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Course Based Opportunities and Internships

Pre-Law

Hands on experience is an important part of preparing for law school and legal careers. Through coursework and internships, students can build critical thinking, research, writing, and professional skills while exploring areas of interest within the legal field.

HCOM 399 Pathways to Legal Professions

Designed for students interested in exploring law school after completing their undergraduate degree, this course is open to students at all levels and in all majors. The course examines the role of attorneys in society, preparation strategies for law school success, the law school application process including LSAT preparation, and career pathways ranging from civil to criminal law.

Legal Studies Internships

Students considering law school are encouraged to gain hands on experience in legal settings. At CSUMB, internships may be pursued for:

• Professional enrichment, independently secured
• Academic credit through HCOM courses

Some internships are paid and others are unpaid. Students should research opportunities carefully and plan ahead, as some positions require early applications.

To begin exploring opportunities, visit the Career Development website and the Academic Internships website, or contact the CSUMB Pre-Law Advisor, Kaiqi Hua.

The following HCOM courses allow students to earn academic credit for legal internships.

HCOM 398 Legal Studies Internship

Students secure their own internship site and complete 100 hours of supervised fieldwork in a legal setting. Past placements include local nonprofit organizations, law firms, the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office, the Public Defender’s Office, local police departments, courts, and other agencies.

HCOM 498 Legal Aid Internship

This course partners with local civil legal aid organizations. After participating in workshops and training sessions, students complete internships with organizations such as:

• Watsonville Law Center
• Legal Services for Seniors
• California Rural Legal Assistance
• United Farm Workers Foundation

Students gain experience working with clients and attorneys while contributing to access to justice efforts in the community.

For more information about Legal Studies and Pre-Law opportunities, visit the Law School Admissions page.

How to Start Your Search

Whether you are pursuing a professional enrichment internship or academic credit, the following resources can help you begin.

Local civil legal aid partners often mentor interns during the semester or summer, including:

• Watsonville Law Center
• Legal Services for Seniors
• California Rural Legal Assistance
• United Farm Workers Foundation
• Monterey College of Law legal workshop program
• Santa Cruz Immigration Project
• Senior Citizens Legal Services

For students interested in criminal law, explore internship programs with:

• Monterey County Sheriff’s Department
• Monterey County District Attorney
• Monterey County Public Defender

Applications for these programs typically require advance planning.

• CSUMB Placements database
• Monterey Bay Internships
• Indeed

These platforms list internship opportunities across a range of fields, including government, nonprofit, business, and media.

Internship Placement Requirements

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, Phuong Nguyen.