World Law Internship Program (Fall 2021: In-Person & Remote)
About Us:
Founded in 1954, the World Service Authority (WSA) assists individuals worldwide in understanding and exercising their human rights and duties through legal education and advocacy. The WSA issues global identity and travel documents (such as the World Passport, World Birth Certificate, World Political Asylum Card, World Marriage Certificate, International Exit Visa, etc.) as mandated by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and other regional and international agreements. Peace, justice, human rights, and global governance issues are of primary concern to the WSA.
Internship Details:
- Semester-long
- 5-10 hours per week
- This Fall 2021 session will be held in-person for local students and online for non-local students
- Must be available during Eastern Time afternoon hours
- In-depth intern orientation and training
- Provides experiential learning that integrates knowledge and theory learned in the classroom with practical application in a professional setting
- Academic credit toward degree (depending on school requirements)
Responsibilities:
- Contact clients whose rights have been violated and developing strategies to assist the clients in claiming their rights
- Conduct letter-writing campaigns to national government officials and petitioning to intergovernmental organizations to expose human rights violations and demand redress
- Draft affidavits of support and amicus curiae briefs on behalf of asylum applicants
- Chart the status of client cases and updating client files
- Answer telephone and email queries regarding immigration and asylum issues and educate the general public about their human rights
- Perform legal research on human rights (right to freedom of movement & political asylum), world citizenship, and world governance
- Initiate new projects to enhance the effectiveness of the legal department
Qualifications:
- Strong research, writing, and communication skills
- Strong attention to detail
- Multilingualism (French, Spanish, Arabic, Russian and German speakers are preferred)
- Ability to work both independently and with other staff members and interns
- Ability to work on multiple projects at the same time
- Enthusiasm for and a demonstrated interest in law and human rights
- Culturally Sensitive
Outcomes:
You will
- Recognize the function of non-profit and public-interest-sector legal work in human rights, international law, peace, and world citizenship
- Understand and appropriately apply human rights declarations, covenants, treaties as well as customary international law and constitutional law
- Identify and use legal resources to assist clients in their cases
- Communicate effectively with clients, national government officials, and intergovernmental organizations
- Have improved fluency of human rights and international law terminology
- Demonstrate professional and ethical responsibility
The internship program is conducted and supervised by a human rights lawyer with more than 30 years' experience in the fields of human rights, international law, and international relations. Student interns will receive feedback regularly and will have the resources, equipment, and facilities provided by the organization to support the students' learning outcomes.