René Cassin offers internship opportunities throughout the year.
Internship descriptions vary but may include desk research, drafting documents, assisting with event planning, communications and PR, data analysis, liaising with current and prospective donors, developing educational resources and programmes and engaging in advocacy efforts.
Internships are generally unpaid. Internships provide direct exposure to the workings of a human rights organization, close supervision by the staff, interaction with other international organizations and government officials, and opportunities to attend lectures, trainings, and special events relating to human rights.
Qualifications: René Cassin Internships are open to undergraduate and graduate students in law, international relations, political science, or related subjects with strong writing and research skills. Excellent oral and written command of English is essential. Applicants should demonstrate precise attention to detail, the ability to follow instructions, conscientiousness about checking one’s own work and good organisation skills, a proactive approach, reliability and good judgment. A strong interest in human rights is essential and some experience in human rights is preferred. Computer skills (i.e., Microsoft Office, Internet applications) are required; graphic and web design, communications and PR, database management experience are preferred.
Please apply immediately (no calls or email inquiries, please) by sending a letter of interest, CV, contact information or letters for two references, and a brief, unedited writing sample (of no more than two pages) to info@renecassin.org. Please use “Internship Application” as the subject of your email. Only complete applications will be reviewed.
René Cassin is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate in its hiring practices and, in order to build the strongest possible workforce, actively seeks a diverse applicant pool. Please note, due to the large number of applications we receive, we are unable to respond to unsuccessful candidates. Interest and experience in human rights is preferred. We look forward to hearing from you.
Intern testimonials
I spent three months interning with the René Cassin organisation as part of an internship programme organised by my university in Sydney, Australia. … Working at the René Cassin organisation has been a truly eye-opening experience. While it may be a relatively small organisation, it is very ambitious and manages to accomplish amazing things.
…both campaigns and the work I did for them challenged me in quite distinct ways. Working to end discrimination against Gypsies & Travellers in the UK is a foreign issue for me, so I was taken on a steep learning curve and exposed to human rights violations that I had never before encountered. The campaign to end modern day slavery & human trafficking tested my legal background and compelled me to work harder, more effectively and more thoroughly than ever before…
I’ve spent one of the best summers of my life interning with René Cassin. The work was at times tedious…but it’s so incredibly rewarding you can’t help but come back for more.
– Persis Eskander
I have recently completed a six month internship with the René Cassin organisation. As an aspiring human rights lawyer I wanted to get some experience in human rights advocacy before doing my law degree and was lucky to discover René Cassin and their excellent internship programme.
Having interned at large, multinational NGOs in the past where the internship experience was rather restrictive, I was very pleased to find the opposite at René Cassin. Given its lean size, the dedication of its staff, and the relative lack of bureaucracy, I was able to work on a surprising variety of topics and build a substantial skill set that will help me in my future endeavours in the field. During my time with the organisation I worked across all the campaign areas and contributed to organisational strategy: among many tasks, I performed research and writing for legal toolkits on asylum seekers and Gypsy and Traveller communities; I authored a piece on the use of technology in the education of Gypsy and Traveller children which was submitted to the UN ECOSOC High-Level Segment; I created various presentations on human rights history and theory and spoke on human rights at a local secondary school; I helped review the curriculum for the René Cassin Fellowship Programme; and I contributed to recruiting, fundraising and strategic efforts.
I am grateful to the team at René Cassin who ensured that my internship was rewarding by constantly providing me with challenging and interesting work: their genuine desire that interns develop useful and desirable skills made for a truly valuable experience. You would be hard pushed to replicate such an experience elsewhere.
