The Death Penalty Project offers a number of formal internship programmes for students and graduates who are interested in working in the human rights legal sector, and in particular, issues concerning the use of the death penalty within the criminal justice system.  Every year we receive students from Yale Law School, the University of Reading, and the Irish Centre for Human Rights at the National University of Ireland.

We also offer a number of one-week internship opportunities during the summer, Christmas and Easter holidays.  Please note that the exact dates of the internships will be determined with each individual candidate.

We are now inviting applications for the Christmas internship programme 2010.  Interns will be involved in a variety of work to support the Executive Directors in providing legal assistance to prisoners on death row, including casework, research and administration.  Interns will gain valuable exposure to the workings of a pioneering legal NGO, which is a world-leader in death penalty litigation. The internship is particularly suited to undergraduates or postgraduates who are considering a legal career in human rights.

Candidates may wish to demonstrate the following skills and interests within their application:

• Studying towards an undergraduate degree in law, political sciences, or social sciences
• Interest in and some knowledge of international and comparative human rights law and/or criminal law
• A commitment to the field of human rights
• Good written and verbal communication skills
• Computer literate

Please note that we do not provide financial assistance towards the cost of an internship.

The deadline for applications is 30th of September 2010.  Applicants are requested to submit a covering letter and CV, along with dates of availability and details of two referees, to Nicola Goldfinch-Palmer via email at nicola.goldfinch-palmer@smab.co.uk.  If you have any questions regarding the internship programme, please email Nicola.

Shortlisted candidates will be contacted by 15th of October. 

We look forward to hearing from you.