Petition for Independent Written Work in Connection with Summer Work Experience

Eligibility:

This course is open only to JD students who will be doing an internship during the summer following their first or second year of law school in a country other than their home country. The internship may be paid or unpaid. 

Academic Requirements:

At the end of the internship, students must submit a 15 to 20 page paper on a law topic related to but not directly overlapping with legal issues explored and worked on during the summer internship or on a comparative law or legal profession topic related to the country in which the internship took place.

• Papers must be supervised by an HLS faculty member.
• Students are encouraged to include a comparative dimension in their papers.
• A 15-20 page paper will earn one writing credit. Students may choose to write a 2-credit paper provided it meets all regular requirements for written work and the faculty supervisor approves the work for 2 credits.
• The paper must be submitted no later than the Monday following Thanksgiving in the fall term following the internship.
• The writing credit will be registered in the fall term following the summer of the internship.
• Students must submit to the Registrar no later than the Tuesday following Labor Day in the fall term following the internship a letter from the employer verifying completion of the internship.

Students will receive one written work credit for Independent Written Work in Connection with Summer Work Experience provided the academic requirements noted above are met.  The credits for Independent Written Work in Connection with Summer Work Experience will count toward a student’s graduation requirements but are subject to the School’s regular rules for written work, including the maximum number of writing credits a student may apply toward the graduation requirements.

Papers will be graded in accordance with the Law School’s regular grading system.  Grades will not be recorded on the transcript until the letter from the employer verifying completion of the internship has been submitted to the Registrar.  If a student fails to turn in a paper and/or submit a letter from his/her employer, the student will receive an “F” for the written work on his or her transcript.

Students may not enroll in Independent Written Work in Connection with Summer Work Experience after graduating from the Law School or completing the requirements for the JD degree.

International students on the F-1 student visa should be able to use Curricular Practical Training (CPT) work authorization to take this course.  Please see the International Office for instructions regarding CPT.

Petition Process:

Students wishing to enroll must complete the petition form found below including a faculty signature by April 1 and submit it to the Registrar’s Office.   Students must have confirmation of their summer employment before submitting this form. 

Instructions:

1. Please complete all fields below.
2. Obtain signature of HLS faculty supervisor.
3. Bring completed petition to the Registrar’s Office, WCC Suite 4007, for Registrar’s signature by May 1.
4. After visiting the Registrar, non-US citizens must submit this form, along with supporting documents, including the Law School HIO CPT form, to the HIO.  This includes confirmation of the exact dates of employment by the employer.
5. If for some reason the internship is cancelled after submitting these forms, the student must notify the Registrar’s Office and HIO.

 With this form, please submit a description of the internship, including employer’s organization and nature of work, and a brief proposal for the paper to be completed after the internship.

Student name: ______________________________________________

Name of organization, location and contact person:                                                                                     

Name of faculty supervisor:                                                                                       

Beginning and end dates of internship                                                            

Hours per week                                              

Signatures

Student                                                                                                 Date                                                  

HLS Faculty Supervisor                                                                      Date                                                   

Registrar                                                                                              Date                                                  

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