American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative International Development Fall Internships

American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative International Development Fall Internships

The American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI) is pleased to consider applications for its Fall 2017 International Development Internship Program. 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 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. International Development internships are available to undergraduate, graduate, and law students, as well as recent graduates, 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.

Terms of the Program:

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, 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 International Development Internships:

• Undergraduate, MA/JD students, or recent graduates seeking relevant degrees in international affairs, international development, or related subject areas;
• 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.

Available Internships:

Please indicate your internship preference in your cover letter. ABA ROLI welcomes “Generalist” internship applications.

International Development Internships:

•  Asia Program Intern
  • Key Responsibilities: Conduct necessary research projects for program staff on rule of law issues in Asia and in support of Division-wide business development efforts; Monitor political, economic, and security developments in the region and produce regular status briefs; Assist with proposal research and writing efforts; Support management of current programs in ABA ROLI’s priority issue areas; Develop outreach and communication materials.
  • Preferred qualifications include: Fluency in an Asian language, Strong written and verbal communications skills in English, Degree in law or international development (completed or under completion)
•  Global Security Intern
  • Key Responsibilities: Work directly with the Director of ABA Security to assist in ensuring the safety, security, and appropriate controls and protection of human, property, and fiscal assets on an international basis; Assist in the creation of a Travel Risk Management program from scratch, including establishment of baseline safety and security travel risk management standards and mechanisms to ensure program compliance, with a focus on Duty-of-Care and international Travel Risk Management.
  • Preferred qualifications include: A keen interest in the security profession; possess a can-do attitude and willingness to roll up your sleeves; Excellent written and verbal communication skills, Attention to detail; Ability to work within prescribed deadlines.
•  Outreach and Communications Intern
  • Key Responsibilities: Research and monitor ongoing global trends to be integrated into appropriate ABA ROLI outreach and communications channels; Contribute to development of materials for and monitoring of ROLI websites, newsletters, collateral, social media outlets, etc.; Update ABA ROLI websites as needed; Support writing, editing, and publication of outreach materials.
  • Preferred qualifications include: One year of work or internship experience in a Communications/Outreach role or equivalent. Currently undergraduate student pursuing a degree in Communications or International Relations, with a background in Communications (journalism, public relations, marketing, etc.); Experience using Adobe CC is preferred.
•  Latin America and the Caribbean Intern
  • Key Responsibilities: Assist the LAC Division with management of current programs and development of new programs in judicial reform, legal education reform, human rights, among other things; assist with monitoring the political and economic developments in the region, producing outreach materials, researching areas of interest and working with program and in-country staff with day-to-day support tasks
  • Preferred Qualifications include: Spanish proficiency, attention to detail, strong organizational and research skills, interest in the region.
•  Operations and Hill Advocacy Intern
  • Key Responsibilities: Design and integrate innovative solutions to support knowledge management and organizational design, ensuring that ABA ROLI’s know-how, information, and collective experience are effectively shared across the organization; Help design, maintain, and share organizational know-how in online published formats including Google Drive, Google Docs, and process mapping; Collaborate with the ABA Development Director to help with donor mapping and research of US and non-US foundations as needed; Strategize creative outreach mechanisms for increasing awareness of ABA ROLI’s work – particularly as it relates to advocacy on the Hill.
  • Preferred Qualifications Include: Undergraduate college students pursuing degrees in Marketing, Communications, Government Affairs, Public Policy or other related areas of study. Excellent communication skills, attention to detail, strong organizational and research skills.
•  Middle East and North Africa Intern
  • Key Responsibilities: Work with MENA team members to research rule of law issues and stay abreast of current events in the region; Research and provide summaries on events by perusing major news sources, including various media outlets, foundations, and think tanks’ websites, as well as attending conferences around DC; Support preparation of materials for the upcoming regional retreat; Undertake research on the political and economic contexts in select MENA countries for background documents; research country-specific topics as needed.
  • Preferred qualifications include: Undergraduate Juniors and Seniors pursuing degrees in Political Science, International Relations, or other related areas of study with interest in the Middle East and North Africa region.
• How to apply: If you are interested in an ABA ROLI International Development internship, please submit a resume and cover letter indicating your preference from the list of positions below, as well as your availability for the fall semester. If you are interested in being considered for all openings, please indicate that you are interested as a “Generalist.” ABA ROLI will try to match candidates to their top choice whenever possible, but highly value candidate flexibility throughout the selection process.

To apply, please submit your resume and cover letter to jobs@americanbar.org