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10.09.07 - Cooperative Education FAQs
| MEMORANDUM |
| TO: Legal Education Majors |
| FROM: Cynthia N. Kimura, Counselor |
| DATE: October 9, 2007 |
| SUBJECT: Cooperative Education FAQs |
TO: Legal Education Students
FROM: Estelle C. Ogawa, Instructor
DATE: October 8, 2007
SUBJECT: Cooperative Education
LAW 193P, Cooperative Paralegal Education
LAW 193S, Cooperative Legal Secretary Education
Frequently Asked Questions (Rev. 10.08.07)
1. What is Cooperative Education?
Cooperative education is a required educational credit course that integrates academic study with actual work experience in your chosen major. Paralegal majors take LAW 193P, Cooperative Paralegal Education, and Legal Secretary majors take LAW 193S, Cooperative Legal Secretary Education. If requirements for the course are met, students receive a letter grade and three (3) credits that will be counted towards their degree or certificate.
2. What are the objectives of Cooperative Education?
• Develop general work skills and technical/legal skills
• Integrate theoretical knowledge from the classroom with real-life experience
• Develop professional contacts and potential employment opportunities
• Practice job search skills
• Gain relevant work experience
• Clarify career plans
• Improve organization and time management skills
• Experience working in your chosen field without long-term commitments
3. When should I take Co-op?
Ideally, Co-op should be taken in your last semester to better integrate your classroom learning in the legal work environment. However, depending on a student’s schedule, it may be taken before if the prerequisites of the course are met. Prerequisites for the course include the following:
LAW 193P
• Paralegal program major
• LAW 101, The Hawai`i Legal System
• LAW 102, Legal Research
• Recommended Preparation:
• Credit in or qualification for ENG 100, Composition I
• LAW 146, Litigation Document Preparation and Theory
• It is highly recommended that the student be in the last semester of the Paralegal degree program
LAW 193S
• Legal Secretary program major
• Recommended Preparation:
• Credit in or qualification for:
• ENG 100, Composition I or
• ENG 160, Business and Technical Writing
• It is highly recommended that the student be in the last semester of the Legal Secretary certificate program
4. What are the requirements?
• 144 hours of internship in a legal work environment
• 1 hour seminar per week or 2 hours seminar every other week
• Seminar assignments
• Written reports
• Required forms
• Internship performance evaluation
5. How do I prepare?
• Draft your résumé and obtain feedback from others
• Draft a sample cover letter for a fictitious entry-level paralegal position or for an internship position
• Draft a list of five to ten learning objectives that you would like to accomplish during your internship
6. How will I be graded?
• Internship performance evaluation
• Seminar assignments, required forms, and final report documenting internship experience
7. Is there a textbook?
Yes. Post, Ruth-Ellen, Paralegal Internships: Finding, Managing, and Transitioning Your Career , West Publishing, New York , 1999.
8. How do I find an internship sponsor?
You are not limited to the following:
- Sponsor List provided by instructor
- Current employer
- Current employer’s legal department
- Want ads
- Telephone directory
- Networking with friends, relatives, classmates, instructors, or other professionals
9. What kinds of firms can I intern with?
- Private law firms
- Sole practitioner (attorney)
- Government – Local, State, Federal legal departments
- Non-profit legal agencies/organizations
- Corporate – legal departments
- Others – check with instructor for approval; must be supervised by an attorney
10. Can I intern with a relative, friend, or spouse?
No. To get the most out of your internship and to avoid any potential conflict, you are required to complete your internship with another sponsor.
11. Do I get paid?
Most internships are nonpaying; however, a few sponsors may offer students compensation. There may be more cons than pros to a paying internship. Please see text, Chapter 3, regarding Resolving Compensation Issues, for more information. Keep in mind, sometimes an internship serves as a trial period and may lead to a paid position.
12. I work full-time; how am I supposed to take off from work to do my internship?
Students have been creative in preparing for the internship. Some will take vacation for several weeks and complete their internship hours within one month, while others will take one or two full days off a week, while others will work in the afternoons on certain days of the week, etc.
13. Is it possible to obtain an internship in the evening and/or the weekends?
Yes. Although it is uncommon and difficult to find, students have found sponsors willing to supervise their internship work during the evening and/or on the weekends.
14. Can I secure more than one internship sponsor?
Yes. Although it is not encouraged, students may be allowed to secure up to two internship sponsors with instructor's approval. Although it gives the student more experiences, the written documentation and forms required for the course will double.
15. Can I begin my internship before the first day of class?
Yes. It is possible to begin before the first day of class with the instructor's approval in the semester before the internship. Your résumé and sample cover letter together with 5-10 learning objectives should be completed and submitted for review by April 15 for the Fall semester or by November 15 for the Spring semester. No more than 70 hours of your internship can be counted prior to the start of class; and all internship activities, time log, and daily journal should be appropriately documented (see instructor for details).
16. What happens if I don't finish my internship hours and/or course requirements prior to the end of the semester?
At the discretion of the instructor, the instructor may grant an Incomplete grade upon application by the student. The student should have completed approximately 3/4 or 108 hours of his or her internship, completed all assignments, and submitted all required forms up to that date.
If approved, the instructor will note on the Incomplete form the remaining requirements and the due date for submission. Instructor will grade the documents and submit a change of grade for processing through the department chair and KISC.