The Unpaid Internship: Benefits, Drawbacks, and Legal Issues

Abstract

This article hopes to clear up some of the confusion surrounding unpaid internships by discussing who participates in such internships, the merits and drawbacks relative to paid internships, and the relevant legal issues. This summary of existing research provides several key insights, which are of interest to potential interns as well as educators. For students, the literature suggests that unpaid internships are different from their paid counterparts in a variety of ways and pose certain risks that paid internships do not. On an institutional level, this paper documents the unique legal environment surrounding the unpaid internship and notes the unique liabilities program administrators may face if they fail to act with caution.