NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS

Many non-governmental organizations are policy advocating groups that deal with important     issues of international law or development.  Some NGOs also serve as direct legal advisors for    indigent people or communities.  Many NGOs are also small and in desperate need of qualified volunteer help.  The offer a real opportunity to do interesting work in interesting places and to have a lot of responsibility while doing it.  A good way to search for NGOs is by looking at           international organizations that deal with them or searching the web by region or policy area.  The NGOs listed in this section are ones that our members have worked for or have been                  recommended to us by friends or other students.

Human Rights Watch Fellowhips

http:// www.hrw.org

Human Rights Watch has the Finberg and Schell Fellowships for recent graduates of law schools or graduate programs in journalism, international relations, area studies, or other relevant disciplines.  Human Rights Watch is known for its impartial and reliable human rights reporting on over 70 countries worldwide, its innovative and high-profile advocacy campaigns, and its success in affecting the policy of the U.S. and other influential governments towards human rights abuses.  Fellows work full time for one year with one or more divisions of HRW, based in New York or Washington, DC.  Fellows monitor human rights developments in various countries, conduct on-site investigations, draft reports on human rights conditions, and engage in advocacy aimed at publicizing and curtailing human rights violations.  Past fellows have also conducted fact finding missions to a wide variety of countries around the world.  Deadline for the 2002-2003 fellowship is November 1.  HRW also has needs for interns in specific projects and programs.  Please check out their website for more information. 

World Organization Against Torture (OMCT)

http://www.omct.org

OMCT deals primarily with issues of violence, torture and ill-treatment, the juvenile justice system and conditions of detention.  The organization lobbies the United Nations bodies that monitor the implementation of various international agreements and conventions, such as those covering     torture and the rights of the child.  Interns are typically asked to do research for and compose “shadow reports” detailing the compliance of certain countries with the conventions.  Interns may also be asked to work on advocacy papers supporting OMCT’s proposals to the various organs of the United Nations.  OMCT is located in Geneva, Switzerland.

International Center for Not-For-Profit Law

http://www.icnl.org

ICNL is an international organization whose mission is to facilitate and support the development of civil society and the freedom of association on a global basis. ICNL, in cooperation with other international, national, and local organizations, provides technical assistance for the creation and improvement of laws and regulatory systems that permit, encourage, and regulate the not-for-profit, nongovernmental (NGO) sector in countries around the world. ICNL maintains a documentation center for laws, regulations, self-regulatory materials, and other relevant documents, it   provides relevant training and education, and it conducts research relevant to strengthening and improving laws affecting the NGO sector.  ICNL has internships in both its Washington, DC and      Budapest offices.  Legal interns are involved in all aspects of ICNL’s work — statutory analysis,   legal drafting, research, program development and proposal writing, among other activities.  Candidates need to send a cover letter, resume, and writing sample.  For more information go to ICNL’s website and click on Employment Opportunities.

The Environmental and Natural Resource Law Center (CEDARENA)

http://www.cedarena.org

CEDARENA is a non-profit, non-political association located in San Jose, Costa Rica.  It is staffed by a group of attorneys, law students, and others who share a common interest in legal issues pertaining to the environment and natural resources.  The mission of the organization is to consolidate environmental sustainability principles and values through the development and practice of Law and Policy.  CEDARENA carries out a wide variety of projects dealing with different aspects of environmental law in three primary areas:  Program for Adequate Land Use, Envrionmental Quality and Control Program, Program for Adequate Management of Biodiversity.  CEDARENA’s site doesn’t specifically list internships, but it does provide links to the following organizations:        Regional Alliance for Policy in Latin America and the Caribbean, Interamerican Association for Environment Defense, International Center for Trade and Sustainable Development, and the Mesoamerican Environmental Law Network.

We list CEDARENA as an example of how you might be able to find the right organization for you with just a little searching by region or topic.  If you are interested in Environmental Law or Latin American regional issues, for example one organization can lead you to many others.