Deadline: on a rolling basis
Open to: law students
Scholarship: none
PILnet (former Public Interest Law Initiative in Transitional Societies) envisions a world where rule of law, as developed and supported within a wide variety of countries, delivers justice and protects human rights. PILnet connects with local partners to develop the institutions essential to rights-respecting societies. It inspires lawyers to serve the public interest, strengthens the ability of civil society to help shape law and policy and makes formal systems of justice more accessible.
PILnet offers unpaid internships for students willing to gain experience in the promotion of public interest advocacy and human rights in Europe and Asia. Internships are normally ten to twelve weeks in length, 40 hours a week, and are offered in the spring (February to May), summer (June to August), and fall (September to November) of each year, depending on the needs of each PILnet office.
Interns can expect to work for PILnet’s communications staff and/or in one or more of the following areas:
Pro Bono
Legal Aid Reform
Legal Education Reform
Interns are selected based on the following considerations:
- Demonstrated commitment to public interest law and human rights principles
- Knowledge of one or more language(s) of the countries where PILnet programs are being implemented
- Understanding of what PILnet does
- Communication skill
- Academic achievement
- Candidates interested in being an intern in the Beijing office must be fluent in Mandarin
Application
Applications for PILnet internships are accepted and decided upon on a rolling basis. Applicants are requested to submit the following documents:
1. A cover letter describing your interest in an internship at PILnet, including specific program areas and/or projects on which you would like to work, relevant theoretical and/or practical experience, and the specific time period of your proposed internship. Your letter should also make clear your understanding that the internship is non-remunerated, and should identify external sources of funding for the internship.
2. A curriculum vitae, including contact information for two people who can comment on the applicant’s potential to undertake a PILnet internship successfully.
3. A law school transcript.
Applications should be submitted to the office where the internship will take place:
Beijing office: Jingjing Zhang at jzhang[at]PILnet.org
Budapest office: Reka Varkonyi at rvarkonyi[at]PILnet.org
Moscow office: Dima Shabelnikov at dshabelnikov[at]PILnet.org
