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 75 students each summer while providing greatly needed assistance to a wide range of organizations in the United States and more than 50 other countries. 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.
Photo Credit: Dustin Ross, CLS
HRIP Funding Policy
Columbia Law School makes an enormous ongoing investment in this program, which enables second-year students ("Charles Evans Hughes Fellows") to have their travel expenses paid and receive stipends of $6,000, regardless of need. First-year students receive substantial stipends and travel allowances.
The host organization is not expected to provide any funding.
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.
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.
The HRIP does not designate an Intern to a specific placement. Instead, after a meeting with Center staff, the Interns are allowed to apply to five organizations of interest to them. The Center will instruct applicants to submit a cover letter, a resume and any additional material you require.
CPIL sends students' applications to the host organizations in early January. 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.
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 Form seeks information about your organization that will help the Center determine whether your organization's practice is within the scope of the HRIP and, if so, to provide qualified HRIP Interns.
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.
