Job Title
Legal Intern - Commercial Real Estate - Spring 2027
About the Job
Books-A-Million is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, and operates a family of brands that includes Books-A-Million, 2nd & Charles, Joe Muggs, and Yogurt Mountain. Our Legal Department supports the company's commercial real estate portfolio, including leases and related documents for stores across the country. This part-time internship (maximum 20 hours per week) is on-site at our West Park Corporate Office in Birmingham and runs January 25 - April 23, 2027. The intern will work closely with the Real Estate and Legal teams on lease administration and help build automated, AI-assisted processes that the team will keep using after the program ends.
- Position: Legal Intern - Commercial Real Estate - Spring 2027
- Department: Legal
- Location: Birmingham, AL - West Park Corporate Office (on-site)
- Position Type: Part-time internship, maximum 20 hours per week
- Pay: $17 per hour
Role Summary
The Legal Intern will support the commercial real estate work of a national retailer. Working under the supervision of the General Counsel and the Senior Real Estate Counsel, the intern will review and summarize commercial leases and related documents, keep lease summaries current for all stores, and help the team build standardized, repeatable workflows that use approved AI tools. This role suits a self-starting, organized, collaborative law student with an interest in commercial real estate and in-house practice, who wants hands-on experience with lease administration and the practical use of AI in legal work.
Role Responsibilities
Lease Life Cycle Management
- Review, analyze, and organize commercial leases, amendments, letters of intent, estoppels, subordination agreements, and other real estate documents.
- Prepare and update lease summaries for all stores, capturing key provisions, critical dates, financial obligations, landlord responsibilities, and potential risks.
- Identify discrepancies, missing provisions, and inconsistent language in lease documents.
- Help draft and revise landlord correspondence, notices, and memoranda under attorney supervision.
- Conduct legal research on commercial leasing, landlord-tenant issues, and contract interpretation.
- Maintain organized electronic files, lease abstracts, and issue trackers.
- Coordinate with the Real Estate, Construction, Finance, and Lease Administration teams as needed.
AI and Legal Process Development
- Identify repetitive or manual tasks in the real estate legal function that can be improved through AI, automation, or standardized procedures.
- Evaluate and test approved AI tools for lease abstraction, contract comparison, document review, and information extraction.
- Develop reusable AI prompts, review checklists, templates, and workflow instructions.
- Help build repeatable processes for reviewing leases and amendments, extracting key provisions, and preparing concise summaries for attorney review.
- Check AI-generated work against source documents for accuracy and completeness, and flag items that need attorney judgment.
- Document recommended workflows and prepare practical user guides for the legal team.
Risk Management & Confidentiality
- Follow company policies on confidentiality, data security, and the use of AI in legal work.
- Maintain version control and documentation for templates and workflows.
- Other duties as assigned.
Role Qualifications
Required Qualifications:
- Current law student, third-year (3L) preferred, at an accredited law school and in good academic standing.
- Self-starter who is organized and works well on a team.
- Interest in commercial real estate, contract drafting, or in-house legal practice.
- Strong legal research, writing, and analytical skills.
- Exceptional attention to detail, with the ability to spot inconsistencies and issues in complex documents.
- Hands-on use of AI tools, including the judgment to verify AI output and recognize when human review is needed.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Commitment to confidentiality, accuracy, and responsible technology use.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Coursework or experience in real estate law, contracts, or transactional practice.
- Experience reviewing commercial leases or other complex contracts.
- Experience with Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT, Claude, contract management platforms, or legal research databases.
- Experience creating templates, checklists, or standard operating procedures.
Work Environment & Expectations
- Program Length: January 25 - April 23, 2027.
- Schedule: Part-time, maximum 20 hours per week, on-site at the West Park Corporate Office. The intern will sit in the Real Estate office.
- Travel: None.
- Mentorship: Guidance from the Senior Real Estate Counsel, reporting to the General Counsel. Assignments are supervised by authorized legal counsel; legal advice and final contract decisions remain with counsel.
- Capstone: Updated lease summaries for all stores, plus the improved processes, checklists, and guides the intern helped create, ready for the team's ongoing use.
- Physical Requirements: Must be able to sit at a computer or desk for extended periods of time; use hands/arms to operate a keyboard for repetitive motion activities; lift objects up to 30 lbs. with or without assistance; communicate using speech, sight, and sound with or without an assistive device; and stand, walk, stoop, or crouch while performing daily activities of the job.
The Perks
At Books-A-Million, we believe in taking care of our team members, including our interns. As part of the team, you'll enjoy:
- Employee Discounts: Get discounts on books and other products across our stores.
Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Statement
Books-A-Million is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and welcoming workplace. We celebrate and embrace differences, and we strive to create an environment where every individual feels valued and empowered. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their background or personal characteristics. We are dedicated to creating a culture of respect, equity, and opportunity for all employees, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply.