2008 Summer Internships

• Program details
• Reflections from the field

Program details

The following CLA-ACE internships were offered for the summer of 2008. Click here to see some reflections from the field from our 2008 interns.

Asia Foundation – Bangladesh

Intern: John Siwiec (University of Ottawa)
Intern: Alison Hopkins (Dalhousie)

Position: Internship with the Bangladesh office of the Asia Foundation.

Background: The Asia Foundation is a non-profit, non-governmental organization committed to the development of a peaceful, prosperous, just, and open Asia-Pacific region. The Foundation supports programs in Asia that help improve governance, law, and civil society; women’s empowerment; economic reform and development; and international relations. Drawing on more than 50 years of experience in Asia, the Foundation collaborates with private and public partners to support leadership and institutional development, exchanges, and policy research.

In Bangladesh, the Foundation works with local partners to advance good governance, economic growth, security, and regional collaboration on trade and women’s rights protection.  Foundation programs promote fair elections and democratic representation, give policy voice to rural small business, assist the poor to access justice, build trust between police and communities, and engage religious and secular leaders of influence to support women’s rights, development, and governance reform. Through its Books for Asia program, the Foundation donates 70,000 books and journals annually in Bangladesh.

Specific program areas include:

• Promoting Free and Fair Elections
• Enhancing Local Economic Governance
• Promoting Legal Empowerment of Women and Disadvantaged Groups
• Improving Security and Building Trust through Community-Oriented Policing
• Enhancing the Role of Religious Leaders in National Development Efforts

Location: Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Job Description:
An intern may elect to focus on a particular area of interest, or engage more broadly in the program work of the Bangladesh office—ideally with a combined focus on existing program implementation and review and new program development initiatives.

From the above summary of program activities, areas of potential interest to a law student intern may include:

•   Multi-year election and governance reform program supported by the Government of Canada (CIDA)
•   National election program supported by five bilateral donor agencies
•   Access to justice program development, building on a study undertaken on behalf of the United Kingdom Department for International Development
•   Expansion of community-oriented policing program.
•   Local economic governance program
•   Leaders of Influence program

Required Skills:

• Interest in law and development, justice sector reform, human rights and access to justice, and broader governance reform issues.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and in a team environment.
• Keen motivation and self-starter initiative.

Period: May – August (flexibility for a four to sixteen week period, depending on intern availability)

ECPAT – Thailand

Intern: Sam Loeb (UBC)
Intern: Erica Olmstead (UBC)

Position: Internship with the Bangkok-based international secretariat of ECPAT, an international child rights organization that works to eliminate the commercial sexual exploitation of children. The ECPAT acronym stands for ‘ End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes’.

Background: ECPAT is a network of organisations and individuals working
together to eliminate the commercial sexual exploitation of children.  It seeks to encourage the world community to ensure that children everywhere enjoy their fundamental rights free from all forms of commercial sexual exploitation. ECPAT works with a specific focus on international legal instruments and national laws related to the commercial sexual exploitation of children, particularly child prostitution, child pornography, and child trafficking for sexual purposes.

Location: Bangkok, Thailand.

Job Description: The focus of the intern’s work will be researching national legislation and procedures relating to ECPAT’s mandate.  The intern will also be expected to assist the Programme Officer (Legal Programme) to support ECPAT initiatives.  The intern will research and collect legislation defining and prohibiting the creation, possession, use, display, etc. of child pornography, on a country-by-country basis.  Depending upon the time available, the intern may then research and collect legislation, on a country-by-country basis, defining and prohibiting child prostitution and related activities, such as the solicitation, legalization and decriminalization of prostitution, etc.

Essential Skills:

• Experience in working with human rights and social development issues specifically as these relate to the rights of children
• Exposure to children’s rights or other social issues

Desirable Skills:

• Ability to communicate effectively in major languages used by members of the ECPAT network e.g. Spanish and/or French
• Experience in working with children

Period: May – August (could be extended to December).

Women in Law and Development in Africa (WiLDAF) – Ghana

Intern: Emma Lambert (UofM)
Intern: Jennifer Madore (UNB)

Position: Internship with WiLDAF, a Pan-African non-governmental, non profit bringing together organisations and individuals using a variety of tools, including law, to promote a culture for the exercise and respect for women’s rights in Africa.  The office in Accra specializes in women’s legal rights, children’s rights and women and governance issues in Ghana.
There are two internship positions with WiLDAF.

Background: The network was established at a regional conference held in February 1990 in Harare, Zimbabwe whose theme was “Women, Law and Development: Networking for Empowerment in Africa.”  WiLDAF was the product of a year-long process or organization and inquiry, involving NGOs and governmental projects devoted to empowering women and improving their status in Africa.

Location:  Accra, Ghana

Job Description: Interns will work as part of a team to help fulfill the annual plan for 2008.  The work will include research and analysis in the area of political governance:  Ghana is having elections in December 2008 and WiLDAF will be having a busy and active year!  Currently, WiLDAF is involved with a number of political governance activities, including workshops, public education, and analysis of political events from a gender perspective.  The organization also requires help in more practical areas, including media/communications as well internet and website skills as they are trying to improve their outreach.

Essential Skills:

• Extremely self-motivated
• Adaptable cross-culturally
• Professional demeanor (even in frustrating circumstances)
• Excellent oral, written and research skills
• Communication skills
• Open to new experiences
• Able to work well with others

Desirable Skills:

• Communications experience (media work)
• Internet and website skills (uploading information to website, etc.)
• Fundraising skills
• Workshop experience

Period: mid-May-August (with flexibility on either end)

Center for Public Interest Law (CEPIL) – Ghana

Intern: Patricia Kheirallah (University of Ottawa)
Intern: Tamara Morgenthau (University of Ottawa)

Position: Internship with CEPIL, a rights based non-governmental not-for-profit organization established in 1999.  CEPIL’s mission statement is: To continually strive for justice and fairness especially for the poor and marginalised in society by working to improve democratic governance, rule of law and ensuring accountability of public and private actors through advocacy, litigation, social mobilisation and research.
There are two internship positions with CEPIL.

Background: CEPIL was founded in 1999. CEPIL grew out of discussions between  Dr. Dominic Ayine (currently Executive Director of CEPIL) and Mr. Charles Abugre (then Executive Director of the Integrated Social Development Sector or ISODEC) about issues of public and private accountability in Ghana’s mining sector.  These discussions led to broader thinking about the need to protect the rights of vulnerable mining communities.  With assistance from ISODEC and the Third World Network, Dr. Ayine set about establishing CEPIL and engaging in research relating to human rights promotion and protection through public interest litigation.  CEPIL now has a track record of public interest and human rights litigation, including test cases filed in Ghana national courts. CEPIL also researches and publishes information on public interest law issues, and creates various fora for debate on socio-legal issues.
Location:  Accra, Ghana

Job Description: Interns will work as part of a team in one of the major project areas of the organization.  (Projects currently active include the mining communities legal support and human rights programme, as well as the housing rights program.)   The CLA-ACE student will be working on housing rights in Ghana, and assist with the development of a handbook on these rights for use.  CEPIL also conducts workshops on human rights from time to time, and students may participate in the design and implementation of these workshops.

Essential Skills:

• Extremely self-motivated
• Adaptable cross-culturally
• Professional demeanor (even in frustrating circumstances)
• Excellent oral and written skills
• Communication skills
• Open to new experiences
• Able to work well with others
• Excellent research skills

Desirable Skills:

• Interest and experience in public interest litigation
• Workshop experience

Period: mid-May-August (with flexibility on either end)

The Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council — Alaska and Yukon

Intern: Julie Desbrisay (UBC)
Intern: Sasha Mandy (University of Montreal)

Position: Internship with the Yukon Inter-Tribal Watershed Council

Background: The Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council (YRITWC) is an international organization with 501(c)(3) non-profit status in the United States and not-for profit status in Canada. As a coalition of sovereign Tribal and First Nation governments, we were founded in 1997 by a group of 56 chiefs and elders who gathered to discuss their concern about increased cancers and other health problems in human communities and game species within the Yukon River watershed.  From this gathering and based on these concerns, the Watershed Council was formed to restore the River and to protect it from further contamination. The long-term vision is of the organization is to be able to once again drink clean water directly from the Yukon River as our ancestors did for thousands of years before us.

Today, 62 Indigenous governments within the watershed are actively participating in the coalition through the signing and enactment of an Inter-Tribal Accord that governs the YRITWC and gives each signatory government a seat on our Board of Directors.  Noting that the indigenous communities are all connected and have a common interest in protecting the watershed, the Accord commits the signatories to cooperate and consult with each other on all actions that could affect the environmental and cultural integrity of the region while respecting the inherent sovereignty of each individual Tribe and First Nation.  The YRITWC maintains offices in Fairbanks and Anchorage, Alaska, USA, and Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada, with a staff of thirteen.

Location: Anchorage, Alaska and Whitehorse, Yukon

Job Description:The YRITWC is willing to create two internship positions:

One position will be in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory and the other will be in Anchorage, Alaska.

Internships will focus on advocacy, legal research regarding water quality standards and governmental adherence to standards and existing laws.  Additionally, students may have the opportunity to be involved in an Environmental Impact Statement process.

Students will work directly with Tribal Environmental workers and elected Tribal Leaders. Most importantly students will be invited to join in the day to day operations and strategy development work of the YRITWC.

Desired Skills:

• Research skills
• Advocacy skills
• Interest and/or experience in environmental/water legal issues
• Interest and/or experience in northern aboriginal issues
• Can work independently as well as in a team
• Good communication skills

Period: May- August (with some flexibility on either end)

Partners for Law in Development — Delhi, India

Intern: Sarah Lemoine (UBC)

Position: Internship with Partners for Law in Development (PLD)

Background:  PLD is resource group on human rights and the law. PLD’s approach to human rights draws strongly upon indivisibility of civil, political with the economic, social and cultural rights with women’s rights as a central area of concern. PLD is based in Delhi and works at the national level; it is part of two regional women’s rights networks. As a resource group it builds capacities and creates knowledge resources for intermediaries such as community organizations, social justice lawyers, para-legal workers, and NGO staff that directly provide support services to marginalized women. PLD’s capacity building work is undertaken through support to social justice lawyers, running residential training programmes, providing technical assistance and creating knowledge.

Location: Delhi, India

Job Description:   The internship will involve legal research on international, select regional and comparative law. This placement will ideally require research prior to placement, followed by research, brainstorming and consultation while based in Delhi. Students may contribute to this project through distance research or an internship. The internship affords opportunities to participate in campaigns that PLD supports, participation in organizational meetings, coordinating consultations and working with the feedback. The placement will afford opportunities to learn about activism in India. Field work will not be required.

Essential Skills:

• Course work in international law.

Desirable Skills:

• A demonstrated interest in feminism, sexuality, cultural identity politics and violence against women and international development.

Period: 3 months in period between May – August

Canadian Lawyers Abroad – Avocats canadiens à l’étranger (CLA-ACE)

Position: CLA-ACE is a not-for-profit organization that is committed to serving the legal needs of developing countries by harnessing the experience and skills of Canadian lawyers and law students in the areas of good governance, the rule of law and human rights.

Background: CLA-ACE was incorporated as a not-for-profit in 2005 and has grown quickly as a young and vibrant Canadian organization. The organization has both a Student Program and an International Pro Bono Program for lawyers. The Student Program includes a Student Chapter program and a Summer Internship Program. To date, CLA-ACE has six Student Chapters nation-wide that participate in a variety of educational activities consistent with the organization’s mandate. The Student Internship program is offering a number of different positions this summer to law students overseas (East Timor, Thailand, Ghana) and in Canada (Yukon and Ottawa/Toronto).

Location: Ottawa, Toronto, or other (flexible)

Job Description: CLA-ACE seeks a summer intern to assist the staff in developing the 2008-2009 Student Chapter program. This will include developing next year’s theme, drafting materials on the theme, researching possible speakers, and interacting with the presidents of the Student Chapters. The intern will also help to coordinate the summer internship program, assist with the monitoring of the process and feedback stages. Other tasks may include legal research, fundraising research, drafting of press releases, interacting with various legal faculty personnel, and interacting with the media.

Desired Skills:

• Knowledge of the mandate and goals of the organization
• Communication skills
• Drafting skills
• Research skills
• Confidence
• Self-starter and creative thinker
• Entrepreneurial

Thanks to this year’s sponsor: