Internships for undergraduate and postgraduate UNSW students

The AHRCentre has several internships available each year. Currently, the internships are available to UNSW law students or alumni only.

• Australian Journal of Human Rights - more information and application form

• Human Rights Defender - more information and application form

• Public Interest Internship Program - more information and application form

• UG Placement with Human Rights and Public Interest Organisation in Sydney

• International Placement with Human Rights Organisations in the Asia Pacific AHRCentre Student Internship - Registration of Interest in the AHRCentre/AYAD International Placement Program

If you are a current UNSW Law Student and would like to apply one of these internships please use the application forms above or email ahrc@unsw.edu.au

Migrant and Refugee Rights Intern Program

Led by Bassina Farbenblum, the Migrant and Refugee Rights Project engages in research, advocacy, litigation and law reform to advance the human rights of refugees and migrants in Australia and Asia. It runs a clinical program in which UNSW Law students gain practical experience in multifaceted approaches to human rights litigation and advocacy in both domestic and international settings, in collaboration with regional partner organisations  The MRRP’s current advocacy projects and cases in development focus on transparency and accountability with respect to Australia’s role in the interception and detention of asylum seekers in South-East Asia.

Asia Pacific Migrant/Refugee Rights Intern Program
LAWS3060    JURD7360

About the Internship Program
The Asia Pacific Migrant and Refugee Rights Internship Program is an experiential learning program within the Australian Human Rights Centre’s Migrant and Refugee Rights Project.  Students gain practical experience in multifaceted approaches to human rights litigation and advocacy in both domestic and international settings, in collaboration with non-government organisations and law clinics in the Asia Pacific region. The program aims to strengthen students’ professional research, writing, advocacy, and problem-solving skills through work on specific international and domestic litigation and advocacy projects.

Current projects and cases focus on transparency and accountability in relation to Australia’s role in the interception and detention of asylum seekers in South-East Asia.
 
Prerequisites

Students are required to have completed Litigation 1 & 2, Legal Research and Writing, and Law, Lawyers and Society. Completion of Administrative Law is desirable.  Preference will be given to students who have completed an elective in international human rights, refugee law or public interest litigation.

Assessment

Students will undertake casework and research within the Migrant and Refugee Rights Project for at least 13 working days per session.  Assessment will be based on three reflective notes and a portfolio of written material completed during the internship.

Application Process

Internship places are strictly limited and interns are selected through a competitive application process.  Students are required to submit a cover letter (expression of interest), CV and academic transcript (informal is acceptable) via email to Bassina Farbenblum, Director of the Migrant and Refugee Rights Project, at b.farbenblum@unsw.edu.au

Applications are currently being accepted for Session 2, 2010.

AHRC and Legal Aid NSW Fellowship (Postgraduate UNSW Students)

The Legal Aid Commission of New South Wales in partnership with the UNSW Faculty of Law and the Australian Human Rights Centre has established a Human Rights Fellowship Program for graduate law students. The fellowship program has been developed to give UNSW law students interested in human rights legal practice an opportunity to gain hands-on work experience in the Legal Aid Commission of New South Wales.

Fellowship Program Outline

Four consecutive fellowships are currently available for UNSW graduate law students to undertake the 15 week clinical component of the College of Law Practical Training Course Professional Program working in the Human Rights Unit of the Legal Aid Commission. The students will gain experience in human rights advocacy, assisting with the preparation of legal cases, law reform, training and education. The students will be paid a pro-rata salary for the 15 weeks.

Legal Aid will be advertising shortly  for fellowship positions commencing in Sept/Oct 2010  and for 2011.

China Model United Nations Delegation

Please note this initiative is for UNSW Law Students only

During the last four years, the AHRCentre and the Faculty of Law have participated in the student Model UN meeting in China at the invitation of the Australian Human Rights Commission. The initiative is a joint venture of the United Nations Association of China and the Australian Human Rights Commission, and forms a part of the Australia-China Human Rights Technical Cooperation Program. UNSW is the only foreign university invited to participate. 

Previous Model UN's have been held in Chengdu, Harbin, Xiamen & Beijing.

The 2010 Model UN will be held at Sichuan International Studies University in Chongqing, one of China's four centrally controlled municipalities (the others being Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin) on 12 – 15 November 2010.

Download the application form here.

Applications must be lodged with Andrea Durbach, Director, Australian Human Rights Centre, Faculty of Law, UNSW (a.durbach@unsw.edu.au) by Friday, 27th August 2010. Late applications will not be considered.