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College-arranged internships
Internships organised by the College with our partners at Commonwealth and ACT Government departments, statutory bodies, community legal centres and other non-government organisations.
Self-arranged internships
As the College has limited partnered internship placements available, students are encouraged to arrange their own internship with a suitable organisation.
Not-for-credit internships
The College offers a variety of internships and fellowships with various partners in Canberra and around the world that provide students with an exceptional world class experience.
Frequently asked questions
General FAQs
I have been told I must do a Law Internship as a part of my LLB/JD degree, is this true?
No, the Law Internship course is not compulsory in the Bachelor of Laws or Juris Doctor degrees. LAWS4230 or LAWS4430 Law Internship is an elective course in the LLB program. JD students can undertake LAWS6230 or LAWS8430 Law Internship to satisfy the capstone requirement of their program.
I previously volunteered or undertook a program that I think meets the requirements of a Law Internship. Can I get credit for this as a Law Internship?
Credit for previous internships will not be approved. It is recommended that students apply for a self-arranged placement early if considering an opportunity that may meet the requirements of a Law Internship.
Can I apply for a Law Internship if I have already done a Law Internship previously?
Students cannot undertake LAWS4230/LAWS6230 and LAWS4430/LAWS8430 more than once. If a student has already completed a Law Internship under LAWS4230/6230 or LAWS4430/LAWS8430 they are ineligible to apply again.
However, students are able to undertake both a Clinical Course and a Law Internship within their degree.
Students enrolled in a Flexible Double Degree (FDD) program who have completed an ANIP internship in their other degree, are still able to undertake a LAWS4230/6230 or LAWS4430/LAWS8430 Law Internship. If a student has completed an ANIP internship in law to count towards their law program, they cannot undertake another law internship under LAWS4230/6230 or LAWS4430/LAWS8430.
What is the role of the professional supervisor?
The professional supervisor has the role of supervising the activities of the student during the internship and to ensure that the student has a meaningful workplace experience in accordance with the expectations and protocols of the workplace, the legal profession, and the ANU. They are not required to supervise the student's research paper unless they wish to.
Can I organise my own internship?
Yes. Students are encouraged to organise self-arranged internships. Students must ensure that the host organisation is aware of the assessment requirements and the supervisor meets the qualification requirements.
Past experience indicates that self-arrangement provides opportunities for students to choose organisations and locations for the internship based on their future career interests. This can include regional, rural or remote and international locations.
Where a student has arranged their own internship that meets the requirements of LAWS4230/6230 or LAWS4430/LAWS8430 Law Internship they should apply via the self-arranged internship online form. Students can apply at any time once arrangements have been made.
Can I do an internship overseas?
Yes. Students are able to self-arrange placements overseas, provided the eligibility requirements are met. Students must ensure that the proposed host organisation is aware of the assessment requirements and the supervisor meets the qualification requirements.
Where a student has arranged their own internship that meets the requirements of LAWS4230/6230 or LAWS4430/LAWS8430 Law Internship they should apply via the self-arranged internship online form. Students can apply at any time once arrangements have been made.
Can an internship be undertaken remotely?
Yes. Where it is not possible for the student to undertake an on-premises or in-person internship, a remote internship can be arranged.
Where a student has arranged their own internship that meets the requirements of LAWS4230/6230 or LAWS4430/LAWS8430 Law Internship they should apply via the self-arranged internship online form. Students can apply at any time once arrangements have been made.
How to apply
Do I have to apply for a Law Internship?
Yes. Applications should be submitted using the appropriate online form. Links to the forms can be found on the Internships page.
Where there are many applications for an internship at a particular partner organisation, only shortlisted applications will be forwarded to the host organisation for consideration. Students may be required to attend an interview with the organisation. The process is competitive.
Students will be notified through their ANU email address regarding the outcome of their application.
How are students selected for a college-arranged internship?
The Government and Law Hub will manage the registration and application process based on the host’s professional needs and requirements.
Hosts will be provided with eligible applications from which they have complete freedom to select their intern(s). Hosts may choose to conduct interviews with their preferred candidates to help with the decision-making process. Even if a host registers an opportunity, they are not obligated to take a student if none are deemed suitable.
Students who are unsuccessful in gaining a college-arranged internship are encouraged to apply again at a later date or to consider self-arranging an internship.
What are the application requirements for a self-arranged or College-arranged internship?
To be considered for an internship, students must:
- Be studying the Bachelor of Laws (Honours) (LLB(Hons)), Juris Doctor (JD), Master of Laws (MLLM) or Master of International Law and Diplomacy (MINLD);
- Have completed or be completing five 1000 (LLB) or 6100 (JD) level LAWS courses OR LAWS8586 (MLLM and MINLD) before commencing the program;
- Have room in their degree to enrol into a 6-unit course during the semester/session in which the program is taken;
- Have NOT previously undertaken LAWS4230/ LAWS6230/ LAWS4430/ LAWS8430;
- Have NOT previously undertaken an Australian National Internships Program unless it is credited to a non-Law degree;
- Submit a completed internship application form by the advertised due date.
If applying for a self-arranged internship, students must have organised a suitable placement and workplace supervisor before submitting the application form. They cannot apply if they are still awaiting a decision from the host.
Experience cannot be credited retrospectively. All students who wish to receive course credit for an internship must apply, enrol and meet other requirements for LAWS4230/6230 or LAWS4430/LAWS8430 as specified in the Class Summary. The internship start and end date should fit within the course dates of the relevant semester or non-standard teaching session.
What is the process for enrolling? / Will a permission code be given?
Update for 2027: After all required student and host internship paperwork has been signed, the ANU Student Hubs will grant permission for all approved interns to enrol in their course. We anticipate that this will be managed in a bulk process a couple of weeks before the Semester/teaching session begins. The Government and Law Careers Hub will provide approved students with a date by which they should be able to enrol. Note that students will not receive a permission code - they will be able to enrol directly in their course after permission has been granted by the central Student Hubs.
Self-arranged internship
Do I still need to submit an application form if I have arranged my own internship?
Yes. Please use the self-arranged application form located on the self-arranged internship page.
Can I start the internship before I receive approval from the College?
No. Students wishing to undertake a self-arranged internship will need to arrange, apply and be approved before they start their internship. All internships must be approved by the Course Convenor and required paperwork must be signed (including by the host). Permission to enrol will then be granted to approved students in the weeks leading up to the start of the Semester.
Can I do my internship where I work? / Can I get paid for the internship?
Provided that the Internship arrangements made meet the course requirements, any payment arrangements are between the student and host organisation. Note that to qualify as an internship, your employer must agree to provide you with educational experiences during the period of the placement which are not normally available to standard employees. This might include job shadowing of other positions, guidance/support for a research project, mentoring, opportunities to sit in on meetings or activities you wouldn't normally participate in, and/ or other additional experiences to help build skills outside of your usual work tasks.
Am I guaranteed to be approved for a Law Internship If I arrange my own placement?
Approval cannot be guaranteed. However, if the application is submitted by the due date and the placement complies with all advertised Law Internship requirements (including hours, timeframe, supervisor requirements and course eligibility criteria etc) it will usually be approved.