, copyright law, and corporate/IP litigation matters. The firm is helmed by Managing Partner Andrew Connors, who is a leading IP attorney in Virginia and an intellectual property law professor/clinical director at the Liberty University School of Law. If you are or someone you know is interested in hands-on experience with intellectual property and business law, continue reading for information on how and when to apply for this 2024 1L intellectual property summer internship.
Former Interns Shine as Law Clerks & Attorneys
Law students who complete a successful internship may receive the opportunity to become paid law clerks during their second year, working directly with our attorneys on transactional and litigation matters throughout law school. Two 2023 interns, Emily Newman and Chris Akins, demonstrated exceptional skills during their summer at Darkhorse and have continued to showcase their talents as law clerks during their 2L studies.
Current Darkhorse Clerks
Emily Newman, 2L
Emily is a 2L at the Liberty University School of Law, who demonstrated her talent for business law as an intern with Darkhorse in the summer of 2023. After successfully navigating numerous research and drafting assignments ranging from copyright infringement cases to corporate transactions, Emily accepted an offer to stay on as a paid law clerk, where she has since helped our attorneys draft asset purchase agreements, complex discovery, and more. As a clerk, Emily is able to work part-time with the firm during her academic semesters and begin applying theory from the classroom to real clients.
Emily’s practice interests are focused on both business and constitutional law, and she strives to become a strong voice for her future clients. When asked what she valued about her Darkhorse internship, Emily said:
I knew I wanted to work in a boutique law firm because of the extremely valuable opportunity to learn both the law and strategy from people that are good at what they do. A close-knit firm allows for more hands-on experience and more critique to better your law skills. I want to be a great lawyer, and to be one, I needed to continue to surround myself with people that put forth their best efforts for [clients]. Working at the law firm over the summer, I was able to see how everything from my studying for civil procedure class to legal research classes at school have helped [prepare me] to assist clients.
Beyond her legal career, Emily loves volleyball, movies, and reading. She and her husband enjoy college basketball and baseball, and Emily is an avid New York Yankees fan. We are proud to watch all that Emily has accomplished and look forward to watching her continue strengthening her legal acumen throughout law school.
Chris Akins, 2L
Chris is a 2L at the Liberty University School of Law, who showcased interest in IP litigation as a Darkhorse intern in 2023. After his summer internship, Chris also accepted a position as a law clerk with the firm, and he has assisted our attorneys on a variety of intellectual property litigation matters. Having tackled many challenging assignments, Chris continues to shine and has laid a strong foundation for his legal career.
Chris is interested in pursuing intellectual property and real estate development in practice after law school, and, when asked what he enjoyed about the internship, he said:
The most fulfilling part of the summer internship was being able to work closely with experienced attorneys assisting their clients. The ability to sit in client interviews, prepare briefs, and draft discovery requests were skills I gained that I can use during the rest of law school and in practice.
Further, Chris mentioned the unique benefit of having a mentor that was both a practicing attorney and law professor, and he further noted that “working with a smaller firm [gave] me the chance to work closely with clients and feel like a valuable part of the team.” Beyond his legal career, Chris loves sports and collecting sneakers. His family is the most important aspect of his life, and both he and his wife are excited to soon welcome their first child. We at Darkhorse are proud of Chris and his accomplishments and are excited to watch his legal career develop.
Former Interns
Former Darkhorse interns have continued to find success as attorneys. Jacob East interned for Darkhorse after his 1L year and has been with the firm ever since. An integral part of the firm since its beginning, Jacob was named a junior partner in 2023, and hosts a practice focused on business planning, contracts, mergers, acquisitions, and a client-first mentality.
Abbi White interned for Darkhorse in 2020 and clerked for the firm until her graduation from law school. A former Darkhorse attorney with strong client advocacy skills, Abbi now practices IP law in Texas with Naman, Howell, Smith, & Lee.
Jake Bryant, a 2021 summer intern and former law clerk, is pursuing an LL.M. in Intellectual Property Law at George Mason University, where he has worked with the Center for Intellectual Property x Innovation Policy (C-IP2) and the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA) on matters related to copyright law and artificial intelligence. Jake is also a licensed attorney and serves as Of Counsel for Darkhorse, where he works on trademark, copyright, and ADA litigation.
Other Darkhorse interns have gone on to become judicial clerks and successful attorneys in their respective fields.
Annual Summer Internship Details
Interns get substantive, hands-on experience with IP and business law.
Darkhorse is proud of its boutique status, and interns with the firm will get substantive, hands-on experience with real IP and business cases. From legal research to helping attorneys draft court documents and contracts, Darkhorse interns get the opportunity to learn directly from leading attorneys and develop skills they can take with them for the rest of their careers. While a small, growing firm, Darkhorse is proud to represent clients across the country in complex IP litigation and business matters. If you are looking for an internship that will help you grow your legal skills and expose you to life as an IP attorney, apply for our summer internship today.
Application Requirements & Deadlines
Application Deadline: February 15, 2024 at 5:00 P.M. Eastern.
Open to: Law students set to complete their first year of law school in May 2024.
Location: Lynchburg, Virginia
Duration: June 1, 2024 – July 31, 2024
Status: Unpaid
Instructions: We are seeking law students with a strong academic background who have completed their first year of law school and possess a desire to work in a collegial, adaptive environment. Please send a copy of your current resume, current unofficial law school transcript, and a cover letter to careers@darkhorse.law. The subject line of your email should state: “[Your Full Name] – 2024 1L Internship Application.” Prior experience with intellectual property is not required. Failure to provide the required documents or to meet the application deadline may result in disqualification of your application.
The internship is competitive, and a limited number of positions are available. As such, we cannot promise an interview or position to every applicant, though we will let you know the status of your application as decisions are made.
If you are a first-year law student interested in substantive experience with IP & business law, apply for the 2024 Darkhorse 1L Summer Intern Program today.
