INTERNATIONAL INTERNSHIPS: REQUIREMENTS

Internships may be taken for credit or not for credit.

All applicants must be in good academic standing from their home institution, and have completed one year of law school by the starting date of their internship. Students applying in their first year may not submit an application until their first semester's grades are posted.  Applicants must notify SULS and CILS of any changes in their academic status that may affect their internship. Hosts have to be able to assume that applicants are in good standing at the beginning of their internship not just when they apply.

Internships may be for up to 3 JD credits or between 2-5 LLM or CILP (Certificate in International Legal Practice) credits. Students are required to work 45 hours per credit.  Academic credit for a Suffolk/CILS internship may be transferred to another law school. Applicants should inquire at their home institution about the procedure for transferring credit.

For SULS students, a prerequisite for receiving Internship credit at Suffolk Law School is passing the 2-credit course in International Legal Practice. The course at Suffolk Law School is not limited only to internship students, nor is its satisfactory completion a guarantee of getting an internship.The course may be taken before or after the Internship. Students are encouraged to take the course before their placement. If the course is taken after the Internship, the credits for the Internship will count towards the JD degree only upon completion of the "International Legal Practice" course.

An equivalent course, taught by a full-time faculty member at Suffolk Law or another law school, may qualify for the prerequisite coursework to obtain credit for an international internship. The decision concerning the equivalence of the course work will be made by an Associate Dean in consultation with the Director of the International Internship Program and shall be based on an applicant's academic transcript, the internship, and the course description.

Additionally, students receiving internship credit, must complete a work journal throughout their placement stay. The journal must be signed off by the supervising attorney at the host firm. Finally, students must keep a personal journal or record about their experiences in the firm. For more detailed information, please click here Academic Credit for SULS Students

Non SULS students taking an internship for credit must ensure that their home institute offers an equivalent classroom course compart to satisfy the ABA rule regulated internship credit. For more detailed information, please click here Academic Credit for Non-SULS Students

Post-Graduate interns may also earn the Certificate in International Legal Practice by completing the International Legal Practice course or its equivalent, and completing a substantial research project, in addition to the satisfactory completion of the internship placement.