Legal Affairs Internship at the United Nations in the Netherlands

The Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) for the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (Mechanism) calls candidates to participate in an internship under the supervision and direction of prosecutors in the Appeals/ or Core Section – The Hague Branch. Interns will operate in one of these sections within the OTP, but may also be assigned work from other sections, depending on the needs of the Office.

Responsibilities 

In the Appeals Section, legal interns assist OTP appeals counsel in conducting legal and factual research and drafting memoranda on issues of international humanitarian law and international and comparative criminal law and procedure, finalizing appellate filings, and preparing for hearings before the Appeals Chamber. In the Core Section, interns may work on a range of issues related to the continuing functions of the Mechanism, including review and contempt investigations and proceedings, other post-conviction litigation, fugitive tracking, assistance to national authorities, and capacity-building initiatives. Furthermore, interns may also perform tasks such as cite checking and compiling and collating legal materials.

Requirements 

Candidates must have the following qualifications in order to be eligible for this Legal Affairs Internship at the United Nations in the Netherlands.

• Candidates for legal internships in the Office of the Prosecutor should be, at a minimum, in their final year of university legal studies.
• If the candidate has already completed a four-year undergraduate university degree before commencing graduate legal studies, he or she must have completed at least one year of graduate legal studies by the time the internship commences.
• It is particularly useful for interns to have legal training or experience in international criminal or humanitarian law. Applicants must be computer literate in standard software applications.
• The applicant must be at least 18 years old.
• Applicants are not necessary to have professional work experience for participation in the program but however previous legal experience is an asset.
• Fluency in oral and written English is mandatory for this position. In addition to that, knowledge of other languages, particularly Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian, is an asset.

Application Procedure 

Interested candidates must Apply Online for this position. Candidates must also submit the following documents in addition to their online application

• Completed Intern Acceptance and Undertaking as well as completed Internship preference and availability forms.
• Two (2) letters of recommendation.
• Copies of university/law studies transcripts (including courses taken and grades received).
• A photocopy of valid medical insurance OR a signed statement confirming that the candidates intend to obtain medical insurance while they are in the Netherlands.
• A sample of written work preferably in a field relevant to the work of the Mechanism and not longer than ten pages.

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