Academics

Course Descriptions

Internships

Internship programs offered for credit are supervised by members of the faculty. These internships require 60 hours of field work for each credit hour earned (120 hours for 2 credits, which is 8-10 hours per week). In addition, internships require attendance at classes or consultations conducted by the faculty supervisor. A written work product, time logs, or a research paper may also be required. Most internships have limited enrollments. Students should contact faculty supervisors to determine the requirements for specific internships. Consult the Schedule of Classes to determine the faculty supervisor for an internship.

With the exception of the International Human Rights Law Internship listed below, internship programs (course number DN802) may be offered for 1 or 2 credit hours at the discretion of the faculty advisor. Grading is on a Satisfactory/Fail (S/F) basis. Internship offerings and credit arrangements frequently change. Interested students should contact the advisor of each internship to determine the availability and credit arrangements for internship offerings in a given semester.

Limits apply to the maximum number of credit hours that may be earned in internship programs. If necessary to help resolve scheduling conflicts, students enrolled in internships offered for credit may register for any day or evening course regardless of full-time or part-time status.

Unless otherwise indicated, the following internships may be offered for 1 or 2 credit hours, depending on the availability of faculty sponsorship and approval by the faculty:

American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana Internship (2 cr.) D802 Interns are assigned directly to the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana cooperating attorney. They may perform a variety of tasks, including investigations, legal research, and litigation support work such as drafting pleadings and preparing witnesses. (application-summer | application-fall)

Bank Internship (Trust Division) (1 cr.) D802 Students participate in or observe activities involving at least three major functions of bank trust departments: probate, tax, and trust management. Students are required to produce 15-20 pages of written work and must attend meetings with the supervising professor during the semester. P: Trusts and Estates (DN722). Completion of, or enrollment in, the following course would be helpful: Taxation of Transferors, Fiduciaries, and Beneficiaries (DN725).

Bankruptcy Law Internship (1or 2 cr.) D802 The internship is with the Office of the United States Trustee of the U.S. Department of Justice. Students will receive exposure to consumer bankruptcy law through examining basic bankruptcy case documents and observing meetings of creditors and court hearings in consumer cases; students will receive exposure to corporate reorganization law through examining Chapter 11 case documents and pleadings and observing meetings of creditors and court hearings in Chapter 11 cases.

Department of Labor Internship (2 cr.) D802 This internship will require 120 hours per semester at Region 25 of the NLRB performing extensive duties relating to conducting National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) elections and enforcing the National Labor Relations Act through unfair labor practice procedures. Students who have taken Labor Law and achieved a grade point average of 2.7 or higher will be given priority in the selection process for this internship.

Federal Court Internship (3 cr.) D802 Students serve as law clerk interns in the chambers of one of the federal judges or magistrates in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana (Indianapolis). Students are required to spend approximately 10 hours per week in their work at the court and to attend scheduled class meetings throughout the semester.

Hoosier Environmental Council Legal Defense Fund Internship (2 cr.) D802 The internship placement is with the HEC Legal Defense Fund, which provides public interest representation for a number of environmental issues and pursues those issues before administrative agencies, state courts, and federal courts.

Hospital Legal Department Internship (2 cr.) D802 Interns work in legal and/or ethical departments of a hospital or with the Marion County Health Corporation on issues concerning health care, public health, guardianships, and the development of hospital policies required by federal and state laws, including ethical considerations in the treatment of patients.(application)

Indiana Board of Tax Review Internship (1 or 2 cr.) D802 This internship introduces students to work in the Indiana Board of Tax Review under the guidance of a supervisor and work with professional staff, specifically with Senior Administrative Law Judges. Depending on the needs of the IBTR during a particular semester, this internship involves learning the practices and techniques utilized in handling property tax appeals throughout the State of Indiana. The minimum qualification for participation in the program is successful completion of at least 12 semester hours of law school credit. Interns will be involved with corresponding with legal representatives, research, administrative hearings, and writing briefs and opinions.

Indiana Court of Appeals Internship (3 cr.) D802 Students serve as law clerk interns for one of the judges of the Indiana Court of Appeals. Students are required to spend approximately 10 hours per week in internship activities at the court and to attend scheduled class meetings throughout the semester.

Indiana Department of Revenue Internship (2 cr.) D802 Interns work on a variety of Indiana Department of Revenue issues.

Indiana Supreme Court Internship (3 cr.) D802 Students serve as law clerk interns for one of the justices of the Indiana Supreme Court. Students are required to spend approximately 10 hours per week in internship activities at the court and to attend scheduled class meetings throughout the semester.

In-House Corporate Counsel Internship (Finish Line) (1or 2 cr.) D802 This internship placement provides students with the experience and insight derived from working in the in-house legal department of a business corporation. These include drafting and reviewing commercial leases, engaging in legal research and preparing memoranda regarding federal, state and local regulatory issues confronting the corporation, reviewing marketing approaches for law compliance, and otherwise assisting in legal work typical of that performed by corporate counsel. P: Closely Held Business Organizations (DN645) or Publicly Traded Corporations (DN646). (application)

Internal Revenue Service Internship (2 cr.) D802 Interns work on a variety of Internal Revenue Service issues relating to federal and state taxation, including research on estate and gift tax law and review of trusts and wills to determine tax consequences. Interns also assist IRS staff attorneys in the valuation of assets included in tax returns.

International Human Rights Law Internship (4 cr.) D802 Interns spend 10 to 12 weeks, usually during the summer, working at international human rights law organizations at a variety of locations in Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, or North, South, and Central America. Students work approximately 40 hours per week on a wide range of assignments, depending on the nature of the host organization.

Possible host organizations include intergovernmental organizations such as the United Nations (Geneva, Switzerland; Arusha, Tanzania; or New York); governmental organizations (such as the Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commission in Sydney or the Equal Opportunities Commission in Hong Kong); and private human rights organizations (such as local advocacy groups in Asia, Central America, Europe, Australia, India, or Africa). Opportunities are also available for students to work for organizations other than those listed, depending on the background and interests of the students. Internships are arranged based upon a match between the students' interests and desires, and the needs of organizations.

Projects of recent interns have included reviewing claims made to the United Nations that human rights have been violated in numerous countries around the globe; drafting official U.N. appeals to offending countries to cease violations; drafting manuals advising human rights workers in India of their internationally recognized rights upon arrest; assessing human rights claims of Aborigines in Australia; studying the application of international human rights principles to the operation of health facilities during the apartheid period in South Africa; and assessing the application of international human rights law in post-British Hong Kong.

Students complete written exercises during their internships, participate in briefing sessions before departing for their internship, and file an internship report upon completion of the internship. Preference is given to students with demonstrated interest in public interest law and/or international law. The International Human Rights Law course is not required prior to an internship. However, students who intern before taking the course are required to take it following their internships.

Legislative Advocacy Internship (2 cr.) D802 Interns work with an advocate from the Indiana Coalition for Human Services on a variety of legislative issues affecting services for Indiana's poor. Interns are exposed to the workings of the legislative process, conduct research, track legislation, and communicate with advocates and legislators.

Marion County Public Health Internship (2 cr.) D802 Student interns will assist health department attorneys in enforcement of the Marion County Public Health Code in environmental court and drafting of health department regulations and contracts.

NCAA Internship (2 cr.) D802 Students provide assistance to either the membership or enforcement divisions of the NCAA, a national governing body for intercollegiate athletics. In the membership division, students will be involved in the interpretations of NCAA legislation and legislative research. In the enforcement division, they will work with attorneys in the investigation and prosecution of rule enforcement. Students spend sixty hours for each credit hour earned, which is approximately eight hours per week working under the supervision of attorneys. Students meet with the law school faculty supervisor during the semester and submit a paper summarizing their experience at the end of the semester. (application-summer | application-fall)

Not-for-Profit Corporations Internship (Community Development Law Center) (2 cr.) D802 Students provide assistance to nonprofit organizations in corporate matters such as preparing articles of incorporation, filing for tax-exempt status, and a variety of other issues. Students spend approximately eight hours per week working under the supervision of the attorneys. Students meet with the law school faculty supervisor during the semester, and submit a paper summarizing their experience at the end of the semester. (application)

Office of Compliance Services, Indiana University School of Medicine Internship (2 cr.) D802 The objectives of this internship are to develop and improve students' ability to identify and analyze potential legal issues involved in patient care and research in an academic medical center. Students will obtain experience in the areas of so-called "compliance" law specified above in their work in the medical school's compliance program. Interns will work with the Compliance and Privacy Officer of the Indiana University School of Medicine.

Program on Law and State Government Internship Course (3 cr.) D802 Allows students the opportunity to learn about the practice of law within the state government setting with a combination of traditional classroom learning and an internship placement at one of several law offices and agencies within Indiana's state government. The class meetings explore topics such as ethical considerations for the public lawyer, rulemaking and the administrative process, federalism and state sovereignty, state supported speech, and state budgeting issues. (Two of the course credits will be graded S/F, based upon satisfaction of internship requirements, with the remaining credit carrying a course grade based upon performance in the classroom component of the course.)

Public Defender Internship (2 cr.) D802 Interns work 120 hours during the semester under the supervision of public defenders in various local and state courts of criminal jurisdiction interviewing clients and witnesses, investigating facts, and drafting legal documents. Students may also assist in trying criminal cases. There will be biweekly class meetings with faculty supervision. (application)

Superior Court Internship (3 cr.) D802 Students serve as law clerk interns for one of the judges of the Marion Superior Court. Students are required to spend 10 hours per week in internship activities at the court and to attend scheduled class meetings throughout the semester.