Legal Internship Programme Frequently Asked Questions

• Internships undertaken in the Legal Policy & Research Unit will be spent working for a team of lawyers on current projects. You will report to the Director or one of the Senior Legal Advisers in the team and will be supported by the Projects Coordinator and the Intern Programme Manager.
• Interns in the Human Rights Institute will work directly with Programme Lawyers on current projects. You will report to the Programme Coordinator and will also be supported by the Intern Programme Manager.
• Interns for the Executive Director will work for Dr Ellis (the current Executive Director) either directly or remotely, as he is often out of the office on business.
• Interns in the ICC & ICL Programme (The Hague office) will work directly with the Programme Coordinator and Director of The Hague Office. You will also be supported by the Intern Programme Manager.
• Internships undertaken at the North America office (Washington, DC) will see interns working with and reporting to the Programme Assistant and the Director. You will also be supported by the Intern Programme Manager.
• You will regularly interact with the lawyers in your teams and may also work in collaboration with other interns. Therefore, interns should have strong independent research skills as well as the ability to work in a team.

• The work you will be tasked with on a day to day basis will vary depending on the project you’re working on. We will try and tailor the projects to your interests and expertise wherever possible. There may be an opportunity to work on several projects simultaneously covering different legal issues.
• You may be contributing to research that could ultimately secure funding for a project, assist local bars with undertaking their own training and capacity building, as well as writing speeches and academic papers that form the basis of the work of the IBA. The tasks are ever evolving.
• You will be invited to contribute to the IBA Intern Newsletter as well as participate in the IBA Intern Presentations

• London: The IBA Office address is: 5 Chancery Lane, London, WC2A 1LG. the office is located in Zone 1 on the tube network (Zone 1 is Central London and Zone 6 is about 20 miles out of London near Heathrow Airport). Nearby stations include Chancery Lane (Central Line), Blackfriars (District and circle lines) and City Thameslink (National Rail). If you are trying to find somewhere to live, try anything in Zones 2-4.
• The Hague: The IBA Office is at Nassaulaan 19, 2514 JT, The Hague. The office is easy to reach via car or public transport with buses and trams running from the two main train stations in The Hague, Central Station and Holland Spoor.
• Washington, DC: The IBA North America office is located at 1667 k Street NW, Suite 1230, 20006, in the heart of downtown DC, at the corner of K Street and 17th Street. Nearby Metro stations include Farrugut North on the Red line and Farrugut West on the Orange and Blue lines.

• To be eligible to apply, you must be either an undergraduate or postgraduate law student, or a newly qualified lawyer. You must have completed a minimum of 1 year of the degree.
• There is no minimum or maximum age limit. Our interns generally range from 20 to 35 years old.
• Our interns come from all over the world so expect to be in a diverse, international cohort, great for gaining different legal perspectives.

• For applicants in London, the IBA Educational Trust is granting funding (up to a maximum of £3,000 each) to students who would not otherwise be able to take up the position due to financial constraints. For those interns undertaking the internship remotely, funding (up to a maximum of £2,000 each) is available to students. To download the application form, click here.
• Interns in The Hague are also eligible for grants from the IBA Educational Trust. The maximum possible grant is €755 per month. Interns undertaking the programme remotely can also apply for grants. To download the application form, click here.
• There is currently no funding available for interns at the Washington, DC office.

• All interns accepted on to the internship programme in London are responsible for finding their own accommodation. The best way to find accommodation is to undertake an internet search for cheap accommodation in London (try www.spareroom.co.uk) Also, try the International YMCA, Youth Hostel Association and the Halls of residence for some of the London Universities (especially if you are interning in the summer months) on the internet.
• Rent in London is expensive so expect to pay a minimum for approximately £500 per month depending on your location. Transport starts at £142.10 a month for a travel card covering the tube and bus in Zones 1 and 2, but a bus-only travel card is much less expensive (visit the Transport for London website for details). Food is approximately £50 a week depending on where you choose to buy.
• In The Hague, it is best to get in touch with other interns from the international organisations and tribunals. You may also use local rental agencies, but they charge quite a large finder’s fee.

• The dress code is smart but suits are not necessary when working in the office. Trousers, blouses, shirts and skirts are fine. No jeans or trainers apart from on “dress down Friday”, which is every week unless told otherwise. Those working remotely are welcome to wear neat casual wear, however if they come into the office, they are expected to adhere to the appropriate dress code.

• As interns are considered part of the office staff, we expect you to work the same full-time hours as the wider organisation. We work from 9:30am-5:30pm with a 1-hour lunch break Monday to Friday.
• You are entitled to 2 days of holiday per calendar month that you are with us so for a three-month internship you would be entitled to 6 days holidays.

• Once you receive an offer for an intern position by the IBA, interns must contact their nearest British mission for details on visa requirements. You can obtain a certificate of sponsorship from BUNAC – www.bunac.org. The offer of any internship is conditional upon you being able to satisfy eligibility criteria to work in the UK in accordance with applicable immigration rules.
• Due to the high volume of applications that the IBA receives, offers will remain open for acceptance for 5 working days from the date of the offer. If we do not hear from you within that period we will assume that the offer is rejected and it will be withdrawn and offered to the next successful applicant.
• In view of the fact that all offers are conditional upon ability to satisfy immigration requirements you are strongly advised to establish your immigration status as soon as possible.

The Hague

• Should you have been offered a place in The Hague Office and you are a non-Schengen resident, a long-stay visa might be required. Find out here if you need to apply: https://www.netherlandsandyou.nl/travel-and-residence/visas-for-the-netherlands/long-stay-visa-mvv
• Any requirement to obtain a residence permit prior to joining or to fulfill the full duration of the internship will be at your own cost. If such entry (where applicable) also involves obtaining an MVV (initial Entry Clearance Visa), this procedure must be managed and concluded by yourself at your own cost prior to joining the IBA. If requested, the IBA will provide a letter confirming the conditional offer of an internship in order to facilitate the MVV application.

Washington, DC

• All applicants must ensure that they are legally permitted to work in the United States. Applicants from outside the U.S. must be able to comply with and obtain their own J-1 visas. Please consult the J-1 Visa Exchange Visitor website for a list of Designated Sponsor Organisations.