Calling all law graduates with practical experience in international law! Apply for the 2010 United Nations International Law Fellowship Program and get a chance to further your knowledge and career in the field.
This six-week summer course is offered by the U.N. Office of Legal Affairs Codification Division and is open to young teachers of international law and midlevel government legal officers from developing and emerging countries.
Fellows who would qualify for the program will benefit from public international law courses at the Hague Academy of International Law in the Netherlands. They will also participate in seminars and lectures hosted by the U.N. Legal Affairs' Codification Division.
Topics to be covered by the classes and seminars include international environmental law, treaty law, international humanitarian law, international human rights law, and international criminal law.
The program is traditionally conducted either in French or English, with the 2010 program set to be delivered in French. It will run from July 5 to Aug. 13, 2010.
Proficiency in the French language, needless to say, is the top requirement that interested legal professionals must fulfill. Program candidates are required to present language test certificates, proof of work experience in French, and other evidence to prove they will be able to attend, participate and understand the discussions in class and during conferences.
Other than language proficiency, the fellowship program requires candidates to be law graduates aged between 24 and 40 years old. They should have practical experience in international law, either by working for a university or for any public or private organization.
But aside from their personal qualifications, candidates will also be assessed based on their countries of origin. The U.N. Legal Affairs said it will give preference to candidates from least developed countries.
Legal professionals from countries whose nationals were awarded fellowship in 2009 are discouraged to apply as their applications would not be honored.
Countries disqualified from the 2010 program are the Bahamas, Belarus, Bhutan, Bolivia, Cape Verde, Fiji, Jordan, Lesotho, Liberia, Samoa, Suriname, Swaziland, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Trinidad and Tobago, and Uganda. If you are a national from any of these countries, it is best to put off your application until the next batch in 2011.
If you want to try your hand at this fellowship program, you can download an application form from the fellowship program's Web site and submit it before the Feb. 12, 2010 deadline.
