Paralegal Studies (BA/BS)

• Students will demonstrate legal knowledge of substantive and procedural law necessary to perform substantive legal work under the direction of an attorney.
• Students will demonstrate practical skills necessary to perform substantive legal work under the direction of an attorney.
• Students will demonstrate competency in legal research and writing.
• Students will demonstrate an understanding of their ethical responsibility in the legal profession.
• Students will utilize technology necessary to meet employer needs.

The paralegal internship with the ETAMU Paralegal Studies Program allows students to gain paralegal experience by working in approved internship placements such as a District or County Attorney’s office or private law firm.

Students must register for PLGL 426 and work 160 hours performing paralegal tasks at an approved internship placement. You will need to contact the internship instructor for qualification verification prior to registration.

Qualification for Internship

Paralegal students must complete at least 18 semester hours of paralegal specialty credit in order to qualify for the internship course.

Applying

Students must submit:

• A cover letter of application indicating their qualifications and interest in an internship before registering for the internship course.

• A current resume (be sure to include an e-mail address and a phone number
  where you can be reached during the semester).

Selection Process

After the letter of application and resume have been submitted, the internship instructor will verify the student’s qualifications for the internship. If qualified, the student will then be given a permit to register for the internship course and the instructor will set an appointment with the student to discuss the internship.

After the initial meeting with the internship instructor, students will begin the search for an internship sponsor. Students will be responsible for contacting the individual organizations and scheduling interviews with potential sponsors. All interviews must be completed no later than the first week of university classes. If after a diligent search, a student is unable to find an internship placement, the internship instructor will assist the student with securing a placement.

Students will submit the contact information of potential sponsors to the internship instructor for approval. Within one week, the internship instructor will contact the potential sponsor to discuss the internship policy and program expectations. The instructor will notify the student of the final approval status of the potential sponsor. If the sponsor is approved, the student will meet with the internship instructor to review internship documents. The program’s internship training agreement is then sent to the approved sponsor for signature.

Evaluation and Monitoring

The student must attend class meetings at predetermined days and times during the semester for which they are enrolled in the paralegal internship course. The intern must be present at all class meetings. The student must convey an oral summary of the internship experience at each meeting in order for the program director to evaluate progress, assignments, and to identify any problems. Practical skills assignments are also due and evaluated at the class meetings.

Student interns are evaluated by consideration of the following:

• Weekly timesheets (signed by the supervising attorney or supervising paralegal)
• Weekly journals

• Participation in mock interview
• Resume and Cover Letter
• Final Paper
• Final Oral Presentation
• Internship Sponsor Evaluations

The students and sponsors are encouraged to contact the internship instructor any time throughout the internship placement. If there is a problem that cannot be corrected, the internship instructor will place the student with another internship sponsor.

The following courses can be completed at Collin County Community College District, Dallas College, El Centro College, or any university or junior college with an ABA-approved paralegal program and transferred to East Texas A&M for credit:

• Introduction to Law or Jurisprudence
• Legal Research
• Probate
• Family Law

The granting of credit for any of the above transferable courses taken at non-ABA-approved paralegal programs is subject to the following requirements:

• The course must have been completed at a regionally-accredited university or junior college.
• The transfer student must provide a copy of the course title and description in his/her institution's most recent catalog, copy of the course syllabus, as well as a sample of assignments given in the course, for evaluation by the program director. The program director will make the final decision regarding the transferability of courses.

For both ABA- and non-ABA-approved programs, a grade of “C” or higher must be earned in each transferable course to be accepted.