35 years of transformative fellowships

IHRP Fellowships: 35 years in the field

The IHRP offers approximately 10-15 students at the Faculty of Law the opportunity to spend their summer working on international human rights law issues around the world through its summer fellowship program. The goal of the program is to train and develop the capacity of students in the promotion and protection of international human rights through litigation, advocacy, activism, research and education. At the same time, the IHRP fellowships allow students to gain practical experience in the field, and experience human rights concerns that are of interest to them.

Since 1988, the IHRP has facilitated over 500 fellowships for law students with organizations in 70 different countries. Most students undertake their fellowships during one of their summers, before graduation.

What past IHRP fellows say about their experiences

"My summer at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia was among the most transformative professional experiences of my life. Living and working in the Hague, a fascinating epicenter of international justice, I discovered a community of lawyers whose practice focuses exclusively on public international law — a field that we, in North America, all too often discount as purely academic and impractical. My IHRP fellowship revealed a whole world of opportunity that I didn't know existed, but which I know I will explore further in the years to come."

-Daniel Sisgoreo, IHRP Fellow, 2017


 

Photo of Ben Liston in Nepal 2011"This internship has already provided the most in-depth, hand on (at times overwhelming) crash course in refugee rights I could have hoped for"

- Ben Liston, IHRP Intern, 2011 

 


 "The summer also gave me an unforgettable chance to get to know Ghana, which is so different than anywhere else I have lived in ways that were both wonderful and challenging. I made some dear friends and colleagues while I lived there, and thanks to the famous Ghanaian hospitality, I saw more of the country and became integrated into local life much more than I had expected to in such a short period of time...."

Sarah Beamish, IHRP-Brews Intern 2013


 "My IHRP internship during my 1L summer was a transformative experience for me. It was an incredible opportunity to work with a community of really talented and inspiring Ugandan human rights lawyers. I was able to witness firsthand their efforts to make real changes to their society and to see how the law played a role in this effort. It was an experience that shaped my academic interests in law. I'm very grateful to the IHRP and to HUman Rights Awareness and Promotion Forum (Uganda) for the experience I had during my 1L summer."

- Kathryn Hart, IHRP intern 2013


Photo of Lindsay Burrow with James Anaya and others"I greatly enjoyed my time in Tucson. The desert is a special place for me and it was wonderful to make new connections with people, the land and law over the three months I was there. I’m grateful for the IHRP for providing this opportunity. It has certainly broadened my understanding of what a law career can offer. Most importantly the internship deepened my appreciation for the beauty and resilience of indigenous cultures, lands, languages and laws."

- Lindsay Burrows, IHRP Intern 2013


"My internship this summer has been extremely rewarding, not only academically but on a personal and emotional level. I spent the summer studying forced labour litigation against Japanese corporations operating during World War II. It is a topic that necessitated spanning the globe: I began at the U.S. National Archives in Washington DC and later journeyed to China, South Korea, and finally Japan. After three months of research, travelling, and meetings, I was left fairly exhausted, but also with an understanding of why these issues from so long ago are still important today and how far they are from being properly addressed. After meeting those who have spent decades fighting to help forced labour victims achieve redress, their frustration at the failure to achieve success in the courtroom was evident; however, even more apparent was the resolve and optimism that still remains."  

- Glenn Brandys, IHRP Intern, 2012


 "I cannot speak highly enough of the experiences this internship has afforded me.  After two months of working at the ICC and living in The Hague, I now have a much clearer sense of the practice of international criminal law.  I feel lucky to witness the interaction of lawyers from around the world, both in my daily work on the Banda and Jerbo defence and more generally from living in The Hague."

- Louis Century, IHRP Intern 2011