Law & Human Rights Internships Abroad

Pursuing a legal career requires a huge amount of dedication and hard work. For aspiring legal-eagles in Canada, it starts with an undergraduate degree before you can set foot in law school, and the game only levels up once you graduate and set out to carve a place for yourself in the working world. Projects Abroad is here to give you the professional development and skills you need to meet that challenge. Drive your studies or career forward with a legal internship abroad or real-world human rights work experience under your belt!

With us, you can take your career development to an international stage. Our global internships help you:

Get unparalleled insight into legal practices, human rights issues, and social challenges in low-income countries overseas
Learn directly from an international network of experienced lawyers and human rights professionals
Add practical work experience rooted in real, ongoing cases to your resume
Decide if pursuing law or human rights is the right career path for you (incredibly valuable for pre-law students!)

In North America, we often take our human rights and access to legal advice for granted. But there are people around the world whose voices aren’t heard and whose causes aren’t championed. We connect interns like you with organizations in developing countries who work tirelessly to change this.

Our programs are flexible, safe, and hassle-free. Furthermore, placements can be adjusted to your level of experience, so they can be tailored for undergraduates (pre-law), law students, graduates, and even professionals. We also have Law and Human Rights internships for high school students interested in getting a feel for these careers before college

Can’t find what you’re looking for?

We’d be happy to talk about creating a custom project for you. Most of our staff have been volunteers themselves, so they’re well placed to answer your questions, big or small.

(+1) 917 810 4744

Request Info

to start planning your project

Is a Human Rights or Legal Internship Abroad right for me?

Curious about whether our programs are a good fit for you? If you tick one or more of the options below, then the answer is yes!

You’re interested in exploring what the profession’s really like before you commit to law school
You’re looking for internship experience that will help your law school application stand out from the crowd
You’re seeking an exciting - and international - twist on the typical opportunities available for law students
You’re a graduate or professional wanting to get experience on a more global level and use your skills to support those in need

You can also join if you’re simply wanting to better understand legal, human rights, and social issues in developing countries. Contemplating taking a gap year before law school? Read our blog to get more ideas on how you can make the most of taking time off before law school.

Our law internships and human rights internships are open to people of all backgrounds and skill levels. To join a project, all you need to do is check that you meet the requirements, and fill in the application form. Our Project Experts are here to assist if you need help finding internship opportunities that match your goals.

On our internships for pre-law and law students abroad, you can:

Help provide legal aid to people who really need it
Work in a local law firm or with an NGO
Choose to specialize in areas like corporate law

On our Human Rights internship programs, you can:

Help protect human rights and campaign for change
Work with organizations like charities or NGOs
Choose to specialize in areas like human rights law or social justice campaigns

Interested in something broader than a Law & Human Rights Internship? You may be interested in International Development or Social Work. You can read our full list of internships abroad here.

"I never expected the incredible opportunities that I was about to have while working at the Projects Abroad Human Rights Office (PAHRO). I learned more in my month of interning then I ever could have imagined. It was the first time in my life I felt like I was doing tangible work, and at the same time, I was actually touching the lives of people." - Emily D, Law & Human Rights in South Africa

What kind of internships are good for law school?

Local women listen to a presentation about human rights on one of our Law internships abroad.

Our pre-law internships abroad and human rights internships for undergraduates are centered around experiential learning in a well-supported environment, so you don’t need previous experience to join the majority of our projects. You’ll work alongside professional lawyers, campaigners, and Projects Abroad staff to do research, review cases, and deliver presentations. You can also work on social justice campaigns to raise awareness of and create change around challenging issues, like domestic violence, refugee and migrant rights, and unfair labor practices.

Adding global work experience to your resume will boost your application for law school, and give you fascinating points to talk about in essays and interviews. Want to know which of our programs would be the best internship for your law school application? Contact our Project Experts for advice tailored to your exact requirements and interests.

Human Rights and Law Summer Internships Abroad

A Projects Abroad staff member guides an intern during an interview on one of our legal internships abroad.

Most of our programs run throughout the year, so we can easily accommodate anyone looking for a summer legal internship abroad. Flexi Trips are ideal for undergraduates and law students alike during the long summer break, and graduates and professionals may prefer to join outside of the busy summer season.

Applying for a last minute internship? Read our blog about volunteering abroad on short notice, and what you need to do.

What do you learn from a Law internship?

A law internship abroad gives you skills that prepare you for the next stage of education and career. Living and working overseas also exposes you to different experiences and challenges you won’t encounter in North America, so you’ll learn unique lessons.

Here are just some of the benefits that our previous Law & Human Rights interns talk about:

Global competencies like teamwork, communication, leadership, resilience, organizing, planning, and time management.
Learn about legal systems and practices different to what you would find in North America.
The ability to work and empathize with people of different cultures and backgrounds, helping to develop a ‘global mindset’.
Confidence from pushing past your comfort zone.

All of the above will enhance your resume and your personal development.

"I had done pro bono legal work in the past and thought the Human Rights Project would be an excellent opportunity to expand my professional work experience, improve my linguistic abilities, and develop my understanding of another culture." - Aoife F, Human Rights in Argentina

How are our Law & Human Rights internships different?

At Projects Abroad, our first aim is to benefit the communities we work in. You can be assured that your internship is ethical and well supported. Here’s just a few elements of our work that set it apart from other internship programs:

Be fully supported by staff

At all of our projects you’ll work alongside professionals. You can observe them in their everyday work, ask questions, and hear more about their experiences. You’ll be given tasks that stretch and challenge you, but you’ll be supported to ensure you get real results. This is an incredible opportunity for experiential education, while being mentored by experts.

Projects that have an impact

All our projects are well researched, targeted, and sustainable. We aim to make a difference to the local community for the long term. Your internship is an opportunity to genuinely make an impact on the lives of others.