Summer Intern

Duration: 6 months

The Open Society Justice Initiative (OSJI)seeks to recruit a full timeInternwith demonstrated commitment to the promotion of human rights through the use of strategic litigation.At the Justice Initiative, legal interns do real work with real impact. Under the close supervision of assigned mentors, our legal interns gain first-hand experience in using the law to protect and empower people around the world. Whether they support strategic litigation efforts, grant making for strategic litigation, conduct in-depth research, help provide technical assistance, or contribute to our broad advocacy initiatives, interns receive hands-on training on the various methodologies used by public interest advocacy groups to foster and encourage reform, inclusion, human rights, and the building of legal capacity for open societies.

The Open Society Foundations work to build vibrant and inclusive democracies whose governments are accountable and open to the participation of all people. We are active in more than 120 countries, making us the world’s largest private funder of independent groups working for justice, democratic governance, and human rights.

The Open Society Justice Initiative undertakes strategic litigation in regional and international courts and administrative forums across the globe to advance Open Society Foundations’ goals and priorities. Under its new mandate it also undertakes grant making and holds convening to build a cohesive and coordinated strategic litigation field. The Justice Initiative is comprised of lawyers and human rights practitioners with a wide range of practice experience who integrate in-court interventions with out of court legal advocacy, grant making, and community engagement. The Justice Initiative works closely with OSF’s regional and global programs to deploy the tool of strategic litigation effectively, and to provide support to OSF grantees and partners who wish to do the same.

The Open Society Justice Initiative litigates across the spectrum of human dignity, equality and rights. For now, as a guide for ourselves and our partners, OSJI articulates three broad and permeable categories of emphasis that will, at the outset, focus the litigation we will pursue and fund. In each of these areas, OSJI direct litigation will focus primarily on international and transnational angles of engagement.

• International justice: the commission of, and impunity for, grave crimes
• Economic power: abuses of power by large economic actors that threaten open society values
• Inclusive democratic practice: growing threats to electoral democracy, with an eye to ensuring equal access and participation, defending guardrails and protecting independent voices

Internship Profile

The Open Society Justice Initiative is seeking current law school and other advanced degree graduate students to join our team as Legal Interns based in our New York.This summerinternship willcommence inJune 2025, exact date to be determined based oncandidate availability and agreement.The internshiprequires a full-time(40 hours/week) commitment for a minimum of 15 weeks. The Open Society Foundations cannot provide immigration assistance to legal interns nor relocation financial support.

As an intern at Open Society, you will:

Draft legal and non-legal reports and memoranda on programmatic or legal issues related to priority areas (this may include political rights, physical integrity, fair trials, national security, corporate accountability, women’s rights, and/or United Nations mechanisms).

• Conduct all-source research via websites, Lexis/Nexis, foreign source materials, academic studies, oral interviews of experts, and legal and political documents.
• Research and analyze international and domestic law jurisprudence as it relates to human rights, and the situations and development of targeted country situations.
• Compile country/region-specific information on human rights and rule of law issues; this may include human rights defenders, civil society activities, legislative developments, and state compliance with international human rights standards.
• Participate in grant making, researching organizations and developing funding opportunities based on OSJI’s grant making approach
• Help to develop and participate in OSJI convenings
• Participate in OSJI scheduled staff calls and other relevant meetings.
• Perform other duties and tasks as assigned.

What we are looking for:

• Currently enrolled in a law school or graduate program with legal component or a recent graduate;
• Highly motivated with demonstrated excellence in prior endeavors.
• Demonstrated interest in human rights litigation and commitment to public service, with an understanding of and strong interest in international human rights law;
• Strong legal research and writing skills.
• Advanced proficiency in English-language communication skills (both orally and in writing) required, proficiency in other languages, particularly French or Arabic, an added plus.
• Proven ability to work efficiently in a fast-paced environment, troubleshoot and follow projects through to completion, consistently on schedule, without loss of attention to detail; flexibility and ability to work simultaneously on a wide range of tasks and projects and ability to prioritize tasks, particularly under pressure.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, good humor always appreciated, with an understanding of cross-cultural issues and ability to build and maintain relationships with a wide range of people from diverse backgrounds.
• Ability to work independently.