Castan Centre for Human Rights Law

REPRIEVEAUSTRALIA INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

ABOUT REPRIEVEAUSTRALIA

The organization was launched on 17 May 2001 at an event sponsored by Victoria's Criminal Bar Association. The keynote speakers at the launch were the Honorable Justice Michael Kirby AC CMG of Australia's High Court and Clive Stafford Smith OBE, internationally renowned human rights lawyer and anti-death penalty advocate. The launch was attended by the local heads of Amnesty International, the International Commission of Jurists, the Castan Centre for Human Rights and Liberty Victoria, all of whom have endorsed the organization and its goals. ReprieveAustralia is the sister organization of Reprieve, a UK based international human rights charity formed in 1999, and the more recently formed Reprieve (US).

As a key part of its program, ReprieveAustralia has established a volunteer internship program, allowing Australians to donate 3 months or more of their time as volunteers in death penalty law offices representing impoverished accused. Reprieve (UK) has successfully conducted a similar internship program for a number of years. The internship program is ideal for those studying or practising in law or related fields but has attracted broad interest across a range of disciplines. Legal studies are not a prerequisite to participation in the program. ReprieveAustralia welcomes applicants from a broad variety of backgrounds.

In the last year, the program has placed volunteers at legal centres in the southern United States but is expanding its area of operation. The volunteer work performed by interns has proven vital to the legal offices to which they are attached. Each of the offices supported is a non-profit organization working in a notoriously under-funded field. Volunteer workers can often be the only way in which these offices are able to meet the demands of their workloads. In addition to the benefit that the work of volunteers can have for those it seeks to help, the program also has real benefits for the participants. It offers the unique experience of working in a foreign country and providing humanitarian relief to those in need while learning about another legal system. The educational value of the program has recently been recognized at the Monash University and Deakin University Law Schools, where participants in the program are able to gain credit within the law course for their work as volunteers.

WHAT DOES BEING AN INTERN ENTAIL?

Internships involve participation in a volunteer scheme providing for unpaid placements in legal offices principally performing capital defence work. Three months is the minimum duration of an internship. This ensures that both interns and the legal offices at which they are working get the most out of the experience. Initially, interns will be given training and tasks designed to make them familiar with their office and the requirements of the work. Thereafter, the work of interns is extremely varied and dependent upon the needs of the office at the particular time. The ability and willingness of the intern matched against the workload of the host office, largely dictates what tasks interns will perform. In short, the ideal intern should be willing to perform basic and mundane tasks but will also be able to perform complex and delicate tasks when the need arises.

WORKLOADS

The average working week in these offices is 50-70 hours and will often involve work during weekends. During times of high demand, such as trials, some interns have been required to work 7 days a week, upwards of 16 hours a day. Internships frequently involve a lot of travelling, mostly in rural areas, spending nights in motels. As such, it is important to have a driver's license and be prepared to drive in the US. While on the road, the relevant office will usually cover your expenses. The basic rule for internships is this: you will never be asked to do anything unnecessary and all that you do is to further the defence of those the state is trying to kill.

WHAT ARE THE QUALITIES OF A SUCCESFUL INTERN?

The most important quality is an unshakeable opposition to the death penalty. Further, a commitment to social justice is mandatory. Successful applicants must be mature and self-sufficient so as to meet the demands of the work and the placement in a foreign country. Scant resources mean that supervision will often be minimal and so the ability to work independently is of paramount importance. An intern needs to adapt to the environment and work within the constraints it imposes. Interns should be enthusiastic and willing to learn. Intelligence, determination, sensitivity, humour, and a sense of adventure are a must.

DO I NEED A VISA?

You will need a US visa to participate in the program. Participants in the ReprieveAustralia internship program are entitled to a business visa as members of an organization providing a volunteer, charitable work program. ReprieveAustralia will provide supporting documentation and the cost of obtaining the visa is under $200, however obtaining the visa is the sole responsibility of the internship applicant.

HOW MUCH WILL AN INTERNSHIP SET YOU BACK?

In addition to the cost of obtaining the visa an intern will have to self-fund travel costs and living expenses. ReprieveAustralia cannot, and does not, provide any funding to a prospective intern. The cost of airfares is variable but in the range of $AUD2000 - $2,500. It is also a requirement of the program that interns take out travel insurance that provides cover at the highest level, in acknowledgment of the costs of services in the US. Past interns have estimated the cost of spending 3 months in the United States, depending upon location and lifestyle, at approximately $AUD6000 - $8000. This figure is regarded as covering only the basics. Interns have survived on less. However, the more you have, the easier your time will be and the longer you will be able to stay.

APPLICATION PROCESS

The internship program is only available to members of ReprieveAustralia. You must join the organization before making an intern application. Your membership form and fee may accompany your intern application. Interested applicants should forward a copy of their CV, a sample of their writing and a letter explaining their interest in an internship at a capital defense office. Applicants will be contacted by ReprieveAustralia for an initial interview in Australia.

After this interview, in the event the applicant is found suitable, all documentation concerning the applicant, including a report from the ReprieveAustralia interviewer, will be forwarded to the intern co-ordinator in the United States who will then interview the candidate by telephone before making a final decision on suitability. Candidates may be interviewed more than once before a suitable placement is found.

Applicants will be considered against the following criteria:

· A strong commitment to the abolition of the death penalty
· Maturity and independence
· Initiative
· Ability to work in a team
· Skills in interpersonal relations
· Organizational skills
· Driver's licence
· Computer skills

EXPECTATIONS OF INTERNS

Successful applicants for internships must be able to commit to the following:

· Participating in a ½ day training program
· Providing six weeks notice if they are unable to participate in the internship
· Giving 30 hours volunteer time to ReprieveAustralia upon their return including providing a written report for the newsletter upon their return
· Agreeing to abide by the conditions of participation in the internship program, including:
· Full compliance with the terms of the US visa;
· Obtaining travel insurance at the highest level;
· Signing and abiding by confidentiality agreements in respect of client work performed;
· Signing and abiding by ReprieveAustralia's intern media policy in respect of any public statements concerning the program or the internship;
· Obeying the lawful directions of the ReprieveAustralia internship co-ordinator in the performance of the internship.

ReprieveAustralia: www.reprieve.org.au
Internship inquiries: contact@reprieve.org.au
Volunteer inquiries: volunteers@reprieve.org.au