University of Pittsburgh

Foreign Internships for Pitt JD Students

For JD students, foreign internships provide: excellent international law work experience, incomparable networking opportunities, and immersion in otherwise unfamiliar legal cultures.

There are four components to
planning a foreign internship:

All of our JD interns have the opportunity to submit  JURIST Dateline reports from their foreign internships.

 

SELECTING A PROGRAM

Begin by reviewing the comprehensive CILE Foreign Internship Reference Binder which is available from the CILE Office in 318, or from the Library Reference Desk.

Next, assemble the following items and schedule a meeting with Cynthia Yializis CILE Assistant Director: a completed copy of the Foreign Internship Interest Form, a current resume, a statement of interest (no more than two paragraphs long), and a transcript (1Ls should submit an undergraduate transcript as well).

After your meeting with the Assistant Director, you should focus on finalizing your choices and contacting potential internship providers. Since many formal internship programs have early deadlines, you may want to begin your internship search shortly after the start of the fall semester.

FUNDING A PROGRAM

The costs associated with
foreign internships generally
include such items
and amounts as:

  • transportation to and from
    the foreign country $2,000
  • housing and meals $1,800
  • local transportation
    and entertainment $300

CILE has a small pool of funding and leads to competitions and scholarships
that can help, somewhat, to reduce these costs. Because internships are in
the nature of jobs, as opposed to foreign course work, interns are expected to
independently arrange and manage their financial responsibilities.

OBTAINING ACADEMIC CREDIT AT PITT

Foreign internships grant academic credit according to the registrar’s guidelines. Highlights of the guidelines include: completing forms and submitting time cards. Internship credits can count toward the law school’s professional skills requirement  upon completion of required forms  and approval of Dean Wang.

ARRANGING THE TRIP

At this stage, you will need to learn about your host country's visa requirements, health advice from the Centers for Disease Control, and much more. This is also the time to make sure that all of the necessary forms and waivers required by CILE have been completed and submitted to our administrative office in room 318.

Near the end of the Spring semester, CILE will conduct one group preparation session with all of our interns together for what is typically a very popular and useful opportunity for networking, research training, and other preparations to help assure that you will be ready to work confidently as soon as you arrive for your first day at the internship.


CILE research guide:  Preparing to Intern Abroad

Revised 09/28/2011 | Copyright 2011 | Site by UMC