Practicum
The Paralegal Practicum, PARA 255, is our version of an
internship. Eligible students spend 10 hours per week at a law office, court,
or other business doing real-world work for college credit. The practicum is
only offered in the spring.
Who is eligible for the Practicum?
The Practicum is designed for students who have a good base
of legal knowledge and have shown a high degree of professionalism through
regular attendance and appropriate demeanor in their other classes. I recommend
that students wait until their last spring semester, whenever that will
be, to enroll in the practicum so that both the students and their supervising
attorneys/paralegals get the maximum benefit. However, each case is evaluated
on an individual basis. Enrollment in the practicum is at my discretion, as
chair of the Paralegal Studies program. You cannot enroll online without my
approval. (Actually, for a couple of days, you could, but I have since
tracked down and fixed that error.)
Where are Practicum students placed?
We have placed Practicum students in law offices,
courthouses, and businesses with legal departments throughout the area. Most of
our placements, like most of our students, are in Tippecanoe County, but I am
happy to try to accommodate students from outside of Lafayette who wish to do
their practicums in other nearby counties. New this year—Lafayette Urban
Ministry (LUM) has started an immigration law clinic in Lafayette, and has
expressed interest in having one or two practicum students. Besides being a unique
practice in terms of subject matter, the clinic has evening hours (I believe),
thereby opening up the Practicum experience to students with daytime
commitments.
Do Practicum students get paid?
No. Practicum students are working for college credit rather
than money. However, if a Practicum student already has a paying job with a
lawyer, court, etc. that would qualify for Practicum credit, I am happy to
allow that student to use his or her job as a Practicum placement.
The Practicum sounds like it’s for me! What do I do now?
Due to the unique nature of the course, there are different
requirements and deadlines that apply. Students who are interested in pursuing
a practicum next semester should do the following:
1.
By October 31, 2015—Schedule an
appointment to meet with me to discuss your interests, location, time
constraints, etc. You can schedule an appointment with me by calling my
assistant at 765-269-5730. Do not wait until October 31 to call. At your
appointment, assuming you meet the qualifications, we will register you for the
course.
2.
Before your appointment with me—Email me
a copy of your current resume. I would tell you to double-check to make sure
that there are no spelling, punctuation, etc. errors, but you already know
that. After we’ve met and discussed what sort of opportunities we have and
where your best fit would be, I will send you your practicum location and the
name of your supervisor. Look for the email with this information in late
November or early December.
3.
After you receive the name of your practicum
supervisor and BEFORE the start of spring semester—It is up to each
practicum student to meet with his or her supervisor to work out a weekly
schedule that suits both parties. This must be done before the start of spring
semester so that you can hit the ground running. Problems contacting or working
with your supervisor should be brought to my attention as quickly as possible.
I have questions.
Feel free to email me with any questions, of course.
