Alternatively, students can apply to have a project they have organised independently, approved by the faulty.

Transcription

1 UTS:LAW INTERNATIONAL INTERNSHIP SUBJECTS GUIDELINES INTERNATIONAL LEGAL INTERNSHIP (UG), OR, GLOBAL PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE PROJECT (JD/PG) What are these subjects about? UTS:Law is committed to ensuring that its graduates are equipped with future-focused capabilities and the capacity to act as conscientious and informed global citizens. The internship subjects aim to achieve this by providing students with opportunities to gain international and intercultural experience and to develop their practical skills through work on a real-world legal project. Such a project can include a placement with an international host organisation. These subjects provide students with the opportunity to work on such a project in an international professional context that complements their legal studies at UTS:Law. The faculty will advertise available projects each semester the subject is offered and invite students to apply to work on a project. Information on available projects may be accessed here. Applications will be considered either directly by the host organisation or by the Faculty according to the requirements of the host organisation. Alternatively, students can apply to have a project they have organised independently, approved by the faulty. Students cannot enrol in this subject until they have received written confirmation that their application has been successful. Please refer to the Application for Enrolment Into Internship Subjects Form for full details regarding the application process. What are the learning objectives of these subjects? It is expected that this learning experience will build on your studies and involve work of an appropriately demanding standard to model professional work or practice. It is expected that the experience will help you to: Build upon your theoretical knowledge in an applied setting and reflect upon the application of theory in practice; Develop and refine advanced critical thinking and research skills; Develop and refine advanced communication skills; Further develop your professional identity and capacity to be a reflective and resilient professional; INTERNAL USE Page 1

2 Think creatively about legal and policy issues that challenge host organisations and consider how these issues impact on decision making; Reflect upon the relationship between their host organization and the community in which it operates as well as the broader cultural context. Internships should also provide you with an opportunity to: Engage in relevant, meaningful work of a legal nature; Gain a better understanding of the players and stakeholders in the policy making process, and that of citizens, voluntary associations, non-profit organisations, community groups, and the private sector, and their respective opportunities for voice and influence; Gain an awareness of the operating structure of your host organization and context in which legal professionals work; Gain a better understanding of the relation of law to society, economics, politics, culture and social justice; Gain a better understanding of the ways in which law influences human behaviour and systems create a rule of law; Reflect critically about your personal relation to the legal system and capacity to influence the law. Where can I intern? Internships can be hosted by any international public or commercial organisation. This includes, law firms, multinational corporations, government departments, regulatory and statutory bodies, courts and tribunals, legal aid organisations, international governmental and non-governmental organisations. When should I apply? You must apply, and if approved, enrol in the internship subject prior to travel. Depending on the timing of the opportunity, you may travel to undertake your internship before the semester in which you are officially enrolled. Please complete and submit your application to allow enough lead time for your application to be considered, and your enrolment to be actioned prior to travel. You should also note that you must be an enrolled student for the duration of your internship. The Law Faculty cannot extend the length of your course to meet the duration of your internship. As a rule, international internships may only be feasible through the winter or summer breaks due to the length of time you may need to be away from Australia to meet the placement requirements. You will need to take this into account as well in your enrolment and in relation to your study planning. INTERNAL USE Page 2

3 Students with questions regarding when to apply, or questions around the timing of the internship or subject enrolment, are asked to the Subject Coordinator, Beth Goldblatt. Is there any funding available for internships? The Law Faculty does not provide funding for any internship. However the UTS BUiLD program has limited funding available for selected international internship programs subject to specific conditions. Contact BUiLD to make inquiries about possible funding: Who is the subject coordinator? Currently the coordinator is Associate Professor Beth Goldblatt: ext 3757; Can I do an internship at my current place of employment? This is not generally recommended. However if this is the nature of the project you wish to propose the following criteria must first be considered and addressed in your application: Your activities as an intern must be separate and substantially different from your regular duties and work hours; The proposed project should involve a level of competence not presently associated with your skill base or areas of expertise; There should be clear evidence that you work as a trainee during the internship hours; There must be no ethical conflicts of interest; The supervisor must be able and be willing to recognize you as a professional-intraining and to provide you with tasks and activities that meet the goals of the internship experience; The boundaries between regular work activity and internship tasks must be clearly spelled out in any agreements between you, the supervisor and the host organisation. Can I do an internship with an organisation connected to my family? Normally you will not be able to intern in an international organisation with a family connection. In exceptional circumstances however (e.g. the organisation is large and the family connection is remote or largely irrelevant) you can apply for approval to do so from the subject coordinator. How long does the placement have to be? INTERNAL USE Page 3

4 While the duration of a placement for interns is dependent on the needs and capacity of the host organisation, normally students will complete at between 20 and 30 working days or (equivalent of onsite placement) with the host organisation. The nature and scope of onsite placement will depend on the type and operations of the organisation. It will also depend on the task or work program assigned to the intern. Can I be paid? You can be paid for the work you do as an intern at the rate that would be appropriate according to the organisation or industry guidelines for the services you perform. The faculty does not accept responsibility for any issues that arise regarding remuneration. Please also note that if you are paid as an intern then you are not covered by the University s insurances during the course of your placement. The program and supervision The placement of an intern is meant to be mutually beneficial to the host organisation and to the intern. The program of work for each intern will depend on the needs of the host organisation and the nature of the project and must therefore be determined by the organisation. It is however expected the host will provide a structured work program that assists the work of the legal or similar division in the organisation to help compliment and build on the student s academic work. It is also expected that the organisation will make suitable supervision arrangements by allocating an appropriate senior member of the organisation to advise and oversee the work of the intern for the duration of the internship. The program of work may include: Research: Legal issues and/or relevant background information related to policy, legal processes, legal institutions and/or substantive laws; writing submissions and/or preparing legal education materials. Drafting: Translating policy information into guidelines, regulations, or legislative proposals. Advocacy: Observing the process of advocating for a particular policy choice, through lobbying or testimony at the local, state, or federal government level Litigation Transactional work including negotiations Persuasion: Participating in meetings at which stakeholders work to develop consensus on a proposal or persuade others to support it Legislation: Observing the process of making law in a local, state, or federal legislative body INTERNAL USE Page 4

5 Legislative Branch: Relating to constituents, meeting their concerns and needs, serving the public Civic engagement: Participating in activities designed to involve members of the public in the policy process, including preparation of public notices, outreach, publicity, public meetings and hearings, community organizing, and other formal and informal means of encouraging citizen voice Implementation: Public notices of new rules, newsletters, informational meetings, working to obtain voluntary compliance with new policies, developing programs and plans with objectives and measures of compliance Rulemaking: Creating detailed standards for implementing law Enforcement: Investigations into violations of regulations or law, collecting information related to incidents or cases, relating information to legal requirements Prosecution: Choosing cases for enforcement of law through administrative or criminal adjudication Adjudication: Hearings, testimony, evidence, decision-making on a record Appellate Review: Observing review of decisions by administrative or judicial review entities, such as appellate or supreme courts Judicial Branch: Researching, summarizing, communicating rules of law made through the adjudicatory process, observing court activities and administration, observing the operation of judicial chambers, clerking for a court Executive Branch: Observing the political process, elections, campaigns, constituent relations Private sector: Observing how parties outside government relate to the legal process, private law practice and the role of advocates, advising how to comply with law, representation of private parties, identifying impact of law and compliance on business, relation of law to economics Non-profit sector: Role of civil society in policy process, influence of voluntary sector on making and implementing law, role of nonprofit sector in carrying out public policy initiatives, relation of voluntary activity to public policy What is the assessment in this subject? There are three elements. Further details are available in the subject outline. 1. Satisfactory completion of the internship. This component is comprised of the following compulsory elements: a. attendance at a 1.5 hour pre-internship, pre-departure workshop; b. at least 20 working days or equivalent onsite placement with the host organisation. The host organisation will assess whether your attendance and participation in the internship were satisfactory.; and c. a 1.5 hour debriefing session on completion of the internship. INTERNAL USE Page 5

6 2. Reflection: 50%. This comprises two parts: a. A reflective e-journal that is kept while you are working at the host organisation (at least 4 entries 1 x 150 words); b. A 2000 word critical reflection of your experience. 3. Research essay 2000 words: 50%. This essay will be based on a legal issue that interested you during your internship experience. The reflection and research essay will be assessed by the subject coordinator. INTERNAL USE Page 6