Cornell Law students have the ability to participating in internships and fellowships abroad. These opportunities allow students to engage with international law practitioners and researchers, and to build collaborative partnerships with public, nonprofit, and nongovernmental agencies addressing critical issues in relevant areas of international law such as international public interest, international human rights, international criminal law, and international trade law. Information on additional internships and fellowships opportunities may be found on the career services site.
Berger International and Comparative Legal Studies Summer Fellowships
Due Date to Cornell Law School April 7th 2023
Description
The mission of the Berger Summer Fellowship Program is to give students an opportunity to engage international law practitioners and researchers, and to build collaborative partnerships with public, non-profit and non-governmental agencies addressing critical issues in relevant areas of international law such as international human rights, international criminal law, and international trade law.
The main objective of this program is to enhance and reinforce academic learning by providing students the opportunity to actively engage with individuals and organizations directly involved in the policy and practice of international law. It is designed to: deepen students’ understanding of the practice of international law and, acquaint students with a collaborative field experience related to international law. Students will gain valuable international work and research experience and, at the same time, contribute to the work of the organization they intern for, by providing the host-organization with a detailed policy review, research paper or professional report relevant to the host-organization.
Students identify and make arrangements for their own internship placement, which should include a focus on areas of international or comparative law and may be based in the U.S. or abroad.
Students will be advised by a supervisor at the place of internship. At the end of the internship period, students will be required to submit to Cornell a report of their experiences.
Eligible Applicants
All J.D., LL.M. and J.S.D. students, with a preference to those with a demonstrated interest in international or comparative legal studies
Grant Amount and Fellowship Duration
Pro-rated, based on length of internships, from 4 weeks up to 12 weeks (e.g., $2500 for 4 weeks; $5000 for 8 weeks). The internships are designed to last between four to twelve weeks. Students should specify their desired length of stay in their application.
Please note that the Berger Fellowship may supplement partial (but not full) PIF grants up to the maximum pro-rated amount. If the internship is a paid position, the fellowship will be reduced by the amount of compensation.
Please note that the Berger Fellowship may supplement partial (but not full) PIF grants up to the maximum pro-rated amount. If the internship is a paid position, the fellowship will be reduced by the amount of compensation.
Application Deadline
April 7, 2023
Application Instructions
Students are expected to find internship placements themselves, in advance of applying. Once a placement is found, submit the following materials by email attachment to international.law@cornell.edu with the subject line Berger Summer Fellowships.
- Your resume
- Your transcript (you may send this via Cornell’s Secure File Transfer for heightened security)
- A cover letter that includes the following:
1. Describe the organization or agency, the legal work it does, and the clients it serves. Include the web site address, and, if available, a description of the summer legal internship program. Please also explain how your work will engage international or comparative law.
2. Your desired length of stay at the organization.
3. Discuss your motivation for applying. Describe how a public international summer internship with the particular employer you will work for (or hope to work for) facilitates your long-term legal career goals.
4. Any other information that you feel is relevant.
Selection Process
Decisions are expected to be made within 2 weeks of the application deadline. Applicants may be interviewed by the selection committee as part of the selection process.
International Court of Justice Fellowship
Due Date to Cornell Law School January 13th 2023
Qualifications
- Demonstrated research and writing skills.
- Thorough command of English or French.
- A good working knowledge of the second official language is an asset.
Application Details
The following documents are required:
- Application form and summary table, to be filled in by the candidate. (links below)
- Two or three letters of reference.
- Official academic record of the candidate.
- A writing sample of no more than 15 pages.
Links for the application form and summary table:
- https://www.icj-cij.org/public/files/judicial-fellowship-programme/personal-history-form-en.dotx
- https://www.icj-cij.org/public/files/judicial-fellowship-programme/summary-table-en.dotx
Candidates are strongly encouraged to fill in the application form as comprehensively as possible. The summary table should be limited to one page and should highlight the most relevant and important information. Candidates may present this information in list form.
Application Deadline
The application deadline is 5:00 p.m. on January 13th 2023. Please email applications in one PDF to international.law@cornell.edu. Please indicate the name of the Fellowship and whether or not your email contains a question in the subject line.
International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes
Due Date to Cornell Law School January 13th, 2023
Candidates must have or be able to obtain an F1 or G4 visa, or be U.S. citizens or residents (Green Card holders), and be able to cover the costs of travel, accommodation and living expenses in Washington, D.C. In addition, ICSID recommends that selected interns procure a medical insurance for the period of the internship.
Candidates must satisfy the requirements of their university for an internship (as these may vary, students are encouraged to seek confirmation from the university that they are eligible for a particular internship period prior to applying).
Qualifications
- A demonstrated interest and knowledge of investor-State dispute settlement and international investment law.
- Rising 3L, LLM or Ph.D. Student.
- Fluency in English and preferably in at least one of the other two official languages of ICSID (i.e., French and Spanish).
- Ability to conduct research on a range of issues in the fields of arbitration and investment law.
- Strong writing and legal drafting skills.
Application Details
The following documents are required: Interns are selected on a competitive basis and must meet the following minimum requirements:
- A demonstrated interest and knowledge of investor-State dispute settlement and international investment law.
- Rising 3L, LLM or Ph.D. Student.
- Fluency in English and preferably in at least one of the other two official languages of ICSID (i.e., French and Spanish).
- Ability to conduct research on a range of issues in the fields of arbitration and investment law.
- Strong writing and legal drafting skills.
Application Deadline
The application deadline is 5:00 p.m. on January 13th, 2023. Individuals who meet all of the above requirements and qualifications may apply by completing the attached form and append their CVs and submit with an email entitled ICSID Application to international.law@cornell.edu. Please indicate the name of the Fellowship and whether or not your email contains a question in the subject line.
Salzburg-Cutler Fellowship
Due Date to Cornell Law School November 11, 2022
Program Requirements
- Each fellow prepares and presents a research paper intended for eventual publication. Topics come from public and private international law in fields ranging from finance to human rights, free speech to the law of war. Some of the top law faculty in the world offer advice on how to make their argument most effective, and on how to succeed in getting papers accepted by journals in the United States and across the world.
- Research papers would usually be submitted in December
- Executive Summaries of the papers submitted to faculty for review in January
- Gathering in DC in February to share papers and discuss in topic groups with faculty and other fellows.
Eligible Applicants
Please note that this program is open to 2L and 3L students. Eligibility is extended on a highly exceptional basis to LLM students. Students with strong international experience and/or backgrounds are particularly encouraged to apply. A maximum of four students will be admitted.
Application Details
The following documents are required:
1. Cover letter explaining your background and interest in the Cutler Program
2. Unofficial Cornell Law School transcript (Attention LLM students: Please provide a copy of transcripts for all university-level education. In addition, please submit your Cornell Law School transcript, so we know what courses you took for the Fall term)
3. Resume or C.V.
4. Two-page abstract (see details below)
Application Deadline
The application deadline is 5:00 p.m. on November 11th. Please email applications in one PDF to international.law@cornell.edu. Please indicate the name of the Fellowship and whether or not your email contains a question in the subject line.
Details for the two-page abstract:
The paper will not need to be ready for submission until the end of January. The abstract should describe the research topic/paper you would wish to present during the breakout sessions of the Cutler Seminar. Abstracts should outline an issue or question in international law that will be developed into a research paper, journal note, or other publication. Breakout sessions for discussing papers are generally grouped into five major areas:
a) Humanitarian law, human rights, and use of force
b) International economic, investment, and monetary law
c) International trade, anti-corruption, and anti-trust
d) International institutions and international relations
e) Rule of law and comparative constitutionalism
Furman Family Fellowship
Due Date to Cornell Law School January 13th, 2023
Through the generous support of the Furman Family Fellowship, we are pleased to announce a summer clerkship opportunity at the Supreme Court of Israel. The Supreme Court, located in Jerusalem, is the highest court of Israel and the highest court of appeals. The court often refers to jurisprudence from American, Commonwealth, and European legal systems in its decisions.
Foreign law clerks at the Court are assigned to a specific Justice and typically research comparative legal issues and draft memoranda relating to legal questions. Where applicable, their findings will be taken into consideration in decisions rendered by the Court. Foreign law clerks write in English, and knowledge of Hebrew is not required (though is helpful). Knowledge of other languages also is an advantage. In certain cases, foreign law clerks who do especially excellent work have been invited to extend their position at the Court.
Cornell students are invited to submit their applications to Cornell’s International Programs Office by the deadline noted below. The Law School will select one or more finalists, whose applications will be forwarded to the Supreme Court for further consideration.
The Furman Family Fellowship will provide financial support to the top successful applicant who is offered and accepts a position with the Supreme Court. The fellow will receive a $7500 stipend for a 12- week clerkship at the Court.
Eligible Applicants
- Cornell J.D., LL.M., and J.S.D. students, recent graduates, and faculty
- Preference given to students with more general law experience but also with a focus on international law.
Application Details
The following documents are required:
- Cover letter explaining your background and interest addressed to the Supreme Court of Israel
- Letter of recomendation
- Unofficial Cornell Law School transcript (Attention LLM students: Please provide a copy of transcripts for all university-level education. In addition, please submit your Cornell Law School transcript, so we know what courses you took for the Fall 2021 term. If you do not have a Cornell transcript, please include the list of classes you anticipate taking at Cornell Law School for Spring 2022)
- Resume or C.V.
- A writing sample of no more than 15 pages.
Application Deadline
The application deadline is 5:00 p.m. on January 13th 2023. Please email applications in one PDF to international.law@cornell.edu. Please indicate the name of the Fellowship and whether or not your email contains a question in the subject line.
Robert and Barbara Kent Fellowship at the Southern African Institute of Policy and Research (SAIPAR)
Due date: March 10, 2023
The Robert and Barbra Kent Fellowship was established by the SAIPAR Board in 2014 in honor of the late Cornell Professor Robert Kent. SAIPAR is a well-established interdisciplinary research center in Lusaka, Zambia. The Fellowship recognizes the contribution of Professor Kent to legal education in Zambia and the United States. The fellowship, which is awarded once a year, allows a law student to spend two months working in the corporate law firm of Musa Dudhia & Co. Musa Dudhia is one of Zambia’s largest firms and focuses on finance, banking, corporate law, labor employment and property transactions. It also has an extensive pro-bono program and offers free legal advice to start-ups at the innovative tech hub “Bongo Hive.” The fellowship promotes Professor Kent’s strongly held belief in the need for young American lawyers to understand foreign legal systems.
Fellowship Terms/Eligibility
The fellowship will run for eight-weeks during the general time period of mid-May to Mid-August, 2020.
The fellow will receive housing while in Lusaka, Zambia and a modest stipend. This fellowship is eligible for Public Interest Fellowship (PIF) funding (PIF is open to 1L and 2L JD students).
Application Instructions
Please e-mail your resume and cover letter to international.law@cornell.edu by March 10, 2023.