ABA ROLI Legal Internship/Fellowship Program (intern)

Job Description

The American Bar Association Rule of Law Legal Internship/Fellowship Program

The American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI) is pleased to consider applications for its Summer 2017 Internship/Fellowship Program. ABA ROLI serves as the international development wing of the American Bar Association and seeks to promote justice, economic opportunity, and human dignity through the rule of law. ABA ROLI seeks interns and fellows to assist headquarters staff with a wide variety of the day-to-day support functions that are pertinent to the operations of an international NGO. Legal internships and fellowships are available to graduate students, law students, and recent graduates of post-grad degree programs depending on current staffing needs. Dates and daily schedules may be flexible in response to departmental needs, and correspond roughly to academic terms for spring, summer, and fall semesters. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and only candidates selected for interviews will be contacted.

Terms of the Program:

Interns and fellows for ABA ROLI will work with staff of their assigned division to gain an understanding of international development programs and international rule of law issues. In general, ABA ROLI offers International Development and Legal internships/fellowships, which differ somewhat in their expected responsibilities and desired applicant profiles. International Development openings will support various aspects of program implementation for DC-based regional and support teams, while Legal openings will be more heavily research-based and tailored toward graduate and law students. For more information on the ABA ROLI International Development Internship Program, please visit: https://www.devex.com/en/jobs/472235

Although these are unpaid positions, interns at ABA ROLI are eligible for a wide variety of perks and learning opportunities including:

• Transportation reimbursement up to $15.00/day
• Field trips to D.C. legal destinations such as the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Supreme Court and Library of Congress
• Brown-bag lunches with ABA ROLI staff and guest speakers

How to apply: If you are interested in an ABA ROLI internship/fellowship, please submit a resume and cover letter indicating your preference from the list of positions below, as well as your availability for the summer semester. If you are interested in being considered for all openings, please indicate that you are interested as a “Generalist.” ABA ROLI will try to match candidates to their top choice whenever possible, but highly value candidate flexibility throughout the selection process.

Qualifications:

While the hiring needs of each individual opening may differ, ABA ROLI generally requires the following qualifications for all legal internships/fellowships:

• JD/LL.M students or recent graduates or internationals with a LL.B or foreign equivalent seeking relevant postgraduate international affairs degree;
• Strong commitment to public interest law and/or international development, as evidenced by relevant experience and coursework;
• Excellent research, writing, and analytical skills;
• Proficiency with MS Office;
• International development experience highly desirable but not required; knowledge of foreign languages is a plus;

Available Internships:

Please indicate your internship/fellowship preference in your cover letter. ABA ROLI welcomes “Generalist” internship applications.

Legal Internships:

• Anti-Trafficking in Persons Legal Intern/Fellow(grad or law students only)
  • Conduct legal and contextual research on topics of mutual interest identified through discussion with ROLI regional divisions and the Research, Evaluation, and Learning office; analyze de jure information to examine the legal and policy frameworks related to trafficking in persons in sub-Saharan Africa
• Gender Equality Legal Intern/Fellow (grad or law students only)
  • Conduct in-depth legal research on the status of women and LGBT people; write assigned sections of assessment reports, manuals, and technical guides; assist in developing training modules and presentations; organize panel discussions, brownbag lunches, and other events; respond to research requests from DC and field-based staff; provide technical support to the Gender Practice Group

About the Organization

ABA ROLI is a non-profit pro­gram that implements legal reform programs in roughly 50 countries around the world. ABA ROLI has nearly 500 professional staff work­ing abroad and in its Washington, D.C. office. ABA ROLI’s host country partners include judges, lawyers, bar associations, law schools, court administrators, legislatures, ministries of justice and a wide array of civil society organi­zations, including human rights groups.