Plan Your Co-ops

Experience the Difference

As a first-year student, you’ll be immersed in a 1L professional development program that exposes you to a wide variety of legal practice areas and prepares you to go on co-op.

Also starting during your 1L year, and throughout your time at Northeastern, you will benefit from one-on-one guidance from an experienced advisor in the Center for Co-op and Career Development. Together, you’ll chart a strategy through the co-op program designed to help you gain the relevant experience, comprehensive skills and professional networking contacts to forge a meaningful and fulfilling path through law school and beyond.

Process

The co-op hiring process generally takes place approximately four months before the start of the next term (some federal government and summer associate positions hire up to a full year in advance). As part of the overall co-op process, employers are sent the resumes of students who have indicated an interest in working for them. Employers select those students they wish to interview, contact them through the Center for Co-op and Career Development and then hire by mutual agreement. Students may also apply directly to a range of employers who have ongoing relationships with the co-op program or design their own co-op with input from a co-op advisor.

Compensation

Employers determine student compensation. Salaries range widely, from unpaid volunteer positions to modest stipends to up to $3,500 per week for large private US law firms. In some instances, funding may be available for government and nonprofit employers through the federal Work-Study program. Limited co-op stipends are distributed to selected students participating in public interest-related experiential learning opportunities.

Evaluations

At the conclusion of a co-op, employers are required to evaluate the performance of their co-op interns. These performance evaluations become part of each student’s permanent academic record and are very useful when students go on the post-graduate job market. Likewise, students are required to submit evaluations of their co-op experiences. These "Quality Questionnaires" are a student’s opportunity to report on their co-op experience and to provide fellow students with insights about particular workplaces.