Humanities and Communication
Course-based opportunities
Beginning in Fall 2020 students can take courses to help build key skills to be successful as students and professionals.
Legal Studies
This is a course designed specifically for students who are interested in exploring law school after completing their undergraduate degree. Open to all students--at all levels and in all majors--this course explores the roles of attorneys in society, how to prepare for law school success, the law school application process (including preparing for the Law School Admissions Test-LSAT), and various career opportunities for attorneys--from civil to criminal law.
Legal Studies Internships
Students interested in attending law school might consider an internship to explore what working in the legal field is all about. At CSUMB there are two kinds of internships--ones you obtain for personal and professional enrichment or ones you pursue for academic credit. See below for more details about your options, and some resources for how to begin your search.
If you want to explore internship options on your own--whether during the semester or during winter or summer breaks, you can certainly do so. Some internships are paid, others are not, so do you homework as you begin the process of exploring your options
To find out more, check out the the Career Development website which advertises possible internship opportunities in our region.
For more information, see the Academic Internships website and/or contact the CSUMB pre-law advisor, Dr. David A. Reichard at dreichard@csumb.edu
If you want to explore internship options for academic credit, there are a few options offered in the School of Humanities and Communication which might be of interest to pre-law students. These include:
Provides students an opportunity to earn academic credit for a hands-on learning experience in the community, in any area related to legal studies. Working with the course instructor, students research and secure their own internship sites, then complete 100 hours on site. Students in past semesters have interned with local non-profit organizations, law firms, the Monterey County District Attorney's office, the Public Defender, local police departments, courts and other agencies.
HCOM 498 is a partnership between HCOM and local civil legal aid organizations. After several weeks of workshops and hand-on training sessions, students complete internships with such organizations as the Watsonville Law Center, Legal Services for Seniors, California Rural Legal Assistance and the United Farm Workers Foundation. They gain valuable experience working with clients and local attorneys while helping to close a significant justice gap in the community--where clients in need far outnumber those providing accessible and affordable legal services.
For more information about Legal Studies and Pre Law opportunities visit the Pre Law Advising page.
How to Start the Search
Whether you're pursuing a professional enrichment or academic internship, the resources below are a great starting point to help you find the right opportunity.
Click below to explore your options. ⬇️
Law-Related Sites
- There are a a variety of civil legal aid organizations in the region, all partners of CSUMB, which often mentor interns during the semester (through one of the academic internship courses) or the summer (for professional enrichment). These include the Watsonville Law Center, Legal Services for Seniors, California Rural Legal Assistance, the United Farm Workers Foundation and the Monterey College of Law legal workshop program.
- Civil legal aid organizations in the Santa Cruz area include the Santa Cruz Immigration Project and Senior Citizens Legal Services,
- For those interested in criminal law, the Monterey County Sheriff's Department, the District Attorney for Monterey County and the Public Defender for Monterey County all have internship programs which require applications well in advance. See their websites for more details.
- CSUMB Placements is a database of all the university's community partners. Some of these sites are available for internships, others for service learning, some for both. This database gives you a good idea of the kinds of possible internship sites available in the local community
- Monterey Bay Internships advertises a variety of internships in the local community., especially for options in fields like business, human resources, local government, and media, rather than a law specific site.
- Indeed is another site that advertises internships and job opportunities in a variety of fields.
Internship Opportunities
If you're looking to gain real-world experience in the legal field while earning academic credit, there are several exciting pre-law internship opportunities available to you.
These options can help you explore potential career paths, strengthen your law school applications, and connect with professionals in the field. ⚖️
Academic Internships
These options provide academic credit for the learning experience.
Please click the dropdown below to explore more! ⬇️
HCOM 398: Legal Studies Internship
Provides students an opportunity to earn academic credit for a hands-on learning experience in the community, in any area related to legal studies. Working with the course instructor, students research and secure their own internship sites, then complete 100 hours on site. Students in past semesters have interned with local non-profit organizations, law firms, the Monterey County District Attorney's office, the Public Defender, local police departments, courts and other agencies.
HCOM 498: Legal Aid Internship
HCOM 498 is a partnership between HCOM and local civil legal aid organizations. After several weeks of workshops and hand-on training sessions, students complete internships with such organizations as the Watsonville Law Center, Legal Services for Seniors, California Rural Legal Assistance and the United Farm Workers Foundation. They gain valuable experience working with clients and local attorneys while helping to close a significant justice gap in the community--where clients in need far outnumber those providing accessible and affordable legal services.
For more information about Legal Studies and Pre Law opportunities visit the Pre Law Advising page.
Internship Placement
The Office of Internships maintains the current forms required to place you at an internship site. Remember, your instructor must pre-approve any internship site. And, please consult your internship instructor before completing any of these forms.
For sites that ARE currently long term partners of CSUMB and are found in the CSUMB Placement database, you should use this Learning Plan Agreement form.
For sites that ARE NOT currently long term partners of CSUMB and cannot be found in the CSUMB placement database, you should use this Short Term Placement Agreement form.
For ALL PLACEMENTS you must complete the Release of Liability form.
If you have any questions about internships, contact the HCOM Chair Dr. Sam Robinson at sarobinson@csumb.edu.