INTERN - LEGAL AFFAIRS (Trial Division)

Contract

This is a I-1 contract. It usually requires 0 years of experience, depending on education. More about I-1 contracts.

Org. Setting and Reporting This position is located in the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) for the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (Mechanism) and under the supervision and direction of legal officers in the Trial Division – The Hague Branch. Interns may also be assigned work from other sections, depending on the needs of the Office.

The United Nations established the Mechanism to carry out essential functions of the UN ad hoc tribunals following their closure: the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR). These functions include completing pending appeals and a retrial, post-conviction proceedings, enforcement of sentences, assistance to national authorities, and capacity-building activities. The OTP has branches in The Hague, Netherlands and Arusha, Tanzania.

A Mechanism OTP internship is UNPAID and full-time. Core working hours for interns are Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Overtime may be required to meet deadlines for specific projects. Interns work under the supervision of a staff member in the office to which they are assigned. The duration of a Mechanism OTP internship can range from a minimum of three months to a maximum of six months, according to the needs of the intern's assigned office. Selections will be made on a rolling basis.

Responsibilities In the Trial Section, duties of legal interns include, but are not limited to, assisting trial attorneys with preparing examinations in chief and cross examinations, proofing witnesses, researching and drafting of parts of motions and final briefs, and classifying and preparing evidence for trial. Interns may also perform research on comparative and international criminal law issues, prepare agenda or draft discussion papers for legal meetings and draft the corresponding minutes, draft legal correspondence, and perform other litigation-related tasks. Interns may also perform routine tasks such as cite checking and compiling and collating materials. Legal interns may also be asked to provide litigation-related support to attorneys providing assistance to national war crimes investigators and prosecutors in the former Yugoslavia.

Competencies - Professionalism – Knowledge, experience and/or training in international criminal law, international humanitarian law, human rights law and/or public international law. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations.

• Communication – Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; effectively distils complex legal issues for a variety of legal and other audiences; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors language, tone, style and format to match the audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.

• Teamwork – Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organisational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.

  Education Candidates for legal internships in the OTP are required to be, at a minimum, in their final year of university legal studies. If the candidate has already completed a four-year undergraduate university degree before commencing graduate legal studies, he or she must have completed at least one year of graduate legal studies by the time the internship commences. It is particularly useful for interns to have legal training or experience in international criminal or humanitarian law. Applicants must be computer literate in standard software applications.

  Work Experience Applicants must be 18 years old or over. Applicants are not required to have professional work experience for participation in the programme. Previous legal experience is an asset.

  Languages English and French are the working languages of the Mechanism. Fluency in oral and written English is required. Candidates with a knowledge of French are encouraged to apply. Knowledge of other languages, particularly Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian, is an asset

  Assessment Short-listed candidates may be contacted by the hiring team directly if further information is needed during the review of their application. Due to the high volume of applications received, candidates who have not been short-listed will not be contacted.

  Special Notice A complete online application including ALL of the documents listed below is required. The relevant forms and instructions are found at http://www.irmct.org/en/recruitment/internship-programme. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

Applicants must attach ALL of the following documents to each UN Careers portal application submitted via https:careers.un.org: 1. Completed Intern Acceptance and Undertaking 2. Completed Internship preference and availability forms 3. Two (2) letters of recommendation 4. Copies of university/law studies transcripts (including courses taken and grades received) 5. A photocopy of valid medical insurance OR a signed statement confirming your intent to obtain medical insurance while you are in the Netherlands. 6. A sample of your written work preferably in a field relevant to the work of the Mechanism and not longer than ten pages. Please note that documents may only be in English or French.

As Inspira is not customized to accept Mechanism internship applications, the Careers Portal does not refer specifically to the attachments that are required to apply for a Mechanism internship. To attach the required documents listed above, follow the steps in the Mechanism Internship Applicant's Manual.

Interns must keep confidential any and all unpublished information obtained during the course of the internship and not publish any reports or papers based on such information except with the explicit written authorization of the Chief of Human Resources of the Mechanism. Interns are bound by the same duties and obligations as staff members, and the information to which an intern has access in the course of the internship must not be divulged to external parties. Each prospective intern must sign the Acceptance and Undertaking Form to indicate their understanding and acceptance of this stipulation. This form must be included in every application.

There should be no expectation of employment by the United Nations or the Mechanism upon completion of the internship.

Mechanism interns are responsible for all internship-related expenses that they incur. The United Nations accepts no responsibility for costs arising from accidents and/or illness incurred during an internship. Therefore, upon award of an internship, interns are responsible for securing adequate insurance coverage and are required to sign and return a statement confirming their understanding and acceptance of these conditions of service.

Candidates of certain nationalities must obtain a visa authorizing their stay in The Netherlands before they depart for The Hague to begin their internship. While this is the overall responsibility of the selected candidate, the Registry will provide information and supporting documents in this regard.

United Nations Considerations According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment.

Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.

Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side of the inspira account-holder homepage.

The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application.

Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

No Fee THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.