James5

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I’ve realised that this could be much more useful as a wiki, so I’ve set one up! Head over to InternWiki to contribute any good internship opportunities you know of (or just to correct my grammar).

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With only 18 (extremely busy) months left in my undergrad degree, I’m starting to think about the world beyond university. While I think I will be applying for articles at some big corporate law firm (more on that later), I’ve got eight months between when university ends and I don my suit for my 12 months indenture.

In those eight months I’m hoping to travel, see the world and do some internships at some international legal institutions (humanitarian, trade or development). I’ve started my research into who takes undergrad (or recently graduated) law interns, where they are and what the cost is and have some of the results here. Let me know in the comments if you know of any recommendations.

It appears that there are quite a few opportunities for people interested in international law. A few provisos though:

First, virtually all of these programs are unpaid and you won’t be able to work elsewhere while doing the internship. That means doing a 6 month internship is quite a costly exercise. Especially as many of these institutions are in places like New York, London and Geneva - some of the world’s most expensive cities.

Second, they all emphasise that a second language is greatly appreciated. Most of these institutions work in both French and English, so I’m aiming to learn French a bit better by June (when I head to Geneva for 3 weeks), but many also appreciate languages such as Arabic and local dialects (eg. Special Court for Sierra Leone, ICTR).

Finally, while they all emphasise academic achievement and the need for either an undergrad degree or admittance to a post-grad degree, it doesn’t hurt to apply no matter how bad you think your grades are and don’t get hung up on the technicalities of which year level your at. Just make sure your cover letter is passionate and your resumé shows why you care and why you should get the position.

The International Criminal Court in the Hague

The ICC has an internship program for each the Presidency and Chambers, the Office of the Prosecutor and the Registry.

Each Organ has specific requirements and offers specific opportunities for interns, and have separate application procedures, with differing closing dates. You can only apply to one Organ at a time.

While interns don’t receive remuneration for their work, there is an EC grant program available that covers the cost of living in the Hague, approximately €350 per month.

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Amnesty International

Amnesty International utilises a wide range of interns for a variety of functions including: web design, press monitoring, translation, fundraising and general administration.

Internships are available at the London, New York and Geneva offices and are generally recruited for between 4 and 6 months.

For law students Amnesty runs the Legal and International Organizations Internship Program. The Program runs for either 6 months and interns travel costs are paid for, as well as a stipend to cover daily expenses and lunch.

I haven’t been able to find out much about this program currently, but you can check out this pdf for information from 2003.

Also check out their many volunteer opportunities.

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Human Rights Watch

HRW offers internships to both undergrads and graduates, in New York, London, Los Angeles, Washington DC, Brussels and Berlin.

The work is primarily administrative and clerical, but projects are assigned as they arrive including research, document drafting and translation. Interns are unpaid, but scholarships are available for some US interns.

Their site lists the current opportunities.

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International Commission of Jurists

The ICJ takes both legal and non-legal interns for between 2 to 6 months. You must be between 22 and 28 years old to take part.

ICJ Interns become part of a team of junior support staff and their responsibilities are based on the intern’s interests as well as the needs of the ICJ. All interns will be expected to undertake some administrative duties in addition to their substantive tasks. Interns are assigned a designated supervisor for the duration of their internship, who will act as mentor and ensure the diversity of professional experiences offered to interns.

The ICJ internship is unfunded, though the ICJ does have discretion to pay for some travel costs and lunches.

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Permanent Court of Arbitration

The PCA’s internship program is open to applicants who have completed one year of a JD or LLB program. It offers applicants the opportunity to work with an international arbitration institutions.

Interns are expected to participate to the greatest extent possible in the regular functioning of the organization. The PCA aims to offer a balance of legal and administrative assignments, enabling interns to gain insight into both the practical and legal aspects of international arbitration.

The program operates year round with 4 terms of 3 months each.

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Special Court for Sierra Leone

The SC SL runs internships for periods of 6 months.

Interns in the Registry, Office of the Prosecutor, the Defence Office and Chambers should have a first level degree qualification preferably in law. Interns in the Public Affairs Office, Court Management, Outreach and other offices require no formal qualifications.

Interns are given the opportunity to work on current cases, prepare decisions, draft opinions and work on overall issues surrounding the Court, or participate in taking information about the Court to the people of Sierra Leone as part of the Outreach or Public Affairs teams.

Each department of the Court has different requirements for interns.

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See also

There are quite a few more institutions that take interns, for example the Bretton Woods Institutions:

• The World Trade Organization
• The World Bank
• The International Monetary Fund

I haven’t had time to type up their details, hopefully more will come later!

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