Internships and Externships

The law school provides generous funding to students for summer internship placements overseas. Students may secure their own placement or take advantage of dedicated placements the school has established in Cambodia, Costa Rica and Nicaragua. The law school also has established externship programs with some of the premier international organizations in Europe in the areas of international criminal law and international environmental law, as well as judicial externships in Uganda. Students who are selected may work for these organizations and earn academic credit toward graduation.

The Externship Program may have part-time positions available in various countries in the summer and has full-time international externships available for spring and fall semesters in both The Hague and Geneva. For all the full-time positions, though, you must have completed 60 credits and be in the top 50 percent of your class. For more information, visit the International Externship page.

Cambodia

Since 2003, the School of Law has a dedicated space for an SU law student to intern at the Documentation Center of Cambodia, DC-Cam. Created in 1995 by a group of scholars at Yale University, DC-Cam is an independent Cambodian NGO dedicated to ensuring memory and justice in Cambodia with respect to the abuses of the infamous Democratic Kampuchea (DK) regime. In part as a result of their work, the United Nations and Government of Cambodia have created the Khmer Rouge Tribunal to prosecute certain former DK officials. With financial support from Congress, the DC-Cam continues to play a crucial role in the proceedings, acting as a resource for prosecutors, defense attorneys, and the general public. 

Interns from 2008 and 2009 reported on their experiences and recommendations to use as reference for prospective candidates and interns.  Every year,  each summer associate is tasked to prepare an independent article related to the tribunal proceedings and the quest for justice and reconciliation in Cambodia.  An article written by an SU intern was published in DC-Cam's "Truth Magazine."

A competitive selection process ensures internship position is awarded to an exceptional law student. Summer associates work with DC-Cam in connection with the ongoing prosecutions which started in 2008 and conduct work related to the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC), set up in 2006 to try senior leaders of the Khmer Rouge. This internship position comes with a stipend. Interested SU students should e-mail their resume, a 500-word statement of interest, an unofficial transcript and contact information for three references to Junsen Ohno at ohnoj@seattleu.edu.

Application materials for the 2010 internship are due Friday, January 29, 2010. You can find more information about this internship opportunity in the 2010 Summer Legal Job Opportunity Ad.

Costa Rica

In 2010, a new summer internship with the Inter-American Court of Human Rights has been established.  The Inter-American Court is the highest human rights tribunal in the hemisphere, with jurisdiction over states from Argentina to Venezuela; a total of 21 nations.

Distinguished law students from throughout the Americas and Europe participate in the Court's internship program.  Interns are assigned to the Court's legal department.  The work consists of:
     1.  Researching international human rights case law, principles and novel issues;
     2.  Monitoring case developments; and
     3.  Drafting memoranda, court orders, and sections of judgments. 
In addition, interns frequently provide logistical and administrative assistance.  Please visit the Corte Interamericana de Derechos Humanos website for more information.

This internship comes with a $5,000 stipend.  Requirements for application are:

• Spanish and/or Portuguese proficiency - at minimum, speaking and reading
• Three-month summer commitment
• Applicants should e-mail resume, one-page statement of intereste, unofficial transcript, and contact information for three references to Junsen Ohno at ohnoj@seattleu.edu by
  Tuesday, February 23, 2010. 

Candidate interview will be scheduled soon after the application deadline to identify the intern before March 1, 2010.

Nicaragua

Since 2001, Seattle University has been creating ties to the Universidad CentroAmericana (UCA), the Jesuit university in Managua. The UCA law school houses the pre-eminent law clinic in Central America.In the summer of 2003, a pilot project was created in which two SU law students worked alongside Nicaraguan law students in the UCA law clinic on criminal, civil, labor and/or human rights cases.The pilot was a success and the law school has been sending students since. This program is supported by the dean and the Center for Global Justice through Public Interest Law Foundation grants. Credit is not available for this project.Students who are reasonably fluent in Spanish, not committed during the summer months, and are able to adapt to Third-World conditions are encouraged to apply. For more information contact Junsen Ohno at ohnoj@seattleu.edu.

Application materials for the 2010 internship are due February 5, 2010. For more information about this internship opportunity: 2010 Summer Opportunity To Do Social Justice in Nicaragua.