What's In My Bag? - Internship

Must-have — “something that is essential to have or obtain”

-Oxford’s English Dictionary

I love reading about or watching videos about what is in people’s bags.  It’s always interesting to see what things people find to be must haves or what they can’t go anywhere without.  Without further ado, here’s what’s in my bag for my summer internship.

The Bag Itself

As a lot of people do, I find the best bag for carrying a good amount of stuff without being a backpack is a Longchamp Nylon Bag.  I personally have both the Medium and Large sizes in Navy, and they are my absolute favorite.  The Large size is the perfect size for lugging around essentials for school and work, and the Medium is great when you don’t need as much.  I really like the way only the accents of the bag are leather so it holds up in the rain and be cleaned when dirty relatively easy.  One of the only downsides to this bag is that there is only one pocket in the whole bag so it’s hard to keep things organized if you don’t have a pencil case or a bag organizer.

My Essential Items

The Bluebook

This seems kind of silly that I would include the Bluebook on this list, but I definitely think it’s an essential for legal interns to bring with you to work.  For me, I use it when citing cases in the opinions and other documents I work on.  It’s also one of the things that was heavily emphasized bringing to a judicial internship during my orientation.

Umbrella

Ever since my first day at my internship when I got stuck in the rain, I’ve carried an umbrella in my bag.  I typically have to walk from my building to my ride every day so it saves my nice clothes from getting messed up.  Also, a cute umbrella is always a great accessory to carry.

Portfolio

I got my portfolio for free through one of the clubs I was in during undergrad.  However, it’s the perfect size to keep all of my important paperwork for my internship.  It also came with a notepad, which is something I use on a daily basis when I take notes on the cases I’m working on.  And it looks more professional when going into meetings with clients or other important people.

Water Bottle

My bkr bottle from my summer FabFitFun box has become one of my favorite essentials.  I take it to work with me every day and it’s a great way to keep hydrated.  The bottle also keeps water pretty cold all day, which is great after a long day in the courtroom.

Mints

I think I have gone through so many packs of mints since I started my internship it isn’t funny.  Since I see a lot of attorneys and other people I want to make a good impression on, I eat mints so my breath is fresh and doesn’t smell like the lunch I just ate.  Also, they’re a great way to wake you up when you’re a little tired in the morning and need a little refresher in the morning.

Laptop

Since I am working in chambers this summer, the closest computer I have access to is the one in the law library in the courthouse.  However, the judge I am interning with works in the building next to the courthouse so it would be really impractical to walk back and forth every time I needed to use a computer.  So in addition to everything else I drag along to court with me, I bring my laptop to work on my assignments in my judge's chambers.

Sweater

Even though the summer heat is so strong, the air conditioning in chambers is the complete opposite.  I usually am freezing so a sweater is a must have when I’m not wearing a blazer.  I love this one from Banana Republic because it’s the perfect weight for the summer that keeps you warm in the air conditioning but isn’t too warm that it makes you sweat.

Flats

Last but certainly not least are the pair of flats I keep in my bag every day.  Parking where I work is at a premium so I typically grab a ride with a family friend to and from work.  However, that means I have to walk to and from the parking garage so flats are definitely a must.  I usually wear heels every day to court so flats are a necessity when walking back and forth.  My favorites are these suede ones from J.Crew Factory (I have multiple colors).

What internship essentials am I missing that you absolutely adore?