Legal Internship (LAWS50059)
Graduate coursework level 5Points: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)
About this subject
Contact information
January
Semester 1 (Early-Start)
As above
June
As above
Semester 2 (Early-Start)
As above
November
As above
Overview
| Availability | January Semester 1 (Early-Start) June Semester 2 (Early-Start) November |
|---|---|
| Fees | Look up fees |
The aim of this subject is to provide students with the opportunity to gain practical legal skills and undertake a public interest or community-focused legal workplace experience that complements and deepens their coursework learning in the Melbourne JD.
Internships can be hosted by any public interest organisation that will facilitate the student undertaking legally-oriented work, including government departments, regulatory and statutory bodies, courts and tribunals, legal assistance sector organisations such as legal aid or community legal centres, and non-government or not-for-profit organisations. Host organisations can be locally based, interstate or international and can be in person or remote/virtual (with approval).The proposed internship must be approved by the Subject Coordinators.
The internship experience should build on a students’ studies to date in the Melbourne JD and be of an appropriately demanding standard to model professional legal work or practice.
Students must complete at least 15 days of unpaid practical legal experience at the host organisation.
Important information about enrolling
This subject is not available for self-enrolment but is an application-based enrichment subject, which means prospective students must apply to enrol. Many of these application-based enrichment subjects also involve a selection process.
More information about the application process can be found on the Application-based enrichment subjects information page inside the Juris Doctor LMS Community [Juris Doctor student access only].
Intended learning outcomes
A student who successfully completes this subject will have:
- an enhanced understanding of professional legal practice through engaging directly in legally-oriented work.
- an enhanced understanding and critical appreciation of the role and value of public interest lawyering.
- an enhanced practice-based understanding of a particular legal area relevant to the internship.
- enhanced insight into their own learning and professional identity.
- critical insight into some of the challenges and opportunities facing public interest lawyers and/or organisations and the social and legal framework within which they operate.
- a deeper understanding of, and increased capacity to engage with, law, policy and reform in the area of the internship.
Generic skills
Upon successful completion of the subject, students will have developed and demonstrated the following skills:
- Thinking skills, including the ability to gather information, understand context, apply knowledge and convey law or law related concepts in a way that is useful and effective to a variety of audiences;
- The ability to identify, research, evaluate and synthesise relevant factual, legal and policy issues in a practical context;
- Personal and professional skills, including learning autonomously, being accountable for work, self-reflection on performance;
- Skills required for effective workplace performance, such as communication, time management, co-worker collaboration and office organisation;
- An increased capacity to reflect on their own professional competencies, including an awareness of current aptitudes and identification of areas where skills need to be consolidated; and
- The ability to engage with colleagues and develop professional networks.
Last updated: 4 March 2025