ANU College of Law offers two types of internship courses to eligible students:

Law Internship (research-focused) (LAWS4230/LAWS6230)

• Suited for students engaged in more traditional law-related research projects that incorporate academic research methodology where the main component is a detailed research report.
• This internship can be counted as a capstone course for Bachelor of Laws (Hons) and Juris Doctor students.

Law Internship (law-related activities and less formal research) (LAWS4430/LAWS8430)

• Suited for students engaged in law-related research projects that incorporate less formal research methodologies and primarily involve BAU tasks (Business as usual) during the internship.
• Examples of workplace activities may include paralegal work, sitting on client interviews, drafting correspondence, attending court sittings etc.
• This internship can ONLY be counted as a capstone course for Juris Doctor students.

To be eligible to enrol in an internship, students must:

• Meet the requisites as indicated on the relevant Programs and Courses page below, under the Study tab, in the Requisite and Incompatibility section
  • Law Internship (Capstone) LAWS4230/LAWS6230
  • Law Internship LAWS4430/LAWS8430
• Not have previously completed any of the internship courses
  • Law Internship (Capstone) LAWS4230/LAWS6230
  • Law Internship LAWS4430/LAWS8430
  • ANIP Internship counted towards your Law degree
• Submit a self-arranged application form before the deadline.

The placement must meet the following criteria:

• Must be law-related
• Must be of at least 96 hours in the workplace (roughly one day a week over a Semester). This can be completed in-person, virtually or hybrid.
• The internships can be undertaken in the form of full-time or part-time hours during non-standard sessions (Summer and Winter). The distribution of the 96 hours for the internship is negotiable between the internship host and the student. However, keep in mind that the internship dates must fit within the start and end dates of the Semester/Session students are applying to.
• The supervisor must be someone with a legal education background or has professional experience in the legal field
• Clerkships are not generally accepted – please contact the Careers and Employability team before applying

• Find an internship placement
  • Visit the ANU Jobs Board; or
  • Find your own internship placement.
  • Remember that internships can be done in Australia, or anywhere around the world!
• Get in touch with the internships host
• Once you have reached an informal agreement that satisfies the minimum requirements (see the Eligibility section), fill out the application form below
• We will take care of the rest!

For LAWS4230/LAWS6230: The main piece of assessment in the internship course is a research paper. Ideally, the research paper will be informed and enriched through the intern’s workplace experience and interactions with the professional supervisor and professional colleagues. We expect that the intern and professional supervisor will discuss and agree on the research topic. As each intern has a different workplace experience, their performance in the workplace is not assessed directly. Assessment details are available on the Class Summary published two weeks prior to each session or semester offering on the Programs and Courses website.

For LAWS4430/LAWS8430: The main pieces of assessment in the internship course are a research paper (50%) and two reflective blogs (50%). Ideally, the research paper will be informed and enriched through the intern’s workplace experience and interactions with the professional supervisor and professional colleagues. Assessment details are available on the Class Summary published two weeks prior to each session or semester offering on the Programs and Courses website.

Please refer to the class summary in Programs and Courses page below, under the class tab

• Law Internship (Capstone) LAWS4230/LAWS6230
• Law Internship LAWS4430/LAWS8430

Semester One and Semester Two

Students are generally expected to devote at least 10 hours overall per week to this course (approximately 120 hours over a 12-week period). Approximately, the equivalent of one day per week should be spent in the workplace (96 hours over 12 weeks). However, exceptions may be made where circumstances prevent student presence in the workplace (e.g., security clearances). Such exceptions should be discussed with College Student Administration Services as part of the application for enrolment. The semester includes a two-week mid-semester break where students may choose to make up hours or utilise them as a study break.

Non-standard Sessions (Winter and Summer)

Internships can be undertaken in the form of full-time or part-time hours during non-standard sessions. The distribution of the 96 hours in the workplace is negotiable between the internship host and the student. However, a portion of the time for the internship should be related to the topic of the research essay assessment.

All interns are encouraged to meet with their professional supervisor regularly to obtain feedback on the progress of their research and to spend time in the workplace undertaking tasks separate from the research paper.

Please refer to the relevant Programs and Courses page below, under the Study tab, in the Workload section

• Law Internship (Capstone) LAWS4230/LAWS6230
• Law Internship LAWS4430/LAWS8430