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The American Bar Association Center for Global Programs, made up of the ABA Rule of Law Initiative (ROLI), ABA Center for Human Rights (CHR), and U.N. Representatives (UNR) are pleased to consider applications for their Internship/Fellowship Programs.

ABA ROLI serves as the international development wing of the American Bar Association and seeks to promote justice, economic opportunity, and human dignity through the rule of law. ABA ROLI seeks interns and fellows to assist headquarters staff with a wide variety of the day-to-day support functions that are pertinent to the operations of an international NGO. Internships and fellowships are available to undergraduate, graduate, and law students depending on current staffing needs. Dates and daily schedules may be flexible in response to departmental needs, and correspond roughly to academic terms for spring, summer, and fall semesters. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and only candidates selected for interviews will be contacted.

Program Details

Interns and fellows for ABA ROLI will work with staff of their assigned division to gain an understanding of international development programs and international rule of law issues. In general, ABA ROLI offers International Development and Legal internships/fellowships, which differ somewhat in their expected responsibilities and desired applicant profiles. International Development openings will support various aspects of program implementation for DC-based regional and support teams, while Legal openings will be more heavily research-based and tailored toward graduate and law students.

Although these are unpaid positions, interns at ABA ROLI are eligible for a wide variety of perks and learning opportunities including:

  • Transportation reimbursement up to $15.00/day
  • Field trips to D.C. legal destinations such as the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Supreme Court and Library of Congress
  • Brown-bag lunches with ABA ROLI staff and guest speakers

Qualifications

While the hiring needs of each individual opening may differ, ABA ROLI generally requires the following qualifications for all internships/fellowships:

  • Student or recent graduate seeking an undergraduate or graduate degree in international relations, political science, international development, or a related field OR current JD/LL.M students or recent graduates;
  • Strong commitment to public interest law and/or international development, as evidenced by relevant experience and coursework;
  • Excellent research, writing, and analytical skills;
  • Proficiency with MS Office;
  • International development experience highly desirable but not required; knowledge of foreign languages is a plus;