should review the regulations established by
the US Department of Labor in Fact Sheet
#71: Internship Programs Under The Fair
Labor Standards Act before accepting unpaid
positions. If a student's present unpaid expe-
rience does not meet these six educational
standards, encourage self-defense, as their
advisors are breaking the law. Such self-advo-
cacy can work; in one of many recent intern-
instigated trials, two unpaid interns who
worked on the Oscar-winning film Black
Swan won a landmark case against 20th
Century Fox upon testifying that they car-
ried out menial work with little educational
value, contrary to US Department of Labor
regulations for unpaid positions.
Ultimately, the decision is personal: if one
disagrees with the practice, one should not
participate. Yet, if an unpaid internship is
accepted, it should be done so consciously
and actively, so to enhance one's education,
protect one's rights, and decrease class dis-
crimination.
LEAH FESSLER is a graduate of Wellesley High School
and is currently a junior studying English Literature at
Middlebury College. She can be reached via e-mail at
LeahFessler8@gmail.com.
1 www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2012/03/21/
nine-steps-to-getting-the-internship-you-want/
2 The Supreme Court established six factors in decid-
ing whether an unpaid internship was legal in Walling v.
Portland Terminal Co. These factors are explained in
this article: www.forbes.com/sites/theyec/2013/04/
19/6-legal-requirements-for-unpaid-internship-
programs/ 6 part test for legality of unpaid internship
as defined by DOL: www.dol.gov/whd/regs/
compliance/whdfs71.htm (Fact sheet 71)
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opinion sound off town green my turn
040-043_WWMa14_forum_internships_v2_WellesleyWeston Magazine 2/1/14 3:25 PM Page 43