Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
Professional Work Placement
Other languages of instruction: Catalan, English
Teaching staff
By appointment with Reyes Alcón (Internship coordination)
ralcon@uic.es
Introduction
The Master's Degree in Legal Practice and Representation has a strong professional orientation, which makes the internship period very important. Of the 90 total ECTS of the program, 30 ECTS of supervised internships are planned. These internships are carried out, mainly, in law offices and professional services firms.
External internships (30 credits, equivalent to 750 hours) are carried out when the student already has the necessary methodological bases to develop a complete internship program for the profession of lawyer or attorney, and pursue the objective of providing support references through from the study of real cases. Consequently, it is a requirement to have passed the first semester in order to begin them. During the second semester, 6 credits of internships are carried out. In the third semester the remaining 24 credits will be taken.
External internships introduce the student to the detailed on-site analysis of relevant legal advice experience through direct contact with a law firm, attorneys or an institution with legal activity. Once the internship is completed, students must submit to the Master's Program Coordination a written and graphic report on the work developed.
The objective of these internships is the insertion of the student into the world of work, allowing the integration and application of theoretical knowledge, as well as the enhancement of the development of different skills, competencies, attitudes and aptitudes.
The internship is focused as another training tool for the student and is the beginning of reflection on where they want to develop professionally. Monitoring is carried out through the university tutor and the office tutor, on an ongoing basis. This monitoring aims to review the functions performed by the student, as well as supervise the development of the student's competencies and skills in the office: positive attitude, responsibility, commitment, punctuality, etc.
Pre-course requirements
External internships (30 credits, equivalent to 750 hours) are carried out when the student already has the necessary methodological bases to develop a complete professional internship program. Consequently, it is a requirement to have passed the first semester in order to begin them.
During the second semester, 6 credits of internships are carried out. In the third semester the remaining 24 credits will be taken.
The curricular internships are the mandatory internships of the MUAP program and are carried out between June and December on a full-time basis (see specific dates in the calendar). However, work is being done to achieve it with the Internship Coordination from the beginning of the course.
The students work in search of their internships together with the Coordinator, to achieve them. Throughout the course, a series of meetings or personal interviews are established to work on the application form of each student individually.
All internship hours will be carried out by each student in ONE single entity or firm.
The academic program has a professional career seminar specially designed to help in achieving internships and going through the first steps of professional career. Therefore, attending the sessions and the Career Forum is mandatory.
The student must complete their updated CV and the expression of preferences, within the deadlines indicated.
Once the internship begins, between July and September, the student must complete at least one follow-up tutorial with the Internship Coordinator. The date and time will be indicated in due course.
Objectives
The objective of this internship is the insertion of students into the professional world, allowing the integration and application of theoretical knowledge, as well as promoting the development of different skills, competencies, attitudes and aptitudes.
The internships are focused as another training tool for students and are the beginning of reflection on where they want to develop professionally. The monitoring is carried out through the tutoring of the university and the tutoring of the office, on an ongoing basis. This monitoring aims to review the functions performed by the students, as well as supervise the development of students' competencies and skills in the office: positive attitude, responsibility, commitment, punctuality, etc.
There is an internal and specific regulation for the internship of the Master's program due to its importance in terms of academic load and credits, in order to have a common margin of action that is known by the students, entities, etc. Thus, for example: there is a fixed and specific internship period, common to all students, which allows them to have the security of a schedule already established in advance.
Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme
- CN02 - The students will be able to reformulate the determining requirements of provision and organisation of legal counsel and procedural representation.
- CN03 - The students will be able to determine the administrative or jurisdictional instance and the action or procedure undertaken to defend the rights of the client.
- CN04 - The students will be able to determine the legal instrument appropriate to represent the interested parties before third parties, before public administrations and before the courts.
- CN05 - Students will be able to identify the legal acts that require notarial intervention and those that require registration in order to take effect.
- CP01 - Students will be able to keep professional secrecy and confidentiality in relation to the matters entrusted to them.
- CP02 - Students will be able to conduct professional work within specialised and interdisciplinary teams.
- CP03 - Students will be able to interact appropriately with citizens, institutions and other professionals.
- CP04 - The student will respect the fundamental rights of equality between men and women, and the promotion of human rights and the values inherent in a peaceful society of democratic values.
- HB09 - Students will be able to describe the different responsibilities related to the exercise of professional activity, including the basic operation of free legal aid and the promotion of social responsibility of the person practising the law.
- HB10 - The students will be able to use the most relevant techniques in each case aimed at the identification and settlement of tariff duties, tax obligations, the establishment of judicial deposits and the provision of any expenses and costs necessary to guarantee the effective judicial protection of the rights of the persons represented.
- HB11 - Students will be able to recognise situations of conflict of interest that may occur in professional practice.
- HB12 - Students will be able to use conflict resolution techniques most relevant to each situation and context properly and with their own independence of judgement.
- HB13 - Students will be able to plan the organisational structure of the professional office according to the human resources that integrate it and the type of clients to which it is addressed.
- HB14 - Students will be able to establish a protocol of economic and fiscal management, compliance and protection of occupational risks and personal data for the professional office.
- HB15 - Students will be able to use the procedures, protocols, systems, and judicial applications, that communications and cooperation with the administration of justice requires, with special attention to those of electronic, computer and telematic nature.
- HB16 - Students will be able to implement teamwork techniques aimed at achieving greater efficiency through access to information sources, knowledge of languages, knowledge management and management of applied techniques and tools.
- HB17 - Students will be able to plan the organisational structure of the professional office according to human resources involved and the type of clients it serves.
- HB18 - Students will be able to express themselves appropriately to the context and special needs or characteristics of each recipient orally and in writing.
- HB19 - Students will be able to extract legal consequences from the facts in all procedural areas with sound arguments.
Learning outcomes of the subject
The student will be able to:
- Describe the ordinary internal functioning of a professional office.
- Elaborate the necessary procedural briefs for the defence of a client.
- Apply the basic principles of substantive and procedural law.
- Identify the main problems that may arise in the course of a legal process.
- Solve professional ethical problems.
- Describe the functioning and problems of institutions related to the practice of the professions of lawyer and legal representative.
- Identify the activity of other legal operators, as well as professionals related to the practice of the legal profession.
- To relate updated information on the development of the professional career and the possible route options, as well as about tools for its management.
- Develop the competencies and skills necessary for the exercise of the legal and profession.
Syllabus
- Face professional deontological problems.
- Become familiar with the functioning and problems of institutions related to the practice of the professions of lawyer and attorney.
- Know the activity of other legal operators, as well as professionals related to the exercise of their profession.
- Receive updated information about the development of your professional career and possible lines of activity, as well as about the instruments for its management.
- In general, develop the skills and abilities necessary to practice the professions of lawyer and Legal Representative.
Teaching and learning activities
In person
The training activities that will be carried out for the external academic practice are:
- External work placements (PE): So students can observe and recognise the knowledge and skills acquired. They can see the application of everything learned in practice and experience the following relevant aspects: approach to problems, discussion and group work, proposals for the resolution of legal problems, discussion and prioritisation of problems and decision-making.
- Work placement tutorials (TP): In work placements the student will have a team of tutors who will follow up and supervise them with personalised support and advice during the placement. The students will initially be closely managed, and as the practice progresses, the student will become more autonomous and integrated demonstrating initiative. At this later stage the team of tutors will only serve as a reference.
The teaching methodologies to be used in external academic practice are as follows:
- Individual and/or group work (TIG): Individual work, through study, a search for information, data processing and the internalisation of knowledge will allow students to consolidate their learning. Where the tutor of the collaborating entity and the academic tutor offers objective information to the student to help them in their personal progress, knowledge of their own actions, to become aware of the effects of the action on themselves or others, boosting self-esteem and improving learning.
Evaluation systems and criteria
In person
The evaluation systems used in compulsory subjects are:
- Work placement tutor report (ITP): The persons designated as tutors of the work placements will prepare a report on the level of use and the acquisition of related competencies of the students.
- Final work placement report (MFP): Students must complete an explanatory report of their experience during the work placement, giving an account of how they utilised their time, as well as the skills developed.