Meet the 2019 Summer Interns
Our interns blog throughout the summer as they contribute their talents, enthusiastic energy, and skills to international projects around the globe.
Click on the links to read their posts!
Adriana Roach
National Center for State Courts International Programs Division
Arlington, Virginia
This summer, I will be working with the National Center for State Courts International Programs Division. This organization works with donor agencies, host-country governments, and civil society organizations to promote equal justice and judicial independence at a global level. This summer, I will be contributing to various rule of law projects that will provide technical assistance, training, and technology to empower communities and improve the quality of justice systems around the world.
Alicen Rodolph
Winrock Countering Trafficking in Persons
Bangladesh
This summer, I will be working with Winrock International's Countering Trafficking in Persons division. I will be working collaboratively with TIP to reduce the prevalence of human trafficking and child marriage in Bangladesh by strengthening awareness, improving victims' access to assistance, and partnering with community leaders to increase responsiveness.
Allison Eastham
Beijing Children's Legal Aid and Research Center
Beijing, China
This summer, I will be working with Beijing Children's Legal Aid and Research Center. BCLARC is China's first NGO specializing in children's rights. BCLARC plays a leading role in encouraging and guiding lawyers to participate in child welfare protection, among many other roles. This summer, I will assist BCLARC by performing research concerning global children's advocacy efforts.
Alexandra M. Smith
International Bridges to Justice: Cambodia
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
This summer, I will be working with International Bridges to Justice (IBJ) in Cambodia. IBJ seeks to ensure that criminal defenders reach and respond to communities in need through a program of support that includes training sessions and public awareness events. IBJ seeks in particular to prevent torture and lengthy pre-trial detention. My internship will focus on implementing a smartphone app that connects those accused of crimes with attorneys.
Anna Nicholson
Open Development Cambodia
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
This summer, I will be working with Open Development Cambodia in Phnom Penh, an "open-data" organization dedicated to compiling freely available information about Cambodia and its economic and social development to the public. I'll be researching issues surrounding developing Cambodia's coastal natural resources in a sustainable and socially responsible way.
Camden Kelliher
Office of the General Counsel/United States Agency for International Development
Washington, D.C.
This summer, I will be working with the USAID Office of the General Counsel, which provides legal advice and guidance for the agency's operations worldwide. I will be assigned to the agency's headquarters, where I will conduct legal research, write memoranda, and draft legal documents. I will also work closesly with the Enforcement and Litigation Division.
Dorothy Canevari
Supreme Court Chambers of the Extraordinary Chambers of the Courts of Cambodia
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
This summer, I will provide judicial support by drafting documents, cite checking, and attending court hearings of the ECCC, which is charged with prosecuting senior leaders of the Khmer Rouge for genocide and crimes against humanity occurring between April 1975 and January 1979.
Jamie Seibert
International Bridges to Justice: Geneva
Geneva, Switzerland
This summer, I will be working with International Bridges to Justice (IBJ) in Geneva. IBJ develops and provides educational resources to defense attorneys and other organizations working in countries that use pre-trial detention and torture in their criminal justice systems. IBJ provides these resources as a way to help individuals currently suffering in the criminal justice system and to eventually eradicate the use of pre-trial torture across the globe.
Jenna Tyrpak
HamroSamman: Partnerships to Combat Human Trafficking in Nepal
Kathmandu, Nepal
This summer, I will be working with HamroSamman. I will be partnering with local government, civil society, and private sector efforts to combat human trafficking in Nepal through researching policy issues, improving support services for trafficking survivors, and raising awareness within at-risk populations.
John Lanning
Democracy for Development
Pristina, Kosovo
This summer, I will be working with Democracy for Development in Kosovo. I will be working to improve election transparency and enhance the democratic process in Kosovo. I will work on various policy assignments to assist key stakeholders in the Kosovo democratic process and ensure free and fair elections occur in the nation.
Junayd Rehman
USAID CITIES Program Advisory Unit to Government of Jordan Inter-Ministerial Committe for Decentralization
Amman, Jordan
This summer, I will work with the CITIES Community Engagement, Cohesion, and Resilience Team on projects related to government transparency and accountability. I will travel throughout Jordan and talk to communities to find innovative and sustainable ways to both improve how municipalities deliver services to their constituents and how to develop closer relationships between citizens and their government.
Katherine Sorrell
Central and Eastern European Law Institute
Prague, Czech Republic
This summer, I will be working for the CEELI Institute in Prague. The CEELI Institute is dedicated to work across the world with human rights advocates, including journalists, activists, and lawyers. I will assist in providing training materials to lawyers working to implement more just processes in their home countries, whether in Europe, the Middle East, or other parts of the world. I will also have the opportunity to spend time with human rights advocates who are in residence at the CEELI Institute through its respite program, and I will work closely with CEELI's leadership on enhancing communications, fundraising, and other operations.
Kristin Palmason
International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance
Yangon, Myanmar
This summer, I will be working with the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance. I will be supporting International IDEA's democratic and electoral reform efforts in Myanmar and will contribute to the MyConstitution Project. Through MyConstitution, IDEA partners with local organizations and government stakeholders to advance democratic constitution-building.
Layla Abi-Falah
UN International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, The Hague
The Hague, Netherlands
This summer, I will be working with the Appeals Division of the Office of the Prosecutor within the International Residual Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT) in the Hague. The Mechanism is mandated to handle the remaining cases and appeals from the International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, which I will be taking part in as an intern.
Lea Mano
United States Institute of Peace
Washington, D.C.
This summer, I will be working for the United States Institute of Peace in Washington, D.C. USIP is a federal institution focused on promoting conflict prevention and resolution. USIP works closely with local communities in order to foster global stability, develop sustainable peace, and promote the rule of law. The institute's philosophy is that a world without violent conflict is not only warranted, but essential for the United States' security.
Lily Cusack
International Bridges to Justice: Rwanda
Kigali, Rwanda
This summer, I will be working at International Bridges to Justice in Kigali, Rwanda. I will be conducting research and attending conferences in support of IBJ's mission in Rwanda to guarantee legal representation to the country's most vulnerable citizens and raise awareness for comprehensive legal reform. She will be helping the office to ensure that political leaders and ordinary citizens alike have the necessary tools and knowledge to provide basic due process rights for everyone.
Mechelle King
Legal Resources Centre
Cape Town, South Africa
This summer, I will be working with the LRC. The Legal Resources Centre's vision is inspired by their history, the Constitution of South Africa and international human rights standards. They are committed to a fully democratic society based on the principle of substantive equality and to ensure that the principles, rights, and responsibilities enshrined in their national Constitution are respected, promoted, protected and fulfilled. I will be interning with LRC's Regional Director and working to promote this vision.
Melanie Dostis
Georgia Asylum and Immigration Network
Atlanta, Georgia
This summer, I will be working with the Georgia Asylum and Immigration Network (GAIN). Based in Atlanta, the organization provides free legal representation to asylum seekers and immigrant victims of crimes and persecution, including human trafficking, domestic violence, and sexual assault. Beyond its legal services, GAIN offers mentorship to lawyers navigating the immigration court system and additionally connects clients with community resources for their non-legal needs. As an intern, I am grateful for the opportunity to spend a summer gaining the skills to become a citizen lawyer.
Patrick Grene
PUSaKO and the Constitutional Court of Indonesia
Jakarta and Padang, Indonesia
This summer, I will be working with the Constitutional Court and PUSaKO researchers to examine the results of the 2019 general elections, investigating the electoral process and determining the implications for the ongoing processes of democratization in Indonesia.
Paul Johnson
Open Development Mekong
Myanmar
This summer, I will be working with Open Development Mekong. Through legal research, I will help promote the mission of Open Development to provide open, transparent, and apolitical information regarding social and economic development to a variety of stakeholders in the Mekong region.
Rachel Morley
Center for Legal Aid and Regional Development
Pristina, Kosovo
This summer, I will be working with the Center for Legal Aid and Regional Development in Kosovo. I will be helping to facilitate access to justice for marginalized segments of the population, including refugees, minorities, and other vulnerable groups. Additionally, she will be helping to organize public campaigns and trainings related to the establishment of the rule of law and the fostering of social and economic inclusion.
Ryan Lohrengel
International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance & Constitution Building Processes Programme
The Hague, Netherlands
This summer, I will be working at the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Development (IDEA). My internship is with IDEA's Constitution Building Processes Programme at the Hague. There, I will be working on a comparative analysis of different constitutional systems in order to aid post-conflict countries develop democratic systems tailored to their unique culture and needs.
Tessa Tigar-Cross
International Bridges to Justice: Geneva
Geneva, Switzerland
This summer, I will be working with International Bridges to Justice in Geneva, Switzerland. IBJ works to ensure due process rights for individuals in developing countries, and ensuring fair trials to individuals by speaking with stakeholders and training lawyers on the ground. I will work on writing grant proposals for funding, and will be researching and writing a training manual for lawyers in a developing country.
Tyler Braun
Winrock International Child Protection Compact Program
Jamaica
This summer, I will contribute to eliminating exploitative child labor practices by assessing and mapping services that are most needed in local communities and working to create and improve new shelter spaces.
Yasmine Palmer
International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals
The Hague, Netherlands