The IBTL Summer Internship affords law students enrolled at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law an opportunity to gain exposure to both private legal practice and scholarly exposure to international business and trade law during the summer following their second year of law school. Students spend part of the summer (usually the first part) working at the sponsoring firm, and another portion (4-8 weeks) working for a professor in the area of international business and trade law. The exposure to private practice and academic pursuits is a complement to the students' overall learning and deepens the understanding of the interface between these areas.
How does it work?
Under the Program, students spend part of the summer working at a law firm (typically the first part) and part of the summer as a research assistant under the supervision of a faculty member (from 4-8 weeks depending on the firm). While students are working at the sponsoring law firm, they are integrated as fully as possible into the law firm's summer program and are included in social and other events held by the law firm during the summer. Each sponsoring law firm remunerates its Summer Internship students for the duration of the entire summer. A list of sponsoring firms is available in UTLawcareers.ca (password-protected).
During the "scholarly" component of the summer, each student works closely with a faculty member who is engaged in research in the international business and trade law area. In most cases, students provide a faculty member with research assistance on a topic that the faculty member is investigating. In a few exceptional cases, a student may be given permission to pursue a research topic of his or her own choice under the supervision of a faculty member. Students who participate in the Summer Internship Program are expected to endeavour to prepare or help in the preparation of an article for publication that is based on their summer research.
To be eligible for the Program, students first obtain a summer job with a sponsoring law firm during the regular fall recruitment period and speak to the Recruitment Coordinator about their interest in the Program. Students then submit an application form by November 30th to the Director, Career Services. The application form is available in UTLawcareers.ca (password-protected). Once a suitable host organization has agreed to supervise the internship, students submit a a one page proposal outlining their internship plan. This proposal is due in the CDO by March 1st. For more details on how to apply, see the Summer Internship Program: How to Apply page and the application form.
Which law professors are participating in the IBTL Summer Internship Program?
Professor Benjamin Alarie
International tax and comparative tax policy
Professor Abraham Drassinower
Comparative copyright and trademark law; including relations between developing and developed countries
Professor Edward Iacobucci
Comparative competition policy, comparative corporate law and corporate finance
Professor Ian Lee
Comparative corporate law; international corporate finance; and international economic integration
Professor Jeffrey MacIntosh
International venture capital; international corporate law and securities regulation, comparative stock exchange regulation and regulation of initial public offerings; financing small technology firms
Professor Michael Trebilcock
International trade law; international regulation and deregulation; competition law; international consumer law; international economic integration; law and development
What kind of experience will I gain as an intern?
International business and trade law encompasses international conventions and rulings, domestic laws and regulations, and practices of both international and domestic agencies as they impact upon transactions executed across international boundaries. Although there are some areas of international business and trade law, such as international trade rules, that are exclusively within the domain of international law, most areas of international business and trade law straddle the domestic and international legal spheres. For instance, securities law, commercial and contract law, tax law, corporate law, bankruptcy and insolvency law, labour law and intellectual property law all have both domestic and international dimensions, and consequently fall within the ambit of international business and trade law.
