Legal Internship at the Overseas Private Investment Corporation

OPIC’s Department of Legal Affairs invites a few law students with outstanding records and a demonstrated interest in finance, and international law and development to spend a summer or academic semester at OPIC as legal interns.:

Fall and Spring semesters as well as Summer. For Fall and Spring internships, second- and third-year students will be considered. For Summer internships, first- and second-year students will be considered.:

All positions are at OPIC's office in Washington, DC.  Applications for the summer are due by March 15, 2011.

OPIC’s Department of Legal Affairs, consisting of approximately twenty attorneys, interacts with every department at OPIC and plays an important role with respect to OPIC’s overall program. The Department negotiates with individual countries the bilateral agreements allowing OPIC to offer its programs in that country. Once OPIC programs are in place, the Department represents OPIC in any negotiations with foreign governments, including settlement of OPIC’s claims against the government after OPIC has compensated an insured investor. OPIC lawyers also draft project finance and investment funds legal documentation, review political risk insurance contracts, negotiate with investors and their counsel on the details of finance, funds and insurance transactions, and determine liability and the extent of compensation due in claims on OPIC insurance policies. In the event of a dispute under an insurance policy, the Department may represent OPIC in arbitration, the dispute resolution mechanism called for in OPIC insurance contracts. If OPIC chooses to rely on outside counsel (for example, local counsel in a project country), OPIC lawyers select and supervise retained attorneys. Finally, OPIC depends on the Department to provide any legal advice it may require as a corporation on a wide range of general corporate, legislative, and administrative matters.

For a law student interested in finance and the legal aspects of international business transactions, an OPIC internship provides exposure to many facets of international investment, from structuring project financings to the assessment of political risks and evaluation of claims in connection with OPIC’s insurance contracts. An internship with OPIC’s Department of Legal Affairs gives students a comprehensive overview of the operations and effectiveness of OPIC programs in support of international transactions.

The internship is an opportunity for practical application of legal principles in such areas as corporate law, administrative law, public international law, international business transactions, insurance, banking, and finance. Law student interns help OPIC’s attorneys advise OPIC in matters relating to insurance, finance, investment funds and administration and can be assigned to a number of legal research and writing projects. The Department makes every effort to match required research assignments to our interns’ areas of particular interest.