Human Rights in Action (HRIA)

Summer Internship Program

Making a Difference During Law School

Pace Law School established the Human Rights in Action program, then known as the Human Rights in Action Project, in 2003 to respond to the steady increase in the number of students entering law school with a keen desire to make a difference in the world. These students also carried with them different career goals than most of their counterparts who entered law school in the 1990s. They wanted a curriculum enriched by courses in international human rights, asylum and refugee law, immigration law, international criminal law,  the prosecution of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide, and environmental justice, and chose Pace Law School in part because such courses were readily available here. But they wanted much more than classroom familiarity with these issues. They wanted the opportunity to take their growing expertise into the field, while still in law school, and actually act on their desire to work with persons or groups who might benefit from their assistance. Upon graduation, these students want to develop legal careers that can respond positively and effectively to these needs. In effect, students want opportunities to pursue human rights in action; and thus the Pace Human Rights in Action Project was born.

HRIA SUMMER INTERNSHIPS ABROAD AT WAR CRIME TRIBUNALS AND INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS

The Pace Human Rights in Action program includes several endeavors, including the placement of students in international summer internships at war crimes tribunals and at international human rights organizations. In the past, our students have interned at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), the International Criminal Court (ICC), the Special Court for Sierra Leon (SC-SL), the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC), the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) and the Human Rights Law Network (HRLN). Predictably, student interest in these opportunities has been overwhelmingly positive.

>> Click here for the ABROAD application form.

For further information on the HRIA program, please contact Faculty Chair, Professor Greenawalt at agreenwalt@law.pace.edu or faculty assistant Kathy Lambert at klambert@law.pace.edu or at (914) 422-4223.

ABA GUIDLINES FOR ACADEMIC CREDIT

Law students have the option of receiving academic credit for work done as part of a law school approved internship. To receive academic credit the internship must met the following guidelines:

• Each internship should run for a minimum of 320 hours for 8 weeks
• Students may not receive any remuneration for their work.
• Each student must complete one significant piece of legal writing during the internship. This writing should not consist of a separate research paper  but rather, be representative of the kind of work assigned.
• Supervisor will complete an Internship Assessment Form (to be provided) for each student.
• Supervisors will provide the student with a variety of meaningful learning opportunities.
• Supervisors will provide the student with adequate supervision, meeting the student on a regular basis to provide clarification and guidance where necessary to monitor progress on the work assigned.
• The supervisor should endeavor to ensure that the student participates as fully as possible in preparatory and follow-up processes which will greatly enhance the student’s ability to benefit from their internship.