International Court & Tribunal Internships
2011 Rapoport Center Summer Fellow Kristian Aguilar (front row, far right) with other interns and supervisor Mario Garelli in front of the main OAS building during her internship with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
The Rapoport Center regularly facilitates judicial internship placements with international courts and tribunals, including the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia , the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, and the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia. Students and recent graduates may receive funding or academic credit for these internships.
To date, more than fifty UT Law students have taken advantage of these extraordinary internship opportunities. UT Law graduate Kenn Kern's clerkship at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia and UT Law graduate Jay Bischoff's work prosecuting genocide cases at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda highlight two stories of UT students.
"My internship has given me the opportunity to team up with
brilliant legal professionals to create a comprehensive set of
international criminal jurisprudence in response to the
Rwandan genocide. The dedication of the lawyers and judges
here, as well as the high-quality level of legal work being
carried out, has intensified my ambition and enhanced my ability
to pursue a career in international human rights law."
- Caitlin Boehne, International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (2011)
Call for Applications: Spring 2014 Internships
Application deadline: Monday, June 3, 2013
The Rapoport Center for Human Rights and Justice is now accepting applications for international human rights internships for the spring of 2014 with the following courts and tribunals. These internships typically run from three to six months. A GPA of 3.3 or higher is preferred, but not required. Participants may be eligible to receive a stipend or academic credit, depending on the placement.
International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY)
The Hague, Netherlands
Established by the UN in 1993, the ICTY is charged with prosecuting persons responsible for atrocities during the conflict in the former Yugoslavia, including Kosovo. Students work on a range of legal research, investigative work, and factual development on both procedural and substantive international criminal law issues. The internship is open to qualified third year students as well as recent graduates. Students must have strong backgrounds in international and/or criminal law. Knowledge of French or Serbo-Croat is helpful, but not required.
Inter-American Court of Human Rights
San José, Costa Rica
The Inter-American Court of Human Rights was established by the OAS in 1979 to hear claims against member states arising under the American Convention on Human Rights, other human rights treaties, and customary international law. Students will work with one of the Court's staff attorneys conducting research and drafting opinions for the cases before the Court. Applicants must have completed their third semester of law school and have a strong background in international and/or human rights law. Applicants must be fluent in Spanish (written and oral) and must be able to conduct legal research in Spanish.
Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR)
Washington, D.C.
The IACHR was created in 1959 through the Inter-American system for the promotion and protection of human rights within OAS member countries. The IACHR intern will have the unique opportunity to be supervised by an experienced attorney at the Commission. The internship is open to qualified second and third year students as well as recent graduates. Students must have a strong background in international and/or human rights law. Knowledge of Spanish (both written and oral) is strongly recommended.
Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC)
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
The ECCC is a national court established pursuant to an agreement between the Royal Government of Cambodia and the United Nations. The court was created in order try senior members of the Khmer Rouge or serious violations of Cambodian penal law, international humanitarian law and custom, and violation of international conventions recognized by Cambodia, committed during the period between 17 April 1975 and 6 January 1979. Students will work on a range of issues related to the prosecution of four senior Khmer Rouge leaders who are currently on trial. The internship is open to qualified second and third year students as well as recent graduates. Students must have a strong background in international and/or criminal law.
In addition to the placements above, we are also exploring internship options with the International Criminal Court, the Special Court for Sierra Leone, and the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. If you are interested in any of these options, please contact the Rapoport Center.
Application Process
Qualified students should submit the following items individually in PDF format via email to Rapoport Center Administrator William Chandler (wchandler@law.utexas.edu) no later than June 3, 2013:
- Cover letter (describe your interest in the internship and any relevant academic and/or practical experience; indicate whether you would prefer academic credit or a stipend)
- Resume/CV (indicate language ability, if applicable)
- Law school transcript
- List of three references (at least two must be regular Law School faculty)
- Writing sample (8-10 pages; preferably related to the work of the court/tribunal)
If applying for more than one placement, please list your internship preferences in rank order.
A faculty committee will review applications and determine which students it will nominate for each placement. Selected students would then complete the formal application process through the appropriate institution.
Additional Information
Please only apply for those internships you are willing to accept. Agreeing to serve as an intern through this program is a serious commitment to the host tribunal/institution, to the Rapoport Center, and to the Law School. We expect students who are nominated to participate and fulfill all of the requirements of their internships.
Good luck!