The Leap Into Constitution Building
My second week as an intern at International IDEA has been a delightful blend of braving the chilly weather, basking in the warmth of a welcoming team, and diving headfirst into exciting projects. The Dutch weather, true to its reputation, has been quite dreadful—cold, rainy, and windy. My first purchases were a coat and two umbrellas. But the environment at IDEA has been anything but frosty. Every day, I walk the brisk ten minutes to my office in the Passage, a stunning and historic shopping arcade built in the late 19th Century that feels like stepping into a European fairytale. The Passage has a high arched glass roof, with intricate ironwork and detailed mosaics. The soft natural grey light filters through the glass ceiling and casts a warm and inviting glow on the polished marble floors below. It’s a serene moment when the sound of the rain becomes a soothing drum on the ceiling. The Passage is lined with a delightful mix of boutique shops, high-end stores, and cozy cafes. My favourite is Kilo Kilo, one of the Hague’s many thrift stores, a place that charges based on the weight of your treasures. Each storefront is uniquely charming, offering everything from designer fashion and jewelry to artisanal chocolates and Dutch delicacies.
From the moment I enter into the IDEA office, I’m immediately enveloped in a wave of intellectual warmth. It’s such a pleasure to work with these kind and cheery people, who hail from Scotland, Ireland, Spain, Germany, and Wales. I’m continually amazed by how enthusiastic and genuinely happy my colleagues are when discussing constitutions. It's more than just professional engagement; it's a shared passion that lights up conversations and fuels their work. Surprisingly, I’m able to tread water in these PhD-level discussions because I took Comparative Constitutional Law with Professor Warren this spring. Every time I join in on discussions about ecocentric constitutions, minority rights, quotas, and other fascinating constitutional subjects, I find myself not just keeping up, but genuinely contributing. I’m aware of the most recent constitutional developments worldwide, and both my colleagues and I are pleasantly surprised by how well-versed I am. To any William & Mary law students reading this, I highly recommend taking the class.
Being an intern at IDEA is a different league of responsibility. Right off the bat, I was entrusted with several significant tasks that contribute meaningfully to the organization’s work. One particularly thrilling project involves conducting a constitutional analysis of several Caribbean jurisdictions for an upcoming collaborative conference with the Bonavero Institute of Human Rights in Oxford. I’ll be traveling to the event in a few weeks, and meeting senators and chairs on constitutional reform commissions from over ten different countries discussing emerging issues with drafting. Diving deep into the constitutional nuances of various Caribbean nations, such as Barbados, Belize, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago, has been like embarking on a mini-vacation to each island, minus the sunburn.
Another exciting task I had this week was drafting an expert opinion on a constitutional issue of national security law issue pertaining to elections, following an inquiry from a Spanish newspaper reporter. Balancing legal precision with journalistic clarity was a rewarding challenge, and one of my colleagues, Elliot, helped me see the way IDEA can contribute to objective, accurate reporting in countries all over the world. I felt a genuine sense of accomplishment once I had written my first expert opinion, and the trust my supervisors placed in me was both humbling and exhilarating.
The highlight of the week was our farewell lunch for Jule at Café Flores. Jule, who has quickly become a dear friend in such a short period of time, has received the best intern parting gift of all—a full time offer to work for IDEA. Café Flores, with its charming ambiance and delicious French menu, provided the perfect backdrop for this heartfelt send-off. Our conversations were filled with laughter and stories about tennis matches, soccer games, and our various travel adventures. We reminisced about shared memories, and I could see how the staff felt like they were losing a dear member of the IDEA family. The lunch was a wonderful mix of joy and sentimentality, reflecting the close-knit and supportive atmosphere that makes International IDEA such a special place to work. Next week I’ll be IDEA’s sole intern, but not for long, as we have our two final summer interns arriving in early June.
