IBJ Law Student Internship Program

In China, IBJ has established a network of Defender Resource Centers that work in partnership with Chinese universities, bar associations, law firms and civil society actors to implement and develop fair trial rights of the criminally accused. IBJ achieves this goal by building the capacity of the indigent defense system, educating criminal defenders and other key actors in the criminal justice system, developing pilot initiatives that promote improved implementation of rights-based laws and policies, and promoting growing consciousness among ordinary citizens of their basic human rights.

The IBJ Law Student Internship Program gives law students the opportunity to become involved in IBJ’s uniquely practical and realistic theory of change; by working in partnership with criminal justice organs and civil society, and developing the resources, awareness and trained lawyers necessary to improve implementation of existing domestic laws, IBJ can advance human rights in the developing world. Students have the opportunity to work at IBJ’s National Defender Resource Center in Beijing or in one of IBJ’s Regional Defender Resource Centers in western or southern China.

Each year IBJ attracts some of the best and brightest law students to participate in its rule of law initiatives in China. IBJ’s internship program provides a select group of law students with a rare opportunity to work on range of project activities. Students will work alongside IBJ’s team of international and Chinese lawyers in China. All students are relied upon to play an active and important role; the demands of the program are intellectually satisfying and personally rewarding. Because of IBJ’s unprecedented access to China’s criminal justice system, all law student interns will be able to get an up-close look at the contemporary issues impacting upon China’s indigent defense system.

Interning with IBJ in China, law students will have the following opportunities:

1) To participate in on-site training of criminal defenders or other criminal justice actors and to contribute towards the development of essential training and resource materials.

2) To assist in the development of a distance learning program, web site development, eLearning modules, accessible to lawyers throughout China.

3) To engage in campaign activities which seek to raise awareness among ordinary citizens of their basic legal rights; further to participate in activities that aim to educate criminal justice actors about how to better protect the rights of the accused.

4) To develop research from the United Nations and other international bodies, as well as from countries around the world and to engage in local field research that will contribute towards policy and legislative reforms on the local and national level.

5) To contribute towards IBJ’s unique Models for Change programs, pilot initiatives around the country that address how to accomplish rights protection and enforcement in practice. Among these programs are opportunities to work on the development of the juvenile justice system, the development of indigent defense systems and strategies in poor and minority regions throughout western China that provide earlier access to counsel and improve the capacity of defenders to protect the legal rights of the ordinary citizens within the criminal justice system.

6) Develop and implement monitoring and evaluation processes to accurately reflect the impact of IBJ’s work in China.

7) Strategic planning and the development of concept papers that will evolve into funding proposals.

Skills needed:

- Fluency in Mandarin Chinese

- Exceptional research and writing skills and a responsible attitude in all aspects of work

- Good interpersonal skills

- Interest in human rights/ public interest/ criminal defense

- Proficiency with a broad range of computer programs

- Ability to work in a complex and team environment

- Ability to work congenially and effectively under challenging circumstances

- Ability to work independently and without direction when necessary

Please send a CV and cover letter by email to internationalbridges@ibj.org.

For summer internships, please send by 15th January. Applicationa for internships outside the summer are accepted on a rolling basis.