International Rights Advocates Internship in Ecuador

International Rights Advocates (IRAdvocates) builds and supports the capacity of women, human rights, labor, and legal organizations to develop and promote innovative legal strategies to hold multinational corporations accountable for labor, human rights, and environmental violations. IRAdvocates does so by supporting direct legal advocacy both in the U.S. and abroad, and by working with local partner organizations to develop and undertake precedent-setting legal actions in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. IRAdvocates believes that only when multinational corporate actors are subject to meaningful and enforceable legal mechanisms both in the country where the violation occurs and abroad can individual human rights be fully realized.

This internship is on location in Quito, Ecuador. The legal intern would work with our attorney in Quito, and depending upon need and case activity, he/she may have travel opportunities in Ecuador doing casework.

Position Responsibilities:

• Research legal issues particular to multinational corporate accountability litigation, including specifically the Alien Tort Statute (ATS), the Torture Victims Protection Act (TVPA), and state law claims.
• Draft legal memoranda concerning relevant issues in pending cases. 
• Conduct factual research to assist in filing complaints against multinational corporations and further case development. 
• Assist in preparations for conducting and defending depositions.
• Other tasks as necessary to further IRAdvocates’ mission and goal in holding multinational corporations accountable for international human rights abuses.

Preferred Position Qualifications:

• Applicant is a J.D. Candidate (2L and above).
• Possess a strong interest in using the law as a vehicle for social change
• Experience or course work relating to the research of jurisdictional, tort, corporate and international law issues
• Some study or experience with human rights law
• Strong writing and analytical skills.

Salary and Benefits:

This is an unpaid position. IRAdvocates, however, can facilitate externship credit if this is available through the intern’s law school.

Time Period:

This unpaid internship may be arranged for different periods throughout the year depending upon availability. Please include in your correspondence when you wish to intern (fall semester, spring semester, other time period, etc.).

To Apply:

Please send resume and cover letter to info@iradvocates.org, identifying "QUITO Law Clerk/Legal Intern Position" in the subject line of your. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Only J.D. candidates (2L and above) may apply for this position.

NOTE: This internship is for the fall of 2010 and beyond--the dates listed above are not exact.