Interns Alumni

'I did my internship in the Spring of 2003. I am currently an Associate at Webster Dyrud Mitchell, a law firm based in Anguilla. I specialise in commercial and general civil litigation almost always with an international dimension. That I am now a member of the IBA is testimony to the fact that I think yours is truly a wonderful organisation a great forum for discussion and creative thinking, brimming with good intentions. I hope to become more involved as I renew my enthusiasm for the work you do.'

Tameka Davis
Jamaica
Intern, April - July 2003

'Working at the IBA has certainly been an experience. I've worked alongside law students and practitioners from around the globe on a host of different commercial matters. I feel that my time at the IBA has allowed me to use my practical and academic legal skills to help further the important work of the IBA.

The intern's office is unlike any other place I've worked. When you put people from all corners of the globe into one room you get something special; a mix of perspectives, experiences, and ideas. A truly international experience. It's also a damn good laugh.

As an environment, the IBA is wonderful; if not inspirational.

Jonathan Khoo
UK
Intern, March - September 2005

Overview

Since 2001, undergraduates, post-graduates, law students, lawyers waiting for a pupilage position or recently qualified lawyers serve as an intern at the IBA's London office. They generally work for the IBA from ten weeks to three months.

Selected interns will assist the IBA in developing academic papers and research topics of both local and international relevance. Interns focus on either Commerical law or work on projects from the Human Rights Institute.

Past interns can be found all over the world and in a wide variety of legal occupations. The group of interns tend to be a young, dynamic, fun group of individuals who develop a strong bond with each other.

The Internship Alumni programme has been set up to help keep past interns in touch with each other. Also, to ensure that interns who were so involved with the work of the IBA remain involved with the Association. Our view is that each intern is a future member of the IBA so we want to ensure long-term interest!

Testimonials

'The IBA experience is a great one indeed. To describe the internship merely as a learning experience would be an understatement. I would like to acknowledge, that the IBA internship has influenced my career to a large extenet. I owe a lot to IBA and am grateful and overwhelmed with the kindness and support showed by everyone here.'

Johnson John
Intern, September 2004-January 2005

'Currently, I am doing an internship in the Human Rights Institute of the IBA in London. I have been doing a wide variety of topical and stimulating work here and am enjoying the experience immensely.

To give you an indication of the type of work done by the Human Rights Institute, my duties so far have included researching the legal situation in Swaziland following its constitutional crisis, critically evaluating the Draft Criminal Procedure Code of Cameroon, writing about the value of international criminal courts in promoting peace, stability and reconciliation, and providing updates on the prosecution of Saddam Hussein and others by the Iraqi Special Tribunal (IST). In fact, the IBA is highly involved in providing international law training to the IST judges.

Apart from the Human Rights Institute, the IBA also offers internships in its Legal Practice Division for students interested in commercial law.'

Sara Brooks
Intern, August - October 2005

'It would be an understatement to say that I had one of the most enriching experiences of my life at the IBA. The staff at the IBA is very friendly, helpful and patient. What is most refreshing is the absolute lack of hierarchy of any sort in the system.

 The interns are motivated and all from different cultures which made working a pleasure due to the plethora of experiences that we could all share at work, and at play (which was more often!). I can safely say that I thought I would at the most make acquaintances in London, but am actually leaving friends behind.

Just wanted to thank the IBA for giving me the opportunity to have been part of the organisation for the short time I was here. It has been a learning experience and am very grateful for the opportunity provided by the Educational Trust.'

Naiyya Saggi
Intern, January - March 2005

Interns Mailing List

Keep us updated on where you are in the world; where you are working or any news you wish to share with the IBA and past interns. E-mail information to - internprogramme@int-bar.org

Extracts of Reports to the Educational Trust

Internship Report

Patrick Callaghan (4 April – 30 June 2005)

My time as an intern saw me perform a wide range of tasks from research, to editing, and even drafting chapters for an IBA report. I found the work to be varied, sometimes demanding, but never dull, and thoroughly enjoyed my three months with the IBA. I would like to express my gratitude to the Educational Trust Board for awarding me a grant of £1,500 without which I would not have been able to do the internship. Earlier in the year I undertook unpaid internships with the British Institute of International & Comparative Law and the NGO Fair Trials Abroad. I had to combine these placements with working 20-25 evening hours a week in a cinema, and found the process very tiring. The Educational Trust Grant gave me enough financial breathing space to concentrate on the educational side of my internship, rather than worrying about how to pay my rent. The Grant provides legal students with fantastic and worthwhile opportunities to study and develop their career in a city with first class legal infrastructure, but which was recently ranked third in the world in terms of living costs. I strongly hope it will continue to do so for a long time to come.

The undoubted highlight of my internship was my participation in an IBA report on the independence of the judiciary in Russia in light of suggested reforms to the body which selects and disciplines Russian judges. I was able to write a couple of chapters which were incorporated into the final draft, perform various research tasks for members of the team, and liaise with a barrister based in France as to our progress. I felt fully involved with the project and thoroughly intrigued throughout. I owe particular thanks to Phillip Tahmindjis and Anne McMillan, for making me feel like an involved and useful member of the team. I especially appreciated being party to communication between the different members of the team, so that I was given a broader insight rather than only concentrating on my own projects. Another highlight was helping Mark Ellis prepare for a speech on the ICC at The Hague. I found it very insightful to work with someone so active in the areas of law in which I hope to forge out a career.

I also very much enjoyed editing, refining and updating a 100 page document on the Iraqi Special Tribunal, which provided me with a wonderful opportunity to familiarise myself with an important contemporary development. I also edited and updated an overview of the Iraqi legal system as it attempts to re-establish itself following the fall of Saddam Hussein. Other smaller research tasks I performed covered events in Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, Mexico and Zimbabwe.

Socially, I found the internship to be immensely enjoyable, providing an opportunity to interact with and befriend legal students from all over the world. During, my time at the IBA there were interns from Uganda, America, Canada, India, Italy, Germany and Taiwan. We often had meals out, evening drinks and attended social events and I would highly recommend the internship programme to any law students.