As an intern lawyer, should daily tasks like washing the boss’s tea cup, cleaning the desk, and emptying the ashtray be considered a part of my job duties?

Two Sides of the Same Coin

Firstly, to clarify, this is not targeting intern lawyers specifically but discussing the general matter of “tidying up internal affairs”.

If you ignore tasks such as researching required data, reproducing documents, organizing case files, or conducting errands, you might catch some flak before attending to these chores. On the other hand, if no other tasks are assigned, and you feel somewhat forgotten, disregarding such chores could cost you some points.

These two situations seem to be diametrically opposed, but the underlying logic is the same – proactiveness plays the most significant role. This is the most basic professional ethos and reflects a team member’s fundamental conscientiousness. Without this awareness, one would not be endowed with resources and opportunities. As resources and opportunities that can be used to nurture talent are limited, no one wants to waste them. Of course, team members exhibiting conscientiousness should be given priority. This is from your perspective as an intern.

Viewed from your line manager or mentor, an intern is highly unstable, like a radioactive element that needs to be safely kept to prevent an explosion.

Thus, you will likely begin with tasks on a smaller scale. Handing you research straight away could lead to oversights; entrusting casework or clients’ invoices could result in costly errors.

Ideally, starting with tasks you are less likely to mess up - like serving tea or clearing the desk - is the way to go. If you are impatient, try to cut corners, or mess up for any reason, you could be considered a potential hazard, left untouched like a locked safety box deep in the Atlantic Ocean. If you can’t understand simple tasks like sweeping the floor or serving tea without burning your hand, how could you be trusted with legal responsibilities?

These tasks are just basic observation measures.

Whether it’s a part of your job is not the real question. It doesn’t mean you won’t be taught – an internship agreement must be fulfilled – but the specific measures and details of your learning might be altered accordingly.