World Bank Legal Internship Program 2022 Spring Cycle: Apply by Sep 30

The World Bank Legal Internship Program is offered to highly motivated law students by the World Bank Legal Vice Presidency, to be exposed to the mission and work of the World Bank and that of the Legal Vice Presidency.

The World Bank Legal Internship Program allows individuals to bring new perspectives, innovative ideas, and latest research experiences into the World Bank’s daily operations and improve their legal skills while working in a multicultural environment.

The objective of the program is to provide you with first-hand experiences of the day-to-day operations of the World Bank by closely collaborating with staff in the Legal Vice Presidency. As part of the team, working directly with outstanding and inspiring development professionals and senior management, you will get the chance to contribute to the legal services offered by the Legal Vice Presidency as well as participate in high-profile events and conferences organized during the term of your internship.

Duration

A period of a maximum of 3 months at World Bank Headquarters in Washington, D.C. and in certain selected country offices for currently enrolled law school students.

(Proposed internship period is for 10-12 weeks, typically between March and May, depending on prevailing needs)

Responsibilities of the Intern

Interns will likely be involved in a plethora of tasks, as they arise during the term of the Internship Program, such as:

• Conducting a variety of legal assignments under the direction of the supervising lawyer(s).
• Conducting research on assigned issues, using existing law files and alternative sources (e.g., computer-assisted searches using the internet, intranet and/or other databases), analyzing information, and summarizing findings.
• Conducting comparative legal analyses on a range of issues in a given area, identifying legal and policy issues, researching relevant precedents, and proposing appropriate solutions.
• Participating in task/project teams with the supervising lawyer(s).
• Assisting in the preparation and organization of conferences and meetings.
• Performing ad hoc assignments as requested by the supervising lawyer(s).

Eligibility

• Must hold a citizenship of any IBRD member state
• Must be currently enrolled in an LLB, JD, LLM, SJD, PhD, or equivalent program
• Must have an excellent command of the English language

Preference shall be given to candidates who possess a decent command of a second language, especially if that is one of the working languages of IBRD (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, or Spanish).

Applications from eligible international as well as U.S.-based students are equally encouraged.

Timeline

Spring Internship Program:  

• Application period commencement: September 1, 2021
• Application Deadline: September 30, 2021

This is an excellent opportunity for students looking to gain professional experiences at the World Bank in the form of externships during the academic year while enrolled in a full-time law program or for those enrolled in part-time and/or evening law programs.

All applications must be submitted during respective application periods.

Note:

Internship at Country Offices:  The Legal Vice Presidency has limited its internships in the field to offices where a lawyer from the Legal Vice Presidency is present. 

How to Apply?

Please sign in to your Google account to access the application form.

Please submit the below documents through the link given at the end of this post.

1. Résumé
2. Statement of Interest
3. Proof of enrollment in a law degree (LLB, JD, LLM, SJD, PhD, or equivalent) and academic transcript(s).
4. Short essay providing a response to a research question posed by the Legal Vice Presidency for the prevailing application period.

Additional Information

Visa:  Students partaking in the World Bank Legal Internship Program must have valid student visa documents sponsored by their educational institutions. The World Bank shall only assist the attainment of visa documents for participants of the World Bank Legal Internship Program in exceptional cases.

Cost: The World Bank shall not remunerate participants of the World Bank Legal Internship Program in the form of monetary fees/compensation.  Each World Bank Legal Intern must however be remunerated in accordance with World Bank Group policies and standards in the form of (i) monetary fees/compensation paid by the university or other sponsoring organization and acceptable to the Bank; or (ii) academic credit equivalent to the Bank’s fee schedule.  Hence, students partaking in the World Bank Legal Internship Program must secure appropriate funding sources for the duration of their internships.

Medical Insurance:  World Bank Legal Interns are responsible for their own medical insurance and any cost(s) arising from accidents and/or illness incurred during the internship period and must show proof of a valid major global medical insurance coverage.

Selection Process:  World Bank Legal Interns shall be selected through a competitive selection process.  The World Bank Group is an equal opportunity employer.

Onboarding:  The World Bank Legal Vice Presidency shall organize a brief onboarding session at the beginning of the Summer, Fall, and Spring Internship programs for the incoming cohort.

Evaluations on Performance:  The World Bank shall not provide an evaluation of the performance of participants in the World Bank’s Legal Internship Program.

Please note that applying or partaking in the World Bank Legal Internship Program does not constitute a promise or guarantee of employment at the World Bank upon completion of the Program.

Click here for the official information about the legal internship.

Click here to apply for the WB Legal Internship Program 2022