The Center for Human Rights and Global Justice (CHRGJ) is accepting applications for its 2024 cohort of International Law and Human Rights Fellowship.

The program offers the opportunity for currently enrolled NYU School of Law students to gain education in the theory and practice of international and human rights law. 

Program Components

INTERNSHIP PLACEMENT
A 10-12 week funded internship to take place either in Summer 2024 or Fall 2024 at an organization working in human rights or international law. 

2024 Placements 

• The 2024 ILHR Fellowship Placement document outlines each organization’s placement duration (10 or 12 weeks), timing (Summer or Fall), modality, and recruiting process. 
• Some organizations have an additional layer to the CHRGJ selection process, and may require separate application materials or interviews. 
  • Fellows are expected to submit any additional materials requested in an expeditious manner and keep CHRGJ appraised. 
• • No placement will be final until approved by the respective organization. 
• For organizations requiring a 12-week minimum stay:
  • These periods are longer than the minimum required by the PILC Summer Funding Program
  • Please factor in the cost and other law school requirements and activities when committing to this longer period. 
• LLM Fellows may opt to begin their internship in the Fall if:
  • the placement organization allows it, 
  • and the 10-12 week period is completed by the end of calendar year 2024. 

In limited circumstances, the duration may be adjusted; such requests: 

• can be made only after the placement has been confirmed, 
• must first be cleared by CHRGJ,
• and will only be granted subject to the agreement of both CHRGJ and the placement organization. 

PRE-INTERNSHIP
Pre-internship preparation and training in the form of course requirements and a series of not-for-credit seminars in Spring 2024 are required.

International Law Commission Placements	Other Placements
Course requirements 1L Fellows must enroll in International Law for 1Ls in Spring 2024. 2Ls, LLMs and JSDs must have either taken International Law previously or be enrolled in International Law course in the Fall 2023	Course requirements 1L Fellows must enroll in International Law for 1Ls in Spring 2024.   2L, LLM, JSD Fellows with no current or prior graduate-level training in international law or human rights must enroll in a public international law or human rights course of their choosing in Spring 2024.
IILJ not-for-credit seminars  All selected Fellows must attend not-for-credit seminars in Spring 2024	CHRGJ not-for-credit seminars All Fellows in non-ILC placements will be expected to attend not-for-credit seminars  organized by CHRGJ in Spring 2024 to build professional and intercultural competence.

 

POST-INTERNSHIP 

International Law Commission Placements	Other Placements
Fellows placed with the ILC are encouraged to complete  a supervised research paper on an international law or human rights issue to be agreed upon in advance with academic supervisors.	All Fellows must submit a blog to CHRGJ reflecting on their learning and experience. All Fellows are encouraged to undertake a research project inspired by the fellowship. Parameters to be determined in agreement with academic supervisors.

Emerging Scholarship Conference – Spring 2025  

• Fellows who develop original works are highly encouraged to submit to the International Human Rights Emerging Scholarship Conference. 

Reporting 

Upon completion of their internship, all ILHR Fellows must submit a PILC Intern Report (NetID and password required). The report is different from the research paper and provides:

• insights about the placement with other prospective fellows in mind 
• valuable feedback for the fellowship program organizers. 

Sharing 

ILHR Fellows are expected to share their experiences in various venues including: 

• gatherings and social events during Fall 2024,
• info sessions and communications designed for prospective fellows. 

Application

ELIGIBILITY
All currently enrolled, full-time 1L, 2L, LLM, and JSD students at NYU Law are eligible to apply. Please note that LLMs from Taiwan may not be eligible for placements with some of the UN agencies, including the ILC.  

TERMS AND SELECTION
Students awarded a fellowship are required to accept it. Exceptions can be made under certain circumstances determined by the selection committee. 

• Fellows are expected to prioritize this program and must adhere to the internship range, terms and conditions as determined in this document.
• All ILHR Fellows are required to work a minimum of 8-10 weeks.
• Internship placements are subject to approval by the host organization. 
• When an organization does not accept our recommendation, the Fellow will maintain their status, and CHRGJ will work with them to identify an alternative placement.
• Financial support for Summer placements at ILHR Fellowship host organizations is only available to NYU law students who apply through this program. 
• Fellows are responsible for obtaining their own work visas, permits, medical insurance, and any other requirements of the placement. 

FINANCIAL AWARD

Stipends

Students selected for the ILHR Fellowship will receive a stipend of:

• $5,500 for 1Ls, or $7,500 for 2Ls, or $7,000 for LLMs. 

Currency and Taxes

• Stipends are paid in U.S. dollars and are awarded on a needs-blind basis. 
• Fellows who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents may find that their stipend amount is reduced due to taxes, depending on their country’s tax treaty with the U.S.

PILC’s Summer Funding Program 

• Funding for JD Fellows is provided through PILC’s Summer Funding Program and in lieu of regular summer funding.
• JD Fellows must be eligible for and fulfill all requirements of PILC’s Summer Funding Program.
• Expenses related to some internship placements, including airfare, housing, inoculations and the like, may exceed the amount provided by the stipend. 

Financial support from NYU School of Law for summer internships at ILHR host organizations is available only to students selected as ILHR Fellows. 

• This does not preclude NYU funding for summer internships at other international law or human rights organizations, nor does it preclude funding for different offices of participating ILHR organizations. 
• This rule is in place because we have reached specific agreements with the host organizations that our Fellows are carefully matched and receive additional training to prepare them. An important incentive for the host organizations allowing them  to prioritize ILHR Fellows in their recruitment process. 

TIMELINE AND DELIVERABLES 

Event	Date/Location or Deadline
ILHR Application Launch	October 2, 2023 at noon via webpage
ILHR Application Deadline	November 6, 2023 by 5 p.m. via form
ILHR Interviews	November 13-14, 2023 | TBC via email
ILHR Fellowship Decision Notifications	No later than November 21, 2023
Final Placement Confirmation	No later than January 31, 2023
Courses; Non-Credit Seminars	Spring 2024; March-April 2024
PILC Intern Report	August 31, 2024 or 1 week post-Fall internship completion
CHRGJ Blog  Send to chrgj@nyu.edu	August 31, 2024 or 1 week post-Fall internship completion
Post-ILC Research Paper	November 2024
ILHR Reunion Events	Fall 2024
International Human Rights Emerging Scholarship Conference	Spring 2025

APPLY
Please use your NYU login to submit the complete this application form including your:

• CV
• Cover Letter detailing your interest in the program and any relevant background or experience where applicable
• Academic transcripts 
  • 1Ls and LLMs must submit transcripts from NYU Law and their most recent institution of higher learning
  • 2Ls and 3Ls must submit their NYU Law transcript
• Placement Statements of Interest
  • Tailored to each organization you are applying to (min. 1; max. 3)
  • Refer to 2024 ILHR Fellowship Placement for organization-specific information

 

Inquiries can be sent to chrgj@nyu.edu with 2024 ILHR Fellowship in the subject line. 

The program is coordinated by Center for Human Rights and Global Justice, Institute for International Law and Justice, with support from Public Interest Law Center.