Human Rights Fellowships

Alan R. and Barbara D. Finberg Fellowship, NYU School of Law Fellowship, and the Leonard H. Sandler Fellowship at Human Rights Watch

These three fellowships offer the opportunity to work in the offices for Human Rights Watch monitoring human rights developments across the globe. In addition, fellows investigate and report on human rights conditions on the ground and do publicity and media outreach to help end human rights violations. Past fellows have worked on projects ranging from police corruption in Liberia, disability rights in Russia, youth in solitary confinement in the United States, child labor in Tanzania, and gay rights in Kyrgyzstan

Duration – 1 year

Location – Washington D.C. or New York City

Requirements – Recent MA-level graduates in law, journalism, international relations, area studies, or relevant disciplines. NYU fellowship is only open to recent J.D. graduates of the New York University School of Law. Sandler Fellowship is only open to recent J.D. graduates of Columbia Law School. Need prior experience conducting human rights interviews.

Bertha Legal Fellow 

EarthRights International sponsors this legal fellowship that allows young lawyers to gain experience in public interest law. Working with ERI attorneys, fellows will develop and implement legal strategies to protect human rights and the environment around the world. In addition to working in the U.S., fellows may have the opportunity to collaborate with and travel to ERI offices in Peru and Southeast Asia.

Duration – 2 years

Location –  Washington D.C.

Requirements – Recent U.S. law degree with either admission or application to a U.S. state bar (less than two years’ experience preferred). Those with U.S. LL.M. degrees may qualify if they have been admitted or applied to a U.S. state bar. Background in international human rights law, international environmental law, corporate accountability, or indigenous people’s rights.

Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Legal Fellowship

Fellows will assist Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights in researching and drafting memoranda concerning human rights conflicts and changing legal system norms around the world. Additionally, fellows will help prepare materials for litigation before international tribunals, including the United Nations, Inter-American Human Rights System, and the African Human Rights System.

Duration – 1 year (alternatives may be arranged)

Location –  Washington D.C.

Requirements –  J.D. degree or foreign equivalent; experience with regional and international human rights law and policy; working knowledge of the United Nations or other regional human rights organizations; fluency in Spanish, French, and/or Arabic may be helpful.

Robina Foundation Post-Graduate Fellowships in International Human Rights 

This fellowship allows recent Yale Law graduates to devote themselves to full-time human rights work. Positions may range from foreign or international judicial clerkships; internships with international courts, tribunals, or government agencies; or independent human rights research. Individuals must propose their own site of employment or research.

Duration – 6 months to 1 year

Location – varies

Requirements – Must be a recent graduate (within five years) of Yale Law School.

2018-2019 Human Rights LL.M. Fellowship 

This fellowship for current law student at Columbia University offers a tuition waver and living stipend (based on the student’s financial need). Fellows gain the opportunity to collaborate with Columbia’s Human Rights Institute as well as their Human Rights Clinic, a practicum course where students collaborate with communities to find social justice solutions. Additionally, fellows receive career assistance, academic advising, and networking opportunities.

Duration – 1 year

Location – New York City

Requirements –  Current students pursuing an LL.M. degree at Columbia with experience in international human rights. Students from Africa, Asia, and Latin America and students who face impediments due to race, ethnicity, religion, gender, etc. are strongly encouraged to apply.

The Allan Rosenfield, M.D., HIV/AIDS Public Policy Internship and Fellowship Program

This fellowship program at amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research, aims to train the next generation of public health leaders to combat the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Fellows engage in original public policy research focusing on the areas of biomedical research, domestic and international AIDS funding, harm reduction, and human rights. Additionally, they are given the opportunity to advocate to members of Congress, organize conferences, and participate in community engagement activities.

Duration – 6 months for fellows, 3 months for interns

Location – Washington D.C.

Requirements – Currently enrolled undergraduates (intern program) or degree holders (fellowships). A graduate degree in public health policy is preferred. Demonstrated interest in health policy or advocacy related to HIV/AIDS.

The Humanity in Action Fellowship

This international fellowship brings together students and recent graduates from across the globe to learn about national histories of discrimination and resistance and explore actions for change. Fellows participate in daily lectures and seminars with academics, journalists, politicians, and activists and visit NGOs, community organizations, museums, and memorials dedicated to human rights and social justice. Communities of focus include Jews and minorities in Nazi Germany; colonial rule in Africa, Asia, the Americas, and the Caribbean; and countries who experienced totalitarian regimes after World War II.

Duration – 1 month (3 summer sessions around the world)

Location – Amsterdam, Atlanta, Berlin, Copenhagen, Detroit, Sarajevo and Warsaw

Requirements –  Students and recent graduates from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Poland, Ukraine and the United States. Students and recent graduates of other nationalities may apply if they are enrolled in or have recently graduated from a university in one of the above countries.

Open City Fellowship

This fellowship aims to promote and develop the public policy leadership of refugee and migrant communities. In collaboration with the Partnership on Inclusion of Migrants and Refugees of the Urban Agenda for the EU, fellows will create a project with their host city that advances and benefits both refugee and migrant communities and the city as a whole. This may be a project review, policy proposal, consultation, or series of engagement activities. Fellows will automatically become members of the new European Migrant Advisory Board and have the opportunity to impact policy-making at the EU-level.

Duration – 1 year, with the possibility for a 6-month extension

Location – Amsterdam, Athens, Barcelona, Berlin, Brussels

Requirements – Must have a background as a refugee or migrant and currently be in a fellowship city. Must currently be working or involved with a migrant- or refugee-focused NGO or other organization in that city. Must be legally permitted to travel with the European Union. Proficient in English at minimum B2 level. Proficient in the language of the city in which they are applying (German C1; Greek, Dutch, Spanish, or Catalan B2). Fluency in the language of the refugee or migrant community strongly preferred. Bachelor’s degree strongly preferred.

Social Impact Fellowship

Third Plateau works with people and organizations with game-changing ideas to improve the world, and they help them do it smarter, faster, and in collaboration with one another. Come spend the summer on their team! Each year, they add a handful of graduate student Fellows to the Third Plateau family. Fellows are treated as full time staff – developing and flexing skills in strategy consulting, leadership, and social impact. They recruit from a diverse set of backgrounds to mirror the diversity of our full time team. So whether you’re in Social Work School, getting your MBA, or pursuing a Master’s in Journalism, get ready and apply.

Duration – 12-week summer fellowship

Location – San Francisco, California or Sacramento, California

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