Columbia Law School Human Rights Institute Seeks Summer Research Assistants and Interns

The Human Rights Institute of Columbia Law School is seeking applicants for the position of summer intern and research assistant between May and August 2016. Summer interns and research assistants will work closely with the Institute’s faculty and staff, and support the Institute’s human rights projects and research initiatives, including related to protecting the environment, advancing corporate accountability, monitoring the human rights compliance of security forces, advancing human rights fact-finding methodologies, and developing best practices related to mental health and vicarious trauma.

Internships will vary based on the individual candidate, but work for the Institute will include support for:

  • The Institute’s program on Business and Human Rights in the Global Economy: including legal research and writing on environmental issues, the right to water, and the impacts of extractives in Papua New Guinea, Peru, and elsewhere, as well as advising on international advocacy strategies ;
  • The Security Force Monitor project: including analyzing laws governing the security forces of various countries including Afghanistan, Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, Iraq, Kenya, Libya, Mexico, Nigeria, Tunisia and Ukraine; investigations of security force abuses and command structures; drafting briefing reports for NGO partners; and
  • Research, writing, and advocacy related to international human fights fact-finding techniques; war crimes; vicarious trauma and resilience in the human rights field; and critiques of the human rights field and NGO responses to critiques.
  • The Institute’sHuman Rights in the U.S. Project:includingresearch, writing, and analysis to develop resources and scholarship on U.S. human rights accountability at the federal, state, and local levels, and research related to U.S. implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Agenda. (The Institute is seeking part-time research assistance for this project.)

Interns typically commit at least 35 hours per week. Internship start and end dates are flexible, but interns generally commit to at least 8 weeks. Students who wish to work part-time or for shorter periods will be considered on a case by case basis.

How to apply

Please send a short cover letter, indicating your interest (including which project(s) you are most interested in), relevant experience for the position, and time availability, along with a CV . Use subject header: “2016 Summer RA/Intern Application.”

Internships are unpaid. A limited number of paid research assistant positions are available.