Information on Student Proposed Internships

Student Proposed Internships are an opportunity for students to gain course credit while developing practice ready skills. Each internship proposal is carefully reviewed to determine its pedagogical value. These internships are an excellent learning opportunity; however, approval is not guaranteed. Applications that do not meet deadlines, student requirements, employer requirements, are incomplete, of poor quality, or fail to meet our pedagogical threshold will be denied.

Students must submit their application in accordance with the specified deadlines. Note the deadlines carefully, for some terms the deadline is fixed well in advance of the commencement of term (See Deadlines)

ALL changes that occur during internships (change of tasks, areas of law, supervisor, etc.) must be submitted to the Faculty Counsellor in the Career and Professional Development Centre for approval as soon as possible.

Common Law students have the opportunity to pursue self-proposed internships during their studies at the University of Ottawa. These internships provide students with the opportunity to gain practical experience and exposes them to a variety of practice areas and work environments. Internships can be completed during any term (see Conditions and Eligibility).

The internship proposal must be submitted to the Career and Professional Development Centre (CPDC) - Common Law Section for approval. Approval will only be granted if the Section is satisfied that the internship is pedagogically worthwhile for the student, and that the organization or individual supervising the student understands its obligation to provide the student with a professional experience which will enhance the student’s legal knowledge and experience.

NOTE: Students cannot begin their SPI internship until they have received the official placement email from the CPDC office.

Where can law students undertake a Student-Proposed Internship?*

Students can undertake internships with the following:

• Sole Practitioner.
• Small, medium, or large-sized firm.
• Community Legal Clinic.
• Department or branch of the municipal, provincial or federal government **federal government internships are no longer being offered due to the Treasury Board policy. Unfortunately, this also extends to SPI with the federal government).
• Non-Governmental Organization, a Not-for-Profit Organization or an organization working in the public interest, in either a domestic or international context.
• Aboriginal Organization.
• Canadian Embassies abroad.
• Legal Department of a bank.
• Legal Department of a private company (or In-house Counsel).
• Agency of the United Nations.

What kind of work can a law student do?*

Students can undertake the following tasks during an internship:

• Legal research: case law and legislation (become familiar with search engines such as LexisNexis Quicklaw and CanLII).
• Legal writing, such as drafting letters, affidavits, short articles, memoranda and research papers, compiling information to create a guidebook, gathering information on specific topics for lawyers.
• Assist lawyers in preparing a client for a hearing.
• Assist lawyers with client intake and at times interview clients.
• General interaction with lawyers and clients.
• Attend proceedings conducted by lawyers in court or in a mediation (attend a hearing, a labour arbitration hearing, a case conference, etc.).
• Learn about procedural matters such as filing documents.
• Fill out forms (any paper work pertaining to client files).
• Demonstrate knowledge of lawyers professional responsibilities and further develop such knowledge.
• Take part in the small firm or sole practitioner's daily operations to gain greater knowledge of its particularities.
• Attend workshops offered by the firm or to the lawyers of the firm.

How to find a Student-Proposed Internship? *

• Think of where you would like to intern and what type of work you would like to be exposed to.
• Reach out to employers, it is a student initiative.
• Some internship opportunities are available in The Source under the Job Postings Tab.
• Please consult the  step-by-step guide to help you to both *find* a SPI opportunity that you are interested in, *secure* it with your future SPI employer-supervisor, and then get it *approved* by the Career and Professional Development Centre (CPDC).
• Conduct Informational Interviews and Networking.
• Contact employers via e-mail or telephone call.
• Visit the Peer to Peer Mentoring Network Survey (P2P) results found on the right hand side of your student home page under the tab shortcuts of The Source.
• Peer to Peer Mentoring Network Survey (P2P): The P2P Mentoring Network Survey aims to collect data and allows students to evaluate their internship experience and share those experiences with their peers. The goal of the survey is to promote the exchange of information between law students and will provide resources and tools to students looking to complete an internship.

* These are not exhaustive lists, however they offer a good idea of what a Student-Proposed Internship can look like. 

Students must be enrolled in either the 2nd, 3rd or 4th year of a JD program and in good academic standing. Please consult the Academic Regulation – Rule 19: Passing and failure.

All students must have a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 5.0 at the time of submitting the application package to the Student-Proposed Internship Program.

To avoid possible conflict of interest, internships cannot be undertaken under the supervision of a student’s past, present or future employers or volunteer supervisors. In cases related to future employment or volunteer experiences, this only applies if it is known at the time the proposal is submitted that the student will be employed in the future. This is not intended to discourage an offer of employment once the internship has been completed.

Please note that depending on the academic term, internships conditions vary :

• Fall Term: September through early-December.  Students typically complete their internship hours by interning 1, 1.5 or 2 days a week throughout the term.
• January Term: Condensed term for three weeks in January.  Students typically complete their internship hours by interning full time for 3 to 4 weeks during the month of January. Internships can be undertaken abroad.
• Winter Term: February through mid-April.  This term is also condensed and runs for two and a half months.  Students typically complete their internship hours by interning 1.5 to 2 days per week throughout the term.
• Summer Term: May to end of August, part time during the whole summer or condensed full time. Can be completed as early as the summer after their first academic year. Units applied in the following fall or winter term. Internships can be undertaken abroad.

All students will receive 3 units upon completion of their internship (graded on a “Satisfactory/Non-Satisfactory” basis).

These units will be awarded only if:

• The employer supervisor is either a practicing lawyer or someone who has received legal training (holds a J.D. or an LL.B.) and who works at the organization or the firm for which you will be completing your internship and who is responsible for supervising your work.
• The supervisor is a member in good standing of a law society and has not been subject to any disciplinary measures.
• The supervisor must have a minimum of 3 years law-related work experience after graduating law school or 2 years experience as a lawyer after their call to the bar.
• The supervisor can be responsible for a maximum of 2 students per academic term.
• The work cannot be remunerated.
• The work assigned to the student must be law-related.
• The supervisor must consistently be accessible to students and regularly available to review students legal work as well as to provide guidance and answer the student’s questions.

Administrative requirements:

• Students must discuss work tasks and responsibilities with their employer supervisor prior to completing their internship proposal. The proposal must be signed by both parties prior to submitting to the Faculty for evaluation and approval.
• The employer supervisor must approve and sign the student’s timesheet.
• At the end of the internship, a final evaluation form must be completed by the employer supervisor, signed by both parties and submitted to the Faculty Supervisor in the Career and Professional Development Centre through Brightspace.

Students are graded on a “Satisfactory/Non Satisfactory” basis.

All students will receive 3 units upon completion of their internship should they obtain a “Satisfactory” result and if the following conditions have been met:

• Students are responsible for finding a work placement and a supervisor who is willing to oversee their work.
• Once the work placement has been established, students submit an electronic application package including 3 forms, 1 of which must be signed and approved by the Employer Supervisor and Faculty Supervisor in Common Law Section before the beginning of the internship. (See Application Procedures)
• The student must complete 115 hours of unpaid work.
• The work must be law-related.
• The final report must be prepared and submitted by the student to the Faculty Supervisor in the Career and Professional Development Centre for evaluation and grading through Brightspace.
• A Timesheet detailing the internship hours completed must be signed by the Employer Supervisor and submitted to the Faculty Supervisor in the Career and Professional Development Centre through Brightspace.
• The Internship Evaluation Form must be completed by the Employer Supervisor at the end of the internship.  Both the Employer Supervisor and the student must sign and date this form. The Internship Evaluation Form must be submitted to the Faculty Supervisor in the Career and Professional Development Center for evaluation through Brightspace.
• A course evaluation must be completed at the conclusion of the course and be submitted to the Faculty Supervisor in the Career and Professional Development Center through Brightspace.
• The P2P Mentoring Network Survey must be completed in The Source (under your student home page – on the right side –tab shortcuts) at the conclusion of the internship.

For more information, students are encouraged to visit our Student-Proposed Internships Guidelines page.

VACCINATION POLICY: Keep in mind that because of the COVID-19 pandemic, many employers and workplaces have implemented vaccination policies applicable to both in person and remote workers. As such, you must ensure that you are able to comply with the employer or workplace policies for any internship you are proposing.

**

All applications must be submitted in one PDF document via Brightspace “Common Law : Demande de stages | Internship Applications” which can be found on your home page. All forms are available on line.

Students enrolled in the National Program must have their internship proposal approved by the Director of the National Program, before submitting their application to the Career and Professional Development Centre for the final evaluation and approval.

Language:

Forms must be filled out and reports must be written in French or English, depending on the language in which the internship will be completed. Units will be applied in the language of your Application package. For internships completed abroad in a foreign language, forms and reports must be completed and written in French or English.

French Common law students are required to complete 75% of their 2nd and 3rd year academic units in the French language, pursuant to Rule 20 of the Academic Regulations. Therefore, an internship completed in a foreign language will be recognized as an English Common Law course. Forms and reports must be completed and written accordingly.

Internship Application Procedures and Forms:

The Internship will only be approved if it meets the pedagogical threshold as well as the student and Employer Supervisor requirements and the package includes these three (3) forms, completed and signed. The information must be typed.  An application package and forms filled out by hand will be rejected. Point form is not accepted.

NOTE: Students cannot begin their SPI internship until they have received the official placement email from the CPDC office.

The package must include, in order:

1. Internship Proposal Form - 2023 (PDF, 278.01 KB)

Guide – Internship Proposal Form (PDF, 349.65 KB): *For examples of what you could include in your Proposal Form, you can consult this Guide. The Guide is meant to be used as an aid and should not be copied. Your Proposal Form must be written in your own words and reflect the work that you anticipate completing during your internship.

2. Agreement for the Student Internship Program 2024: You must present this Agreement to the employer and submit a signed copy. The Faculty will then sign and return the executed Agreement to the employer.

3. Modification/Cancellation Enrollment Form (PDF, 228.42 KB)

*Please submit all your internship documents simultaneously by the specified deadline through Brightspace.

Instructions: Internship Proposal Form

The proposal form must be type written and filled out in full. Simply referencing a secondary document will not be sufficient. This form must be signed by the student and the Employer Supervisor.

A detailed description including examples must be included in all relevant “Tasks and Activities” and “Skills to be Developed” sections.  If the student does not provide enough substantive detail in their proposal, he/she will be required to submit a new proposal form including additional details approved by the Employer Supervisor.

As an example, tasks and activities limited to legal research and writing case summaries do not justify granting academic units and the internship proposal will not be approved. The student must specify how he/she will be utilizing this research to contribute to work with the organization or firm.

Instructions: Modification / Cancellation Enrollment Form (Add/Drop)

The course code is indicated on the Enrollment Form. This form is mandatory and must be completed and submitted by the deadline along with the other forms, EVEN if the student has not yet enrolled in his/her courses for the applicable term.

In order to expedite and accelerate the enrollment process, please provide complete and accurate data and sign the form.  You must complete the following sections: The student number, Last Name, First Name, the course to be added (course code & section), the date and your signature. ** You must leave the section empty for the course to be dropped during the summer internships **

Students applying for several internships during the academic year should take into consideration that placements will be offered on an ongoing basis at various times throughout the academic year. Once the internship has been confirmed and finalized, the regular add/drop rules no longer apply, the student cannot withdraw from the internship. If a student is offered a second internship, they cannot unregister to an already confirmed internship to accept the second internship.

Vaccination policy: Keep in mind that because of the COVID-19 pandemic, many employers and workplaces have implemented vaccination policies applicable to both in person and remote workers. As such, you must ensure that you are able to comply with the employer or workplace policies for any internship you are proposing.

In addition to the forms above a series of End of Internship Documents are also required. (See End of Internship Final Documents).

Internship Abroad

Terms (January or Summer):

Students may only complete a Student-Proposed Internship (SPI) abroad during the summer or the January term. The number of hours to be completed is 115 hours.

Internship Abroad – Deadlines:

Due to the required travel safety and security evaluation, applications for internships abroad in the summer term must be submitted a minimum of 15 business days in advance of departure for internships beginning in April, May or June. For the January term applications must be submitted in accordance with the published deadlines. (See Deadlines).

An application package and forms filled out by hand will be rejected. Point form is not accepted. *Please submit all your internship documents simultaneously by the specified deadline through Brightspace.

Application package and forms:

An internship abroad will only be approved if it meets the pedagogical threshold as well as the student and Employer Supervisor requirements and the international travel is confirmed by both the international office and the faculty.  

A proposal package to complete an internship abroad must include the following:

• Internship Proposal Form - 2023 (PDF, 278.01 KB)
• Agreement for the Student Internship Program 2024: You must present this Agreement to the employer and submit a signed copy. The Faculty will then sign and return the executed Agreement to the employer.
• Modification/Cancellation Enrollment Form (PDF, 228.42 KB)
• Liability, Waiver of Claims Form (PDF, 129.15 KB)
• Emergency Information Form (PDF, 95.32 KB)
• Confirmation that you complied with the International Office pre-departure requirements (see below)

Internships Abroad – International Office Requirements

In addition, a student proposing to complete an internship abroad must comply with the following conditions set by the International Office:

• Have insurance that covers COVID-19 and COVID-19 related trip interruptions.
• Follow local public health guidelines at the destination and when returning to Canada.
• Research the COVID-19 and other travel risks at the destination in advance.
  
  Students travelling to a destination rated by Global Affairs Canada as “avoid non-essential travel” or “avoid all travel,” must seek permission to travel by completing the exceptional travel form link at least 10 business days before a potential trip. The International Travel Safety Committee will examine each trip in collaboration with the appropriate Dean or Vice-Dean.
• Register your trip on the Travel Safety website before you travel
• Successfully complete the Travel Risk Awareness course at least two weeks before departure.  The course should only take about 30 minutes to complete. 

Here are the instructions to take this course:

• Visit uOttawa’s International SOS portal and take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with the services and information that International SOS provides.
• Scroll down to Travel Tools and click Digital Learning.
• Log in. You will need to create a new account if this is your first time on the portal.  Please use your uOttawa email address.
• Complete the “Travel Risk Awareness-Security” course in the language of your choice.
• Feel free to complete any other course that is relevant to your trip or that interests you.  Unfortunately, not all courses are available in French.

If you have any questions or concerns about the training or registration, feel free to contact the International Travel Safety Adviser at [email protected]

Internship Abroad – Travel Advisories and Insurance:

Prior to approving a Student-Proposed Internship (SPI) abroad, we will be reviewing the required five (5) forms and the Government of Canada Travel Advice and Advisories website. If the region or the country, the student will be visiting is or becomes subject to a travel advisory, the internship may not be approved, or approval may be rescinded for safety reasons and the University will not endorse or credit the internship.  It is the responsibility of the students organizing internships abroad to verify this website prior to applying and prior to departure. Students travelling abroad should subscribe to travel updates both prior to and for the duration of their time abroad. For additional information about travel advice and advisories visit the FAQ page. We also strongly encourage all students completing internships abroad to register as a Canadian Abroad with Global Affairs Canada.

Students completing an internship in the U.S. or abroad may need a visa.  It is the responsibility of the student to determine whether a visa is required and obtain any visa needed. For further information, please contact the uOttawa International Office. Please visit the following government of Canada website to find out if you need an additional visa.

The University of Ottawa, Office of Risk Management (ORM) recommends that students must have at least the travel coverage offered to them through their student union: UOSU

The UOSU travel coverage deals specifically with Exchange & Internship Students. In order to be eligible, students must remain members of UOSU, pay fees to University of Ottawa, and keep their provincial health-care coverage. You will see that there is also a requirement that the travel insurer be notified by students prior to leaving for the internship. It is the students’ responsibility to make sure that they have travel insurance and to obtain travel insurance where appropriate for any internship abroad and especially if the student is traveling to a developing country. The ORM recommends obtaining at least the minimum travel insurance listed below:

Recommended Minimum Travel Insurance

• Travel Assistance : included
• Trip Cancellation :  ≥ $1,000 (including for Global Affairs Canada warning changes due to terrorism)
• Trip Interruption : ≥ $1,000
• Emergency Early Return : unlimited
• Accommodation & Meals : ≥ $600
• Repatriation of Remains : unlimited
• Cremation/Burial at Destination : ≥ $10,000
• Baggage & Personal Effects : ≥ $1,000
• Passport Replacement : ≥ $200
• Mislaid Luggage : ≥ $400
• Airflight Accident : ≥ $100,000
• Worldwide Accident : ≥ $50,000

Recommended websites:

• Government of Canada - Country travel advice and advisories
• Government of Canada – Travel Insurance
• Government of Canada - Embassies and Consulates
• Government of Canada - Registration of Canadians Abroad

Students must submit their application in accordance with the specified deadlines (See Deadlines). During the summer for internships beginning April, May or June (prior to the specified deadline) students must submit their application at least 10 working days prior to the start date of their internship for approval. For summer internships abroad beginning April, May or June (prior to the specified deadline) students must submit their application at least 15 working days prior to the start date of the internship for approval. Working hours will only start counting toward the 115 hours, as of the date the internship has been approved by the Faculty Supervisor in the Career and Professional Development Centre. Note that the deadline for the January term is fixed well in advance of the commencement of the term.

A maximum of 6 units total, over all upper years of study are permitted for Student-Proposed Internships.

ALL changes that occur during internships (change of tasks, areas of law, supervisor, etc.) must be submitted to the Faculty Supervisor in the Career and Professional Development Centre as soon as possible for approval.

In order to be enrolled in a Student-Proposed Internship, students must have successfully completed their 1st year of study and have been officially promoted to their 2nd year.  Students must therefore be in 2nd, 3rd or 4th year of a JD program and in good academic standing.  It is the student’s responsibility to make sure he/she is eligible and qualifies to enroll in the Student-Proposed Internship.

Students enrolled in the National Program must have their internship proposal approved by the Director of the National Program, before submitting their application to the Career and Professional Development Centre for the final evaluation and approval.

Students must enroll in the required number of units for each term. If the student’s internship is approved, the student will then be able to drop a course and enroll in the Student-Proposed Internship. Once the internship has been confirmed and finalized, the regular add-drop rules no longer apply (the student cannot withdraw from the internship).

For Student-Proposed Internships that are completed during the summer term, the students will be enrolled and units will be applied to either the following Fall or Winter term. The units cannot be applied to the following January term. If completing a Student-Proposed Internship during the summer, the student must return to the Faculty of Law at the University of Ottawa for his/her units to be applied.

If a JD-MA student completes a summer Student-Proposed internship in the summer after 1st year, the units will be applied to the Fall or Winter term, when the student returns to the Faculty of Law at the University of Ottawa after completing the academic year at Carlton University.

Registration:

Once your internship is approved, the Career and Professional Development Centre will register you in the course for the term indicated in your application. Once you are registered, you will have access to all of the course information and the syllabus in Brightspace. During the academic year, students must enroll in the required number of units for each term. If the student’s internship is approved, the student will then be able to drop a course and be registered for the Student-Proposed Internship.

Course Codes:

Fall term: CML3171F
January term: CML3171J
Winter term: CML3171W
Summer (PDC students only):  CML3171S
Summer (units to be applied in Fall): CML3171SF
Summer (units applied to the Winter): CML3171SW

Withdrawal: 

Once the internship has been confirmed and finalized, the regular add/drop rules no longer apply (the student cannot withdraw from the internship).

Brightspace:

All applications must be submitted in one PDF document via Brightspace “Common Law - Internship Applications | Demande de stages". In addition, all of the internship requirements and forms are available in Brightspace.

Once your Student-Proposed Internship is approved, log in to Brightspace to review the course syllabus and other important information. This is your online resource designed to assist you as you take part in your internship. It is the student’s responsibility to make sure that they respect all deadlines as well as submit all of the required internship components to receive credit.

Please submit all your end of internship final documents simultaneously by the specified deadline through Brightspace.

Brightspace – Virtual Campus will be the online resource to assist students as they take part in their internship. Log in and review all the important information. It is the student’s responsibility to make sure that they respect all deadlines as well as submit all of the required internship components to receive credit.

Please submit all your final internship documents simultaneously by the specified deadline through your Brightspace – Virtual Campus student account.

Important: The Internship Evaluation documents are required to obtain 3 units toward the term you have selected. You must complete and sign the five (5) documents below by the required deadline.  Detailed submission instructions are contained in the course syllabus available in Brightspace.

1. The Final Report
2. Internship Evaluation Form
3. The Timesheet
4. The Course Evaluation 
5. The online course offered by the Canadian Bar Association (CBA): Mental Health and Wellness in the Legal Profession
6. P2P Mentoring Network Survey : Must be completed in The Source (under your student home page – on the right side –tab shortcuts)

You can consult the Final Report Guide (link found below) to obtain important information and examples to assist you in drafting your own final report.

Student Proposed Internships Guide - Final Report

The Student Proposed Internship Guide (PDF, 80.92 KB) for the Final Report provides important information and examples to assist you in drafting your own Student-Proposed Internship Final Report. Please keep in mind that your SPI Final Report is a personal document. The important part is to develop your evaluation based on your personal experience, and to include the major sections. Above all, what you develop should be something that you’re comfortable with. Whatever you do, do not copy the language in these examples word for word!

Please submit all your final internship documents simultaneously by the specified deadline through Brightspace.

The importance of preserving your documents for your own personal records.

The Career and Professional Development Centre recommends that you keep a copy of your Student-Proposed Internship documents for the management and preparation of your personal files and recruitment process for your future employers.

Recommended documents:

• your internship proposal
• your final report
• your internship evaluation form signed by you and completed and signed by your supervisor
• your timesheet
• your official transcript
• organize your letters of reference  (if applicable)  
• prepare other documents and applications (if applicable)

Please note that the following deadlines are firm and that there is no possibility of extension for any internships term. We thank you in advance for your cooperation in observing these deadlines.

Student-Proposed Internship Application Deadlines

• Summer Term: ATTENTION: Students must submit their application at least 10 working days prior to the start date of their internship or (15 working days if the internship is abroad).
  • May 17, 2024 - Programme de droit canadien (PDC) students ONLY: to have units applied in the summer 2024 term
  • June 3, 2024 -to have units applied in the Fall 2024 or Winter 2025 term - all other common Law students
• Fall 2024 Term: September 11, 2024
• January 2025 Term: November 11, 2024
• Winter 2025 Term: January 9, 2025

Student-Proposed Internship Final Documents Deadlines

IMPORTANT: The Student-Proposed Internship final documents are required to obtain 3 units toward the term you have selected. Please submit all your final documents simultaneously by the required deadline:

1. The Final Report
2. Internship Evaluation Form (signed by both you and your supervisor)
3. The Timesheet (signed by both you and your supervisor)
4. The Course Evaluation
5. P2P Mentoring Network Survey: Must be completed in The Source (under your student home page - on the right side – Tab shortcuts)

Summer 2024 Term

• Internships ending in May 2024 : Your submission deadline is June 12, 2024
• Internships ending in June 2024 : Your submission deadline is July 10, 2024
• Internships ending in July 2024 : Your submission deadline is August 7, 2024
• Internships ending in August 2024 : Your submission deadline is September 4, 2024

Academic year 2024-2025

Winter 2024 Term: April 11, 2024

Fall 2023 Term: December 9, 2024

January 2024 Term: January 23, 2025

Winter 2025 Term: April 11, 2025

Please submit all your final internship documents simultaneously by the specified deadline through Brightspace.