Castan Centre for Human Rights Law

Successful Intern applicant shares her experience with the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia

I have been here two weeks now and have been assigned to the Trial Chamber that is dealing with the Milosevic trial, so to be part of that has been amazing and exceeded all of my expectations already.

Applying for an internship at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) is a relatively easy, although quite particular, process. From the outset, it is important that you as the applicant make it as easy as possible for the ICTY to appoint you as an intern, so it is essential that the guidelines of what material need to be included for selection are followed as closely as possible. This may include ensuring that the sample of your written work is closely related to the workings of the Tribunal (you may be able to combine this with an essay required for a Law subject as I did) and also that you provide your referees with the exact criteria for which they are required to compose their reference.

When submitting your application, you are required to submit preferences as to which of the three areas of the Tribunal you would like to work for. The three sections are: Office of the Prosecutor; Chambers; and Registry. Think carefully about which of the three sections you would like to rank first and ensure that you read the application instructions carefully as some sections have different closing dates and prefer individuals who are available for a longer internship. If you are successful, be prepared for relatively late notice – I only had three and a half weeks and other interns have had less than that!

An internship at the ICTY is a fabulous opportunity to be a (small!) part of administering international justice. Believe me, you have nothing to lose from submitting an application and a wealth of knowledge, participation and fulfilment to gain.

Lauren McLeod