Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

This course is designed to provide students with an opportunity to practice skills at a work site as an intern. This experience may be paid or unpaid. Students will be trained, supervised and evaluated by lawyers, paralegal supervisors or other appropriate professional staff.  Work experience provides students an opportunity to apply classroom coursework in the legal field and may be added to their resume to reflect hands-on experience. Finding and establishing a Co-Op/Internship is the student’s responsibility. Term goals for individual Co-Op/Internship are set through written Learning Objectives between the student and work site, approved by the Instructor or program.  Earning credit requires completion of minimum work hours, and participation in a class component. Inquires should be directed to the instructor.

Upon successful completion of the course, students should be able to:

1. Communicate appropriately in a professional setting.

2. Gain exposure to a legal work environment.

3. Apply classroom skills in a legal work setting.

4. Gain exposure to realistic demands of work in the legal field.

5. Produce work that meets quality and quantity expectations for legal work.

6. Perform work ethically and professionally according to standards of the legal field.

7. Explore legal career opportunities.

Course activities and design include the following. Please note that items one and two are work that students must complete before they can be registered for the course:

1. Apply and be accepted to an appropriate work site

2. Apply for instructor approval of work site

3. Establish outcomes and goals for based on conversations with work site and instructor 

4. Understand the duties and responsibilities of the work site.

5. Complete required work hours corresponding with the number of credits sought (approximately 30 work hours per credit)

6. Maintain record of hours and activities on the job

7. Reflect on learning at the work site

8. Review assessments by work site and instructor

Credit will be Pass/No Pass.

The work site and instructor will assess the student's performance of required work duties & hours.

Credit will be Pass/No Pass

Students will complete the Learning Objectives Form which needs to be approved by the instructor for each student. However, upon completion of the course, each student will have had the opportunity to perform work in the legal field; be trained on the job; explore career opportunities; apply classroom skills; reflect on learning; observe ethical and professional standards; and gain a better understanding of the skills and demands of the legal field.