The ROL section, is one of several departments in the Governance and Peace Directorate (GPD) of the Commonwealth Secretariat. The GPD is responsible for the promotion of democracy, human rights, the rule of law, and good governance within the Commonwealth. In addition to providing policy and legal advice as well as technical assistance, the RoL Section facilitates consensus-building and multilateral cooperation on a wide range of rule of law matters of concern to Commonwealth member countries, including on efforts to realise Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16 and the building of effective rule of law and justice frameworks, (i.e., laws, institutions, policies, and practices), and addressing the problem of increasing cybercrime.
The internship will enable the successful candidates to expand their project management skills and experience through a number of exciting technical assistance, research and awareness raising projects. Each Legal intern will shadow and be supervised by a Legal Advisor, respectively, and will assist on a broad variety of legal research and administrative tasks.
The successful candidates will be required to (please refer to the Job Description for a more exhaustive list):
- Participate in team meetings;
- Observe and be involved in key stakeholder, governmental and inter-governmental meetings;
- Assist in the design and delivery of various legal research, technical assistance and awareness-raising projects;
- Attend and report on key internal and external meetings and undertake assigned administrative functions;
- Conduct legal research, online surveys and produce reports on SDG-16, including on ensuring equal access to justice, addressing impact of COVID-19 on the rule of law and justice systems in the Commonwealth, legislative drafting and law reform;
- Participate in a project to build a framework to enable the provision of pro bono legal services to Commonwealth Small Countries;
- Assist in coordinating the convening and work of various Expert Working Groups.
To be considered, you must be between the ages of 20 and 30 years and have been enrolled in, or recently completed, a law degree. Experience in conducting research on legal issues, an understanding of development issues and an ability to research and deliver reports in a timely manner is desirable. Excellent IT skills and the ability to provide administrative assistance are also required.
The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of 54 member countries and provides guidance on policy making, technical assistance and advisory services to Commonwealth member countries. We support governments to help achieve sustainable, inclusive and equitable development.
To join us, you must be a citizen of a Commonwealth country and have the right to live and work in the UK for the full duration of the Internship.
If you feel that you are suitable for the role, please apply using the buttons below.
The closing date is 28 June 2021, 17:00 BST.