INTERNSHIPS
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CEJIL’s internship program is primarily directed at students or graduates who wish to gain practical experience in the human rights field in accordance with his or her area of study. Presently, there are three types of internships at CEJIL: legal, press and communications, and administrative.
The internships can be carried out in any of our four offices: Washington DC (USA), San José (Costa Rica), Río de Janeiro (Brazil) and Buenos Aires (Argentina).
Interns must participate for a minimum of 3 months, although in exceptional cases a smaller stay may be granted. During this time is necessary to have an insurance.
We regret that CEJIL is not able to provide any financial compensation to its interns, but we are always willing to hire interns who have received grants and fellowships through other organizations.
CEJIL is not responsible for making any visa arrangements. Upon acceptance into the program, and if the intern so wishes, CEJIL will mail him or her an official letter of acceptance.
For internships in the offices of DC, applicants must send their résumés and cover letters indicating which type of internship they seek. Please send all materials to washington@cejil.org.
For those who wish to intern in the San José office click here.
For those who wish to intern in the Buenos Aires office click here.
Interships at our Buenos Aires headquarters will be available after August, 2007.
For those who wish to intern in the Sao Paulo office click here.
Legal Interns
Typical Applicants.
Principally for law students or law graduates interested in a career in international human rights law, with a particular interest in Latin America. Students or graduates with careers oriented towards human rights work will also be considered.
Requirements
- Solid command of the Spanish language. Knowledge of Portuguese and/or English are valuable, depending also upon the office where the internship is held.
- Excellent writing skills.
- Ability to handle a wide variety of tasks.
- Previous experience with NGOs is a plus.
Job Description
Legal interns are paired with a CEJIL staff attorney and are actively involved in three areas of work: the Legal Defense Program, the Training and Dissemination Program, and the Campaign to Strengthen the Inter-American System Interns will collaborate with his/her tutor in the work on cases before the Commission and the Inter-American Court. This could include researching the case background and precedents, helping to draft and edit briefs, attending hearings, developing legal arguments, and communicating with client NGOs.
The interns may also be asked to research broader issues about a specific subject, such as background for the elaboration of amicus curiae, for publications, or to promote knowledge within CEJIL’s staff and interns.
Intern tasks also include some involvement in the daily affairs of CEJIL as an NGO, which could mean taking care of the coordination of meetings and conferences, revising and translating institutional documents and publications, supporting fundraising tasks and participating in staff meetings.
Legal interns should also be able to perform basic administrative tasks when necessary.
Objectives
By the end of their internships, legal interns can expect to possess hands-on experience litigating cases before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, a comprehensive and realistic understanding of the Inter-American human rights protection system (as well as some grasp of its sibling systems in Europe and Africa), an in-depth knowledge about the human rights situation in Latin America, and practical experience in the day to day operation of an international NGO, including institutional development.
Press and Communications Interns
Typical Applicants
We consider students or graduates with concentrations in communications or journalism that are interested in working in promoting and protecting human rights, with a particular emphasis in Latin America. Students or graduates with a career orientation towards human rights work are also considered.
Requirements
- Solid Spanish language skills. Knowledge of Portuguese and/or English is valuable, depending upon the office where the internship is held.
- Excellent writing skills in both English and Spanish.
- Able to work in teams and with an editor.
- Great researching skills.
- The ability to translate will be especially valued.
- Experience working in NGOs is a plus.
Job Description
The communications interns will be actively involved in the areas of training and dissemination of CEJIL under the guidance of a staff member in charge of this area.
The intern will collaborate in the areas of research, writing and editing documents and CEJIL’s circulation materials, such as press releases, public statements, annual reports, information bulletins, newspaper articles, etc.
The intern will have the opportunity to attend the hearings of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights or of the Inter-American Court (depending on which office the intern is placed).
This internship also includes the updating of distribution materials, assisting in the coordination of press conferences, meetings with journalists, and the organization and coordination of press interviews with staff members.
Intern tasks also include some involvement in the daily affairs of CEJIL, which could mean taking care of the coordination of meetings and conferences and performing basic administrative tasks when necessary.
Objectives
By the end of their internships, press and communications interns can expect to possess practical experience in communication strategies to promote human rights through the Inter-American human rights protection system, an in-depth knowledge about the Inter-American system and the human rights situation in Latin America.
Administrative Internships
Typical Applicants
College students who are interested in the management and administration of funds, general administrative tasks, translation of materials, coordination of publications, all linked to the defense and protection of human rights in Latin America.
Requirements
- Solid Spanish language skills. Knowledge of Portuguese and/or English is valuable, depending upon the office where the internship is held.
- Excellent writing skills.
- Willingness and ability to handle a wide variety of tasks.
- Experience working in NGOs is a plus.
Job Description
Administrative interns work as assistants to the entire CEJIL staff in a variety of capacities. They act primarily in coordination with the staff associate.
This role includes writing and editing grant proposals and reports, reviewing and organizing legal documents, translating documents, drafting correspondence and editing publications as well as assisting with basic office tasks.
In addition, administrative interns may be called upon for support by any of the CEJIL staff. Such requests range from basic clerical assistance through the assignment of small research projects.
Administrative interns are also encouraged to follow the progress of cases, to participate in staff meetings and to attend the Inter-American Commission’s bi-annual hearings.
Objectives
At the end of the internship, undergraduate interns can expect to possess a comprehensive knowledge of the function of the Inter-American human rights protection system, a firm grasp of the human rights situation in Latin America and extensive practical experience in the day-to-day operation of an international NGO.
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