Position Title: Legal Intern
Start Date: January 2022
Location: Remote to start (with possibility to be based in New York thereafter)
Reports to: IJDH Senior Staff Attorneys

About Us
The Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti (IJDH) is a U.S.-based human rights nonprofit organization that has successfully helped enforce recognition and accountability to human rights in Haiti since 2004. In partnership with its Haiti-based sister organization Bureau des Avocats Internationaux (BAI), IJDH advocates, litigates, builds constituencies, and nurtures networks to create systemic pathways to justice for marginalized communities.

Position Overview
IJDH is seeking legal interns on a full- or part-time basis, who are passionate about justice and human rights. The Spring Legal Internship is an opportunity for highly motivated law students to work in a fast-paced, creative, and exciting environment on issues affecting human rights in Haiti. In partnership with the BAI, IJDH advances groundbreaking legal and advocacy work, including on UN accountability for cholera and for peacekeeper sexual exploitation and abuse, foreign aid accountability, confronting impunity for grave human rights violations and gender-based violence, and strengthening Haiti’s justice sector. Interns are fully integrated into our legal and advocacy team.

Responsibilities
Interns will work with and be supervised by IJDH attorneys on the following:

  • Domestic and international legal research and writing;
  • Legal and public advocacy that contributes to the human rights dialogue on issues that impact justice, accountability, and human rights in Haiti, including audiences before human rights bodies within the UN system and other regional and international institutions, as well as U.S. and other governments;
  • Legal strategy meetings;
  • Outreach that engages media and the public in IJDH’s legal and advocacy work, including drafting advocacy materials, talking points, and press statements, as well as contributing to social media work;
  • General project management support.

The internship is intended as a remote start, with the possibility to be in New York thereafter.

Qualifications

  • Current 2L, 3L, or LLM students;
  • Demonstrated commitment to human rights and social justice; Haiti-specific experience a strong asset;
  • Academic and/or professional experience with international and human rights law strongly preferred;
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills in English;
  • High level of initiative and self-motivation;
  • Ability to handle sensitive relationships and protect the confidentiality of our work and our communications;
  • Strong verbal and written skills in French and/or knowledge of Haitian Creole a strong asset; and
  • Available to work at minimum 20 hours per week (may be negotiable).

Funding
This is an unpaid internship. Arrangements for academic credit can be explored.

Application Procedure
Law students interested in the position of Spring Legal Intern should submit a cover letter, resume, law school transcript, short unedited writing sample (preferably from past work experience or on a topic relating to human rights), and contact information for two references as soon as possible. Please send all application materials electronically in one pdf to hiring@ijdh.org and include “Legal Intern Spring 2022” in the subject line. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until places are filled, so applicants are strongly encouraged to submit applications early.