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Legal Policy Internship Program

The Victoria Law Foundation is coordinating a Legal Policy Internship Program, for law students with a career interest in:

• legal research
• policy development
• community legal education (including legal publishing)
• legal and community sector capacity-building and development

Placements will be made with a number of public sector organisations:

• Aboriginal Family Violence Prevention Legal Service
• Banking and Finance Services Industry Ombudsman
• Court Network
• Department of Justice
    Court Services
    Courts and Programs Development Unit
    Crown Counsel
    Dispute Settlement Centre of Vic
    Family Violence Magistrate's Court
    Freedom of Information
    Office of Supreme Court Master Lansdowne
    Women's Policy Branch at Victims' Support Agency
• Institute of Public Administration
• Judicial College of Victoria
• Liberty Victoria
• National Institute of Forensic Science
• Office of the Public Advocate
• Sentencing Advisory Council
• Tenants Union of Victoria
• Victoria Law Foundation
• Victoria Police
• Victorian Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders
• Victorian Bar
• Victorian Council of Social Services
• Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission
• Victorian Law Reform Commission

It is anticipated that other public sector organisations will join the scheme over time. The Foundation aims to match the interests of students who apply for the program, with the needs of the various organisations.

Nature of the Internship

The internship will generally operate as follows, although arrangements may differ between organisations/agencies:

• The internships will be four weeks in length, either full time as a four week block or on a part time basis over an extended period of time depending on the needs of the organisation. The internships will take place during the mid-year break (July) and the summer break (December/January). The number of positions available may vary, once again depending on the needs of the various agencies.
• The internship experience will provide students with the opportunity to develop their skills in a range of areas including legal research, policy research, event/project management, legal and community sector capacity building, marketing and publishing, and administration and office management.
• Interns will have the opportunity to work with public sector agencies, community groups, industry, government, the judiciary and other legal institutions.
• The Foundation will provide support and general supervision throughout the internship. The Foundation will also facilitate interaction between the various interns and will offer a series of skills workshops to all interns. Direct project supervision will be provided by the agency in which the intern is placed.
• The Foundation will provide its own interns with a modest weekly honorarium designed to cover transport, meals and other incidental costs of the work placement. Rates of remuneration may differ between agencies.
• Please note that internships should not be undertaken in order to obtain credit toward a university law subject.

Selection Criteria

Successful applicants will be enrolled in a Victorian law course and possess:

• strong research skills, especially in the use of electronic databases;
• strong interpersonal skills and excellent oral and written communication skills;
• initiative to be a self-starter;
• capacity to work as part of a team;
• strong organisational and administrative skills;
• a commitment to community building and public sector development.

Membership of an equity group will be taken into consideration.

Application Process

The internship program is open to law students of all levels, although later year students are encouraged to apply. Applications should include the following:

• covering letter of no more than two pages, outlining relevant experience and interests
• indication of which agency/organisation you would prefer to be placed;
• curriculum vitae and the names of two referees;
• summary of results (official transcript is not required).

Applications should be forwarded to:

Internship Manager
Victoria Law Foundation
Level 5, 43 Hardware Lane
Melbourne VIC 3000
Telephone: (03) 9604 8100
Email: i n t e r n s h i p @ v i c t o r i a l a w . o r g . a u

The Foundation will accept applications for Legal Policy Internships from Monday 7 January 2008 until Friday 18 April 2008. Interviews will be conducted early May 2008. A decision will be made in early June 2008 for both mid-year and summer placements. Unsuccessful applicants are eligible to reapply in a later year.

Frequently asked questions