Internships & Fellowships In
Geneva, Switzerland

CIEL's internship program in Geneva offers law students excellent opportunities to gain experience in the field of international environmental law, including intellectual property rights law and institutions. Interns work full or part-time during the school year, usually receiving credit from their schools. Summer interns typically work full-time during the summer months.

CIEL's fellowship program in Geneva helps law graduates gain experience and specialize in their field of interest. Fellows may work full or part-time.

Due to limited resources, almost all internships and fellowships are unpaid and we cannot provide assistance with funding. CIEL is also unable to provide housing. It is the intern's or fellow's responsibility to locate housing in Geneva. However, we do provide housing information to the selected candidates. Housing arrangements and reservations should be made well in advance due to limited housing options in Geneva.

Responsibilities of fellows and interns include researching and writing about areas of international law and policy; assisting with policy analysis and advocacy; attending meetings and conferences; assisting with the production of CIEL publications; and otherwise working closely with CIEL staff on various projects.

Successful applicants generally possess excellent research and writing skills in English and a strong dedication to public interest law. While CIEL actively seeks applicants with diverse backgrounds, CIEL's office in Geneva particularly needs students and graduates with an interest in international chemical management, or students and graduates interested in issues of new technologies (e.g. nanotechnologies), international intellectual property and sustainable development. Knowledge of French, Spanish or German is also useful. Due to our current limited infrastructure, we ask (but do not require) interns to work on their personal laptop computers.

Application Process

To apply for Geneva internships, please send only in English and by email, the following materials to geneva@ciel.org (No calls please!):

• Cover letter (which should include, inter alia, exact period the applicant is applying for);
• Resume (which should include, inter alia, nationality/ies and date of birth); and
• Writing sample (minimum of two pages, demonstrating your legal writing skills -preferably not a legal memo or brief from a legal writing course).

Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Deadlines

• Summer internships/fellowships (approximate period between June - September): Applications are accepted until December 1st and final decisions are made by January 10.
  
  
• Fall internships/fellowships (approximate period between September-December): Applications are accepted until March 1st and final decisions are made by March 31.

• Winter-Spring internships/fellowships (approximate period between January - May): Applications are accepted until July 15 and final decisions made by July 31.

For internships and fellowships during the school year, we may be more flexible regarding dates, depending on the number of applications. The minimum duration is normally three months.