LAWS382-20S1 (C) Semester One 2020

Legal Internship

15 points

Details:
Start Date: Monday, 17 February 2020
End Date: Sunday, 21 June 2020
Withdrawal Dates
Last Day to withdraw from this course:
  • Without financial penalty (full fee refund): Friday, 28 February 2020
  • Without academic penalty (including no fee refund): Friday, 29 May 2020

Description

Study of theoretical and practical issues relating to legal services.

This is a skills course in which students are given the opportunity to develop expertise in the real-world environment.  The essence of the course is learning and applying legal and business skills in the workplace, either as a volunteer or as a compensated intern.

Students must have work (paid or voluntary) in a host organisation (which may be a law firm, community group, government organisation or business).  It is the student's responsibility to find the work (whether paid or voluntary).  They will be expected to engage in legal work in that organisation and must work a minimum of 80 hours over the period of the course.

There are a number of internship options, namely:
•  Volunteer or compensated employment in any business, doing work with a legal focus;
•  Volunteer or compensated employment in any law firm, doing work with a legal focus;
•  Volunteer or compensated employment in any NGO, doing work with a legal focus;
•  Volunteer or compensated employment in any government department or agency, doing work with a legal focus;
•  Volunteer or compensated involvement in any other organisation approved by the Dean, doing work with a legal focus;
•  Volunteer or compensated involvement in special project approved by the Dean, doing work with a legal focus;
•  Volunteer or compensated participation in any approved exchange programme with a legal focus;
•  Volunteer or compensated employment in approved court case, doing work with a legal focus;
•  Any other service with a legal focus approved by the Dean.

The type and duration of each internship will be determined by the needs of the host organisation, but a minimum of 80 applied working hours is a requirement for all internships.

On written application, prior to their internships commencing, students may be permitted to complete the internship practical work requirement prior to registering for the course (to be decided on a case-by-case basis).  The application must be made to the Dean of Law, via the Academic Administrator.

In additional, with permission, internships may be completed outside of New Zealand.

Students applying for this course are required to provide a short CV and covering letter, indicating the details of their proposed internship, and the name and address of the proposed host organisation; the nature of the host’s business; the nature of the applicant’s duties, and the proposed period of time allocated to the internship should be detailed in the covering letter.  

All applications must be submitted via email to:
Mrs Heather Couch: heather.couch@canterbury.ac.nz by the due date advised in the 2020 Enrolment Handbook.  Students must also Apply to Enrol by the due date.

Any queries about this programme may be sent to Professor Robin Palmer (robin.palmer@canterbury.ac.nz), or tel 369-3812, ext 93812.

Learning Outcomes

  • Upon successful completion of this course, students will have:
  •  Developed professionally relevant competencies and relationships in a professional setting.
  •  Observed and understood a professional organisational culture by reflecting on personal performance and experiences.
  •  Applied academic knowledge and skills to critically reflect on their experiences through a research-led process focused on a particular topic.
  •  Acquired a range of new skills and knowledge, and have developed the ability to assess how the internship experience impacted on their personal and professional value-system.
    • University Graduate Attributes

      This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attributes specified below:

      Critically competent in a core academic discipline of their award

      Students know and can critically evaluate and, where applicable, apply this knowledge to topics/issues within their majoring subject.

      Employable, innovative and enterprising

      Students will develop key skills and attributes sought by employers that can be used in a range of applications.

      Biculturally competent and confident

      Students will be aware of and understand the nature of biculturalism in Aotearoa New Zealand, and its relevance to their area of study and/or their degree.

      Engaged with the community

      Students will have observed and understood a culture within a community by reflecting on their own performance and experiences within that community.

      Globally aware

      Students will comprehend the influence of global conditions on their discipline and will be competent in engaging with global and multi-cultural contexts.

Prerequisites

Subject to approval of Head of School.

Co-requisites

Timetable Note

There will be regular seminars held for this course.  These commence on Wednesday 19 February 2020, 4-6pm in Room 116, Ground Floor Meremere.  Subsequent dates will be advised by Prof Palmer at the first seminar.

Course Coordinator

Robin Palmer

Assessment

Assessment Due Date Percentage 
Research Report 01 May 2020 30%
Self-Reflection Report 03 Jun 2020 50%
Host Evaluation & Internship Self-Assessment Form 03 Jun 2020 20%


Assessment will be confirmed in the first week of lectures.  It is likely to consist of:
a research report, self-reflection report, internship self-assessment form and a performance assessment by the host.

Indicative Fees

Domestic fee $822.00

International fee $4,000.00

* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.

For further information see Faculty of Law .

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