Voices from the Field

2024 Student Summer Intern Blogs

Our interns blog throughout the summer as they contribute their talents, enthusiastic energy, and skills to international projects around the globe. Meet our students and learn about where they'll be working around the world this summer.
Kristen Adolf
Kristen AdolfInternational Bridges to Justice
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Kristen Adolf

International Bridges to Justice

Location: Geneva, Switzerland

Kristen Adolf [1L] will intern at IBJ’s headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, where she will conduct research and provide back-up services to IBJ’s global programming efforts against cruel and unusual punishment and in support of fair trial rights in developing and post-conflict countries.

Read my summer blog to find out more >

Brooks Alderman
Brooks AldermanNational Center for State Courts, International Programs Division
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Brooks Alderman

National Center for State Courts, International Programs Division

Location: Arlington, Virginia

Brooks Alderman [1L] will contribute to NCSC’s global programs, which partner with governments, donors and non-governmental organizations around the world to strengthen the Rule of Law and democratic institutions in post-conflict societies and developing democracies.

Read my summer blog to find out more >

Venus Amadi
Venus AmadiLegal Resources Centre
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Venus Amadi

Legal Resources Centre

Location: Cape Town, South Africa

Venus Amadi [1L] will contribute to LRC’s mission of providing free legal assistance to South Africans dealing with the after-effects of apartheid.  The Centre focuses on eliminating persistent inequalities that underlie structural and intergenerational economic and social discrimination.  It was founded on the idea that lawyers have a particular responsibility in the face of gross injustices.

Read my summer blog to find out more >

Kathy Bacuta
Kathy BacutaRule of Law Collaborative
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Kathy Bacuta

Rule of Law Collaborative

Location: Columbia, South Carolina

Kathy Bacuta [2L] will contribute to the Collaborative’s goals of developing the Rule of Law as a discipline, advancing theoretical and research-based applications in the field, and refining policies relating to Rule of Law development. ROLC partners on a global scale with local and international NGOs, government and multilateral donors to carry out its work.

Read my summer blog to find out more >

Emma Battin
Emma BattinInternational Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance Constitution Building Processes Programme
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Emma Battin

International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance Constitution Building Processes Programme

Location: The Hague, Netherlands

Emma Battin [2L] will conduct research in support of national constitution building and amendment processes.  International IDEA’s CBP program provides assistance to countries undergoing constitutional transitions as they seek to strengthen political institutions, improve electoral processes and promote democracy.

Read my summer blog to find out more >

Emily Bekele
Emily BekeleUnited States Institute of Peace
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Emily Bekele

United States Institute of Peace

Location: Washington, D.C.

Emily Bekele [1L] will serve on a team working to prevent atrocities in the context of conflict and supporting accountability for war crimes. As a federal institution, USIP assists governments and civil society organizations operating in conflict zones by contributing policy recommendations, educational resources and training programs.

Read my summer blog to find out more >

Hank Blackburn
Hank BlackburnInternational Foundation for Electoral Systems
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Hank Blackburn

International Foundation for Electoral Systems

Location: Washington, D.C.

Hank Blackburn [1L] will intern with IFES’ Center for Anti-Corruption and Democratic Trust, which works with partners worldwide to combat corruption, support democratic renewal, and build trust in democratic processes, systems, and institutions by strengthening the efforts of public officials, independent institutions, and civil society to promote good governance.

Read my summer blog to find out more >

Tyler Brooks
Tyler BrooksMigration and Asylum Project
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Tyler Brooks

Migration and Asylum Project

Location: Delhi, India

Tyler Brooks [2L] will intern with India’s first law center dedicated to assisting those suffering as a result of forced migration and displacement. Founded in 2013, MAP seeks to end the marginalization of one of the most vulnerable communities in the world – migrants and refugees – by making the Rule of Law central to addressing human rights challenges and ensuring grassroots justice.

Read my summer blog to find out more >

Connor Cheadle
Connor CheadleConstitutional Court of Kosovo
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Connor Cheadle

Constitutional Court of Kosovo

Location: Pristina, Kosovo

Connor Cheadle [2L] will intern in the Chambers of the President of the Constitutional Court of Kosovo. The Court reviews and rules on the interpretation of issues relating to Kosovo’s Constitution. Connor will perform comparative constitutional analysis in furtherance of the Court’s compliance with domestic and international legal norms.

Read my summer blog to find out more >

Sarah Conley
Sarah ConleyNational Center for State Courts, International Programs Division
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Sarah Conley

National Center for State Courts, International Programs Division

Location: Arlington, Virginia

Sarah Conley [2L] will contribute to NCSC’s global programs, which partner with governments, donors and non-governmental organizations around the world to strengthen the Rule of Law and democratic institutions in post-conflict societies and developing democracies.

Read my summer blog to find out more >

Kate Coulter
Kate CoulterTibetan Legal Association
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Kate Coulter

Tibetan Legal Association

Location: Dharamsala, India

Kate Coulter [1L] will contribute to TLA’s mission to increase legal awareness and education among Tibetans in exile. The Association was founded upon the recommendation of His Holiness the Dalai Lama for the purpose of providing pro bono assistance to Tibetans in need of legal aid.

Read my summer blog to find out more >

Sarah Cover
Sarah Cover Georgia Asylum and Immigration Network
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Sarah Cover

Georgia Asylum and Immigration Network

Location: Atlanta, Georgia

Sarah Cover [1L] will provide pro bono legal assistance to the immigrant community in the Eleventh Circuit. GAIN’s clients seek to escape persecution, human trafficking, domestic violence and sexual abuse.

Read my summer blog to find out more >

Sarah Cox
Sarah CoxBeijing Children's Legal Aid and Research Center Zicheng Public Interest Lawyers
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Sarah Cox

Beijing Children's Legal Aid and Research Center Zicheng Public Interest Lawyers

Location: Beijing, China

Sarah Cox [1L] will contribute to BCLARC’s work providing free legal aid to minors and migrants in China. The Center conducts empirical research to facilitate justice for children and migrants, in addition to working more generally in the area of public interest law.

Read my summer blog to find out more >

Sam Finkel
Sam FinkelAmerican Chemistry Council Global Affairs Division
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Sam Finkel

American Chemistry Council Global Affairs Division

Location: Washington, D. C.

Sam Finkel [1L] will research global environmental, economic and trade issues in support of ACC’s work with over 190 companies engaged in the world of chemistry and innovation. ACC’s target areas include health, sustainability and productivity.

Read my summer blog to find out more >

Lily Frautschi
Lily FrautschiBeijing Children's Legal Aid and Research Center Zicheng Public Interest Lawyers
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Lily Frautschi

Beijing Children's Legal Aid and Research Center Zicheng Public Interest Lawyers

Location: Beijing, China

Lily Frautschi [1L] will contribute to BCLARC’s work providing free legal aid to minors and migrants in China. The Center conducts empirical research to facilitate justice for children and migrants, in addition to working more generally in the area of public interest law.

Read my summer blog to find out more >

Natalie Kruczkowski
Natalie KruczkowskiUnited States Institute of Peace
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Natalie Kruczkowski

United States Institute of Peace

Location: Washington, D.C.

Natalie Kruczkowski [1L] will serve on a team working to prevent atrocities in the context of conflict and supporting accountability for war crimes. As a federal institution, USIP assists governments and civil society organizations operating in conflict zones by contributing policy recommendations, educational resources and training programs.

Read my summer blog to find out more >

Laura Langford
Laura LangfordInternational Bridges to Justice
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Laura Langford

International Bridges to Justice

Location: Geneva, Switzerland

Laura Langford [1L] will intern at IBJ’s headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, where she will conduct research and provide back-up services to IBJ’s global programming efforts against cruel and unusual punishment and in support of fair trial rights in developing and post-conflict countries.

Read my summer blog to find out more >

Stephanie Minor
Stephanie MinorKosovo Academy of Justice
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Stephanie Minor

Kosovo Academy of Justice

Location: Pristina, Kosovo

Stephanie Minor [1L] will assist the Academy in carrying out its mission providing quality judicial education and training for judges, prosecutors and judicial administrative staff as well as other professionals in the judiciary.  The KAJ also performs analysis and publishes resources in accordance with the legal framework of Kosovo and internationally recognized best standards. 

Read my summer blog to find out more >

Olivia Selgrad
Olivia SelgradCentral and Eastern European Law Initiative (CEELI) Institute
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Olivia Selgrad

Central and Eastern European Law Initiative (CEELI) Institute

Location: Prague, Czech Republic

Olivia Selgrad [1L] will support CEELI’s work fighting corruption and supporting judicial independence and human rights in over 45 countries around the globe.

Read my summer blog to find out more >

Katie Smart
Katie SmartCenter for Legal Aid and Regional Development
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Katie Smart

Center for Legal Aid and Regional Development

Location: Pristina, Kosovo

Katie Smart [1L] will contribute to CLARD’s work facilitating legal assistance for marginalized groups while advocating for and promoting just legal systems that improve their economic and social lives.

Read my summer blog to find out more >

Julie Stanwyck
Julie StanwyckComisiĆ³n Provincial por la Memoria
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Julie Stanwyck

ComisiĆ³n Provincial por la Memoria

Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina

Julie Stanwyck [1L] will work with the Provincial Memory Commission, an independent public organization that promotes and implements public policies of preserving historical memory and ensuring human rights. The Commission’s objectives and work express the commitment to preserving the memory of State terrorism and promoting the defense and advancement of human rights in democracy. The President of CPM, Adolfo Perez Esquivel, is the recipient of a Nobel Peace Prize.

Read my summer blog to find out more >

Owen Tremblay
Owen TremblayOpen Development Cambodia
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Owen Tremblay

Open Development Cambodia

Location: Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Owen Tremblay [1L] will contribute to ODC’s mission to aggregate information and make it available to the public. His work will focus in part on cybersecurity issues that impact the reliability and availability of legislation, policies, regulations and frameworks relating to economic governance of small- to medium-size enterprises.

Read my summer blog to find out more >

Mecca Vance
Mecca VanceAndalas University Center for Constitutional Studies and The Constitutional Court of Indonesia
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Mecca Vance

Andalas University Center for Constitutional Studies and The Constitutional Court of Indonesia

Location: Padang and Jakarta, Indonesia

Mecca Vance [1L] will spend the first half of her summer at the Center for Constitutional Studies at the University of Andalas, where she will conduct comparative research on issues relating to Indonesia’s constitution. She will then work in the Chambers of Deputy Chief Justice Saldi Isra, assisting in the court’s oversight role with respect to the executive branch of government.

Read my summer blog to find out more >

Tessa Wild
Tessa WildTibetan Legal Association
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Tessa Wild

Tibetan Legal Association

Location: Dharamsala, India

Tessa Wild [1L] will contribute to TLA’s mission to increase legal awareness and education among Tibetans in exile. The Association was founded upon the recommendation of His Holiness the Dalai Lama for the purpose of providing pro bono assistance to Tibetans in need of legal aid.

Read my summer blog to find out more >