LSJ 401 Fieldwork Internship

Students are required to complete one hundred hours of service in an internship or volunteer position for the LSJ 401 course. In addition to these hours worked in the field, students are expected to complete an analytical paper, submit evaluations, and attend all LSJ 401 course meetings as part of the course requirements.

LSJ 401 Internship Contract Form located here.

Learning Goals

The Law, Societies & Justice internship program seeks to create a connection between academic coursework and ‘real world’ experience. The objectives of the internship are to:

• Provide students with insights into the workings of law in practice;

• Scrutinize and ‘test’ some of the theories and concepts found in the academic literature against ‘real world’ practice;

• Initiate career development and goals, and

• Provide 100 hours of local community service.

Students work with a variety of governmental and non-governmental agencies, including law enforcement agencies, social service organizations, courts, rights groups, policy organizations, and social support groups.

Internship Placement Process

1. Determine the quarter in which you will complete your internship. Begin goal setting and planning for your internship a minimum of 2 quarters in advance.

2. Think about the goals you want to accomplish through your internship. What skills and experiences do you want to gain? What LSJ-related topics do you want to explore in a professional setting? What type of an environment do you want to work in?

3. Use the resources on this webpage, the LSJ Adviser, your LSJ peers, LSJ alumni, and your own professional network to research potential internship locations that match your goals. Start by looking for organizations that match your interests, not just places that have internship postings. Some organizations are very willing to create an internship if they don’t have one posted! Generate a list of 3-5 locations you are interested in.

4. Set up an advising appointment to discuss your internship goals and the sites you are considering. The LSJ Adviser will provide you with direct contact information and application instructions for locations you are considering that LSJ students have interned with in the past.

5. Apply to posted internships and reach out to locations that interest you but do not have posted positions.

6. Email or meet with the LSJ Adviser for final approval of your selected internship site before accepting an offer.

7. Finalize your schedule and position description with your internship site.

8. Turn in the LSJ 401 Contract Form (PDF) and Internship Supervisor Letter to the LSJ Adviser. The paperwork deadline is always the first day of the quarter in which you plan to enroll in LSJ 401. The LSJ 401 Contract Form specifies what needs to be included in the Internship Supervisor Letter.

9. The LSJ Adviser will enroll you in LSJ 401.

10. Complete all LSJ 401 course requirements to receive credit.

The LSJ Adviser’s role is to support you during each of these steps. Please contact the Adviser at any point in your internship search if you need assistance.

LSJ 401 Course Requirements

• Complete a minimum of 100 hours of service at the internship site

• Complete the 10-12 page analytical paper following LSJ 401 syllabus instructions

• Attend weekly LSJ 401 class sessions and complete periodic short assignments

• Participate actively in career development exercises during class

• Turn in the Student Evaluation Form (PDF)

• Turn in the Site Supervisor Evaluation Form (PDF)

Recent LSJ 401 Internship Placements

This list is only a starting point; your internship site does not have to be on this list. Think as broadly as possible by considering all the various topics faculty have covered in LSJ classes. If you can see yourself writing a paper that ties together things you discussed in class with any organization you are considering, then it might work for LSJ 401. Feel free to email the LSJ adviser if you are unsure about whether or not a certain possibility will work for LSJ 401.

Use this handout from the UW Career Center to help you evaluate whether an internship posting is truly an internship and a good fit for academic credit such as LSJ 401: Evaluating an Internship Posting (PDF).

Note about Interning at Private Law Firms:

Students wishing to intern with private law firms are encouraged to do so for experience, connections, and to understand the daily practice of lawyers. However, private law firms are often seeking interns who have finished the first year or two of law school. Therefore, as an undergraduate student, you should make sure that you will be able to actually participate in an experience that will not be limited to basic clerical duties like: filing, answering phones, running for coffee, and making copies. Remember that you are looking for an experience that you can analyze at an academic level and put into conversation with the ideas explored in your LSJ classes.

Note about Background Checks:

Many internships–especially those with police departments, detention centers, and prisons–will require background checks. Some background checks are simple and some require months to complete. Plan accordingly.

Courts and Probation Services

Adams County Juvenile Court

City of Bellevue Probation

Des Moines Office of the City Attorney

King County Drug Court

Seattle Community Court

Seattle Municipal Court

Seattle City Attorney

Snohomish County Juvenile Courts

Unified Family Court of King County- Superior Court

United States Probation Office

Legal Services and Legal Associations

Columbia Legal Services

Civil Rights Justice Center

Eastside Legal Assistance Program

Elder Justice Center

Family Law CASA

Federal Public Defender-Western District of Washington

Human Rights Defense Center 

King County Bar Association Neighborhood Legal Clinics

King County Prosecuting Attorney

King County Protection Order Advocacy Program

Legal Action Center

Northwest Defenders Association

Olympic Legal Access P.S.

Snohomish County Public Defender Association

Unemployment Law Project

United States Attorney’s Office-Seattle

United States Investigative Services

Washington State Bar Association

Criminal Justice, Prisons, and Law Enforcement

Coast Guard Investigative Service

Jefferson County Police Department

King County Correctional Facility

King County Juvenile Detention Center

King County Sheriff

Lynnwood Police Department

Naval Criminal Investigative Service- Bremerton

Renton Police Department

Seattle Police Department

Seattle Police Victim Support Team

Shelton Police Department

Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office

South Seattle Community College Corrections and Education Services

University of Washington Police Department

US Secret Service

Washington State Patrol

Immigration and New Americans

Casa Latina

Catholic Charities Migration and Refugee Services

Chinese Information Service Center

Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs

Council of American-Islamic Relations- Washington

Horn of Africa Services

International Rescue Committee

Mil Mujeres

Northwest Immigrant Rights Project

OneAmerica

Southern Sudanese Community of Washington

Volunteer Advocates for Immigrant Justice

Government and Law

The LSJ Department and the University of Washington do not and cannot express political preference on any issue or election. Students are encouraged to participate in the political process and to follow their own political preference. What matters for LSJ is if the student will have a hands-on experience with their internship, something that the student can think about analytically in terms of law, crime, rights, justice, or courts in a social science perspective. See the UW Political Science Department’s Internship listings for more opportunities in this area.

Consulado de México en Seattle

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission--Seattle Field Office

King County Sexual Assault Resource Center (CourtWatch)

King County Office of Civil Rights and Open Government

Port of Seattle

Seattle City Council

Seattle Human Rights Commission

Seattle Mayor’s Office

US Senator Maria Cantwell Seattle Office

US Senator Patty Murray Seattle Office

US Department of Housing and Urban Development

US Department of Energy- Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs

Washington State Children's Administration Child Protective Services

Washington State Democratic Party

Washington State Department of Services for the Blind

Washington State Republican Party

Non-Governmental Organizations- Social Service and Rights

Abused Deaf Women’s Advocacy Services

Amara

American Civil Liberties Union- Washington State

Bellevue LifeSpring

Books to Prisoners

Businesses Ending Slavery and Trafficking (BEST)

Circle of Friends for Mental Health

Corporate Accountability International

Domestic Abuse Women's Network (DAWN)

Downtown Emergency Service Center

Disability Rights- Washington

Ensaaf

Equal Rights Washington

Families & Friends of Missing Persons and Violent Crime Victims

Farestart

Food Lifeline

Friends of the Children- Seattle

Fuse- Washington

Elizabeth Gregory Home

Habitat for Humanity

Housing Justice Project

Landesa

League of Education Voters

Literacy Source

Mary's Place

Navos- Coalition for Drug Free Youth

Naral Pro-Choice Washington

New Beginnings, Ending Domestic Violence

Northwest Network for Bi, Trans, Lesbian, and Gay Survivors of Abuse

People's Harm Reduction Alliance

Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest

Pierce County Commission Against Domestic Violence

Rebuilding Hope! Sexual Assault Resource Center for Pierce County

ROOTS Young Adult Shelter

Rural Development Institute

Sea Mar Community Health Centers

Seattle Indian Health Board

Social Justice Fund Northwest

Street Youth Ministries

Union Gospel Mission

Unite Here! Local 8 Union

University Beyond Bars

Urban Rest Stop

Victim Support Services

Washington Alliance for Gun Responsibility

Washington Bus

Washington CeaseFire

Washington Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty

Washington Community Action Project

Washington Low Income Housing Alliance

World Affairs Council

World Association for Children and Parents 

YWCA

Internship Resources

In addition to speaking with the LSJ Adviser, LSJ alumni, and LSJ Peers, these search engines can be helpful places to look. Remember that the best approach is to start by locating specific locations that interest you rather than immediately searching for posted internship openings.

United Way of King County (http://www.uwkc.org)

VolunteerMatch (http://www.volunteermatch.org)

Idealist (http://www.idealist.org)

UW Career Center’s HuskyJobs (http://careers.washington.edu/HuskyJobs)

UW Carlson Center’s Public Service Opportunity Bulletin (https://www.washington.edu/cms/carlson/service-opportunities/)

Looksharp (InternMatch) (http://www.looksharp.com/)

USA.gov list of agencies (http://www.usa.gov/Agencies/Federal/All_Agencies/index.shtml)

LSJ 401 Internship Policies

• Only declared LSJ majors may enroll in LSJ 401.

• Students must enroll in LSJ 401 either 1) in the same quarter as the completion of the internship or 2) a maximum of one quarter after completion of the internship. The LSJ Adviser must give approval for non-current enrollment prior to the beginning of the internship. Retroactive credit is not granted for internships completed either prior to being an LSJ major or more than a quarter before completion of LSJ 401.

• The LSJ 401 internship site does not have to be in the Greater Seattle Area. See the LSJ Adviser to make arrangements for an out-of-state internship or an internship abroad.

• The LSJ 401 internship can be paid or unpaid. This should be specified in the Supervisor Letter.

• All internships must receive approval from the LSJ Adviser prior to enrollment in LSJ 401.

• Students will only be enrolled in LSJ 401 after the Adviser has received all required paperwork.

• Some LSJ majors may want to use hours accrued to meet an internship requirement in another major/minor toward the LSJ 401 internship requirement. This is allowable, but only under specific circumstances. Contact the LSJ Adviser for full details of this policy.