CORNELL LAW SCHOOL 2011 PUBLIC INTERNATIONAL SUMMER FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM

The Office of Public Service is happy to announce Cornell Law School’s 2011 Public International Summer Fellowship Program.

BACKGROUND Students taking summer legal internships with government agencies or non-profit organizations outside of the United States are eligible for Cornell=s PIF (Public Interest Fellowship) $1,600 grant. However, due to federal regulations, the $2,400 work-study grant is not available for placements outside of the United States. Therefore, in the interest of supporting students with a dedicated interest in public international work, the Public International Summer Fellowship Program was established in 2006. The Program is specifically designed to replace the lost $2,400 work-study funding so that students working in these select overseas placements may receive a full $4,000 summer fellowship. Students receiving Public International Fellowships must fulfill all PIF grant requirements.

PLACEMENTS The International Labour Organization (ILO) in Geneva, Switzerland (2 placements) The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) in Arusha Tanzania (1 placement) The Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee (DMSC) in Calcutta, India (1 placement) The Human Rights Law Network (HRLN) in Delhi, India (1 placement)

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS First and second year students may apply; preference will be given to second year students.

APPLICATION DEADLINE All application materials must be submitted by email to Karen Comstock, Assistant Dean for Public Service, at [email protected] by Thursday, January 27, 2011.

PLACEMENT DESCRIPTIONS, APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS AND SELECTION PROCESS

I. International Labour Organization (ILO), Geneva, Switzerland The ILO was founded in 1919, in the wake of a destructive war, to pursue a vision based on the premise that universal, lasting peace can be established only if it is based upon decent treatment of working people. The ILO became the first specialized agency of the UN in 1946. The ILO is devoted to advancing opportunities for women and men to obtain decent and productive work in conditions of freedom, equity, security and human dignity. Its main aims are to promote rights at work, encourage decent employment opportunities, enhance social protection and strengthen dialogue in handling work-related issues. In promoting social justice and internationally recognized human and labour rights, the organization continues to pursue its founding mission that labour peace is essential to prosperity. Today, the ILO helps advance the creation of decent jobs and the kinds of economic and working conditions that give working people and business people a stake in lasting peace, prosperity and progress. See www.ilo.org/public/english/index.htm.

Placement 1 is with the International Labour Standards Department.

Placement 2 is with a special project run jointly by the International Labour Standards Department and the Declaration Department concerning the right to organize of workers in export processing zones and of rural workers. Last summer’s intern was Ratna Gunatheesan ’11 [email protected].

Submit a resume and a cover letter addressed to Karen Curtis, Deputy Director, International Labour Standards Department, International Labour Organization (the rest of the address is not necessary). Ms. Curtis will interview candidates and make the final selection.

II. Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee (DMSC), Calcutta, West Bengal, India DMSC has been named a model intervention program for sex workers by the National AIDS Control Organization of the Indian Government, the World Health Organization and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. DMSC works with 20,000 sex workers in 49 sites all over the state of West Bengal to secure their legal rights as well as ensure their access to health care and housing. DMSC believes that issues of social justice are inextricably tied to the risk that sex workers face of contracting HIV and other diseases. Currently, DMSC is exploring issues surrounding legalizing sex work, trafficking, sex workers’ physical safety and access to housing, amongst other issues. There are also several ongoing research projects conducted by Universities in Europe and the US. Interns are provided supervision by a lawyer working with DMSC. Internship work will include conducting legal research at university law libraries, writing position memos and summaries on legal topics, attending court with a lawyer when a case is being litigated, shadowing DMSC personnel as they interact with sex workers in order to identify issues and helping organize workshops to disseminate research results. Since DMSC hosts interns and scholars from all over the world during the summer, they are usually attuned to the needs of most international visitors: they will provide a safe and comfortable work environment and provide translation as well as interpretation services when needed. Calcutta is one of the largest metropolises in the world with excellent and affordable housing, transportation and other amenities. See http://www.durbar.org.

Applicants must respect the dignity of sex workers and respect their choice to engage in sex work and must be comfortable working with people of various genders and sexual orientations. In addition, applicants must possess good writing and analytical skills in English (all research documents are in English), good verbal communication skills in English, and good team skills, as interns will sometimes be asked to be part of team discussions that will include lawyers, sex workers, social scientists and government officials. An orientation to social justice issues is preferable. Applicants need not be conversant in anything other than English.

Submit a resume and a cover letter addressed to Professor Toorjo Ghose (no additional address required). Please state in your cover letter why you are interested in the DMSC’s work and why you are a good fit for the organization. Professor Ghose, from the University of Pennsylvania, has worked with DMSC in the past, supervising a U.S. National Institute of Health-funded research project examining the effects of legal practices on sex workers’ HIV-related risk behaviors. Professor Ghose conducts research for DMSC through a grant from the Gates Foundation and is very knowledgeable about the organization’s mission and structure. Professor Ghose will interview candidates and will make the final intern selection in consultation with DMSC. Last year’s DMSC interns were Sara Myers ’12 [email protected] and Jennifer Holsey ’12 [email protected].

III. Human Rights Law Network (HRLN), in New Delhi, India HRLN is a collective of lawyers and social activists dedicated to the use of legal system to advance human rights. HRLN collaborates with social movements, human rights organizations, and grass- roots development groups to enforce the rights of children, dalits, people with disabilities, farmers, HIV positive people, the homeless, indigenous people, prisoners, refugees, religious and sexual minorities, women, and workers, among others. HRLN provides pro bono legal services, conducts public interest litigation, engages in advocacy, conducts legal awareness programs, investigates violations, publishes 'know your rights' materials, and participates in campaigns. One selected student will work with HRLN attorneys in New Delhi, and may express a preference for specific issue areas to concentrate on during the fellowship. See http://www.hrln.org/hrln. Last summer’s HRLN intern was Ann Eisenberg ’12 [email protected].

Submit your resume, cover letter and HRLN application form. Consult he HRLN list of work areas before you complete your application (see http://www.hrln.org/hrln/about-hrln-/internships.html for these documents.) Interviews will be conducted by Professor Sital Kilantry.

IV. United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), Arusha, Tanzania Recognizing that serious violations of humanitarian law were committed in Rwanda, and acting under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, the Security Council created the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) by resolution 955 of 8 November 1994. The purpose of this measure is to contribute to the process of national reconciliation in Rwanda and to the maintenance of peace in the region. The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda was established for the prosecution of persons responsible for genocide and other serious violations of international humanitarian law committed in the territory of Rwanda between 1 January 1994 and 31 December 1994. It may also deal with the prosecution of Rwandan citizens responsible for genocide and other such violations of international law committed in the territory of neighboring States during the same period.

Please examine the ICTR's web site in detail – http://www.unictr.org/tabid/122/default.aspx. The internship page will lead you to: the rules regarding the internship program; and a guide for interns. You do not need to follow the more involved application procedures found on the website; just submit the materials described below. Finally, consider that living in East Africa at the present time is not without risks. You should read carefully the U.S. Department of State's Consular Information Sheet for Tanzania at http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1038.html.

Submit the following materials: resume, cover letter, ICTR application form (see web site), your law school grade sheet, and legal writing sample. You will notice that the application form Annex B asks for 3 signed and sealed recommendation letters. You can submit those to me in hard copy. The rest of the materials must be emailed to me at [email protected].

The ICTR requires the Law School to conduct interviews and nominate one candidate for the internship. The ICTR then give final approval. The nomination process will be conducted by the Office of Public Service and the International and Graduate Legal Studies Office. We will review carefully all prospective applications, to ensure not only that the student nominated by Cornell Law School is qualified, but also will be reasonably likely to live and work successfully in East Africa. French language ability is a plus. Last year’s ICTR internship recipient was Natasha Downing ’11 [email protected]. public international fellowship application - 2011