BA in Law and MLS Internships
Internships are a great way to build on the knowledge you have learned in the classroom with practical application in a professional setting. They allow you to gain valuable, real-world experience and improve your marketability in your chosen career field. There are also many networking opportunities and the chance to be mentored by working professionals who can provide advice and guidance. Internships build your resume and your professionalism and give you information about what you like (or don't like!) about potential job paths.
Internship Information (for both BA in Law and MLS students)
For general questions, contact Dr. Linus Kafka.
Important to Know:
- It is the student’s responsibility to find an applicable, law-related internship. If you need ideas or help with locating an internship, a good starting place is with the list of law related internships on the SGPP website. If you want an internship with another organization, please be sure it meets BA/MLS in Law criteria, posted here.
- You may be paid for an internship, however you cannot take an internship with an organization where you already are employed, unless it is with a different division of that organization, with different work duties, and a different supervisor.
- In order to receive credit for the internship, you must fill out the internship work plan (linked below) and submit it to Dr. Linus Kafka before the deadline (defined below).
- 45 hours of work as an intern is equal to 1 credit of internship.
- A student may take a maximum of 6 credits of internship. It is highly recommended that a student enroll in only 3 credits (or less) of internship per semester.
- Enrollment is by permission. You will be enrolled in the internship after you submit an approved internship work plan.
- There is a classroom component for each internship. The class is LAW 493 (593 for MLS students). This class will show up in your D2L site when the semester starts. There are assignments due which must be submitted to D2L, not by email to the instructor. Students who do not complete the assignments for the D2L class will not receive credit for the internship.
Internship Work Plan
The internship work plan as a fillable pdf can be found here. It should be completed with help from your host organization supervisor and submitted to Dr. Linus Kafka
Deadline
The deadline for filing the internship work plan is one week prior to the first day of classes for the semester in which you are applying to enroll in the internship.
Step-by-Step Details of the Internship Application Process
Internship Opportunities
With prior approval, students may earn academic credit for internships in governmental agencies and other public institutions, where they will receive hands-on training in law-related fields. Up to six units of law-related internship units may be used to fulfill Law elective requirements.
These organizations typically host internships that qualify for academic credit for the BA in Law major.
- Pima County Attorney’s Office
- Tucson City Attorney's Office
- City of Tucson Intergovernmental Relations
- U.S. Marshal’s Office
- CIA
- FBI
- U.S. Postal Inspector
- Pima County Sheriff’s Department
- Oro Valley and Tucson Police Departments
- Public Defender’s Office
- Victim Witness Program
- International Rescue Committee
- U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. and abroad
- Congressional Offices (excluding campaign activities)
- The White House
For a complete list of pre-approved law-related internships, please visit the Law Internship page.
If you would like an internship with an organization that is not pre-approved, please see the BA in Law Policy on Recognizing Internships for Credit (PDF) and inquire with BA in Law Career Strategies Officer Linus Kafka at lkafka@email.arizona.edu.