Overview
Columbia Law School's summer program, one of the largest in the nation, is an integral part of preparing to practice public interest law. The Human Rights Internship Program (HRIP) funds 40 students each summer while providing greatly needed assistance to a wide range of organizations in the United States and around the world. Interns select their placements from among hundreds of pre-established host organizations throughout the world, including leaders in developing new democracies and furthering human, economic, environmental, and civil rights. Additional summer programs select and fund students to work in U.S. not-for-profit organizations and governmental agencies. See PSF Guidelines for more information.
Photo Credit: Dustin Ross, CLS
Guidelines to Become an Established HRIP Placement In order to become an Established Placement, request an Organization Response Form from the Center for Public Interest Law.
The internship must qualify under the HRIP's definition of "human rights." Human Rights are those standards set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international and regional human rights instruments.
There must be at least one attorney on staff who will supervise the intern for the duration of the internship experience, which typically runs 10 weeks between the beginning of June to the middle of August.
The organization must provide meaningful legal work.
The form also will be used to prepare a description about your organization that will appear online in our Public Interest Database from which most HRIP interns select the organizations to which they want to apply. The form and other materials you provide will be made available to the interns and to other Columbia students.
HRIP Funding Policy
Columbia Law School makes an enormous ongoing investment in this program, which enables students to have their travel expenses paid and receive stipends to cover their cost of living expenses for the duration of their summer internship. The host organization is not expected to provide any funding.
Placement Process for HRIP Interns
The Center for Public Interest Law works individually with each intern to identify the organization at which they can best receive training in human rights law, work in the service of his or her beliefs, create relationships that may advance professional development, and become part of a worldwide network of Columbia graduates and others devoted to human rights.
CPIL sends students' applications to the host organizations in early/mid December. If your application deadline is earlier, please let us know. You can select as many interns from among the applicants as you like, and you can elect to require an interview. The Center will assist an overseas organization to select an Intern, upon its request.
Intern Preparation
So that they will be grounded in fundamental human rights principles, the Center for Public Interest Law provides students with intensive training on subjects ranging from basic human rights law and strategies to legal research. Interns also begin research projects with their organizations before the summer. As a result, host organizations often comment that Columbia interns are more knowledgeable of basic human rights than other interns and, therefore, receive more substantive assignments during the summer.
Placements:
The fellowship funds any law related employment in the public interest, in the U.S. or abroad, that utilizes your legal education and skills. The program will not fund positions consisting solely of non law-related policy or administrative work. "Public Interest" shall be construed broadly, without regard to political orientation, and shall include not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), international criminal courts, government agencies (federal, state, municipal, District Attorney, U.S. Attorney, Attorney General, etc), unions, and in some cases, public interest law firms.
Public Service Fellowships may not be used to fund: judicial internships, research assistantships or work on pro bono projects of law firms if the law firm does not meet the below-stated guidelines. An employer will not qualify if it conducts religious work, or if it is a membership agency (such as a credit union, a fraternal order, or a cooperative) that is primarily for the benefit of the members of such organizations rather than the public. Fellowships for a domestic political campaign or political party will not be funded.
Public Interest Law Firms
The Program recognizes that the earnings of some law firms are significantly reduced because they devote their practice to public service. Employment at such firms may qualify for a Public Service Fellowship if the firm could not otherwise afford to hire a summer legal intern. Students who intend to use a PSF at a public interest law firm will be required to submit to CPIL proof from the law firm that (a) the student will be working solely on public interest matters, and (b) the law firm could not otherwise afford to pay a summer stipend. Fellows who work in private, public interest law firms will not be eligible for matching money from Columbia Law School, and the firm must meet the federal requirements for work-study funding.
