You are here: Home / Sydney Centre for International Law / For students / For students

Information for students

Centre internships and the External Placement Program

The Sydney Centre offers two internship positions to Sydney Law School students in each semester of the academic year. Interns must be available to work one day per week for the duration of one semester. Interns are involved in the full range of the Centre’s activities, including international law research, drafting legal opinions, policy submissions to parliamentary committees and law reform bodies, hosting public seminars, and the production of the Australian International Law Journal. There are also some administrative duties. Interns report to the Centre Director and will work closely with the Director and other Associates of the Centre.

Click here to read about the experience of a former SCIL Intern

Selection criteria

Applicants must have completed the undergraduate compulsory unit International Law, have a strong overall academic record, and have a demonstrated interest in international affairs or foreign policy.

How to apply

The internships credit towards the External Placement Program in Sydney Law School's undergraduate program. Applicants should accordingly apply for internships by enrolling in the External Placement Program in time for the start of either Semester 1 or Semester 2.

Student editorships: Australian International Law Journal

Each year the Australian International Law Journal recruits Sydney Law School student volunteers to serve as Student Editors on the Journal.

The Journal is an annual, peer-reviewed journal which publishes in all areas of public and private international law. From 2007, it is a joint publication of the International Law Association (Australian Branch) and the Sydney Centre for International and Global Law in the Faculty of Law. Subscribers include major international and Australian universities, international organisations, governments and international law practitioners.

Student editors will be involved in all aspects of production, including soliciting articles, sending out articles for peer review, editing, style-guiding, cite-checking and proofreading. There may also be the opportunity to write and publish case notes on important recent international law decisions.

Selection criteria

Applicants must have completed the undergraduate compulsory unit International Law, have a strong overall academic record, and have a demonstrated interest in international affairs or foreign policy. Previous editorial experience is an advantage, but not essential.

How to apply

Please send a copy of your CV, academic transcript to date and a half page statement explaining why you would like be a Student Editor, to the Editor in Chief at .

List of former student editors.

Back to top

Careers in international iaw

There are a surprising number of challenging and rewarding opportunities available to students interested in a future career in international law, but it is often difficult to know where to start. Centre Program Director Dr Fleur Johns has prepared a useful Guide to International Law Careers, available here (PDF), which provides advice on opportunities available.

Some useful links:

Studying international law

Undergraduate study

Sydney Law School is one of the few Australian law schools in which international law (public and private) is a compulsory undergraduate unit, reflecting the importance that Sydney places on the study of international law. In addition to the compulsory unit, Sydney Law School and the members of the Sydney Centre offer a range of elective units, including: Advanced Public International Law; [Advanced] Private International Law; International Human Rights Law; War Law: Use of Force and Humanitarian Law; International Commercial Transactions; Jessup International Law Moot.

Undergraduate units of study available at Sydney Law School

Postgraduate study

Sydney Law School has developed innovative postgraduate coursework programs specialising in international law, with more than 50 units of study available in international or comparative law.

Sydney also offers highly regarded, advanced research degrees in international law such as the Master of Laws by Research, the Doctor of Philosophy and the Doctor of Juridical Studies.

Back to top

Jessup International Law Mooting Competition

Sydney Law School students compete annually in the world's most prestigious international law mooting competition, and became world champions in Washington DC in 1996, 2007 again in 2011. The Jessup Moot provides competitors with an unparalleled opportunity to work closely in a team to represent fictional States in a hypothetical case before the International Court of Justice on cutting-edge areas of international law.

Teams must prepare detailed and lengthy written submissions (two 9,000 word Memorials) and then moot against other teams from around Australia at the Australian Regional Rounds. The two finalist teams will then travel to Washington to compete in the International Rounds against teams from around the world.

Why do it?

  • Most demanding and rewarding work you will do as an undergraduate student
  • Take your legal knowledge and expertise to the limit of the law in an area of study
  • Foundation for postgraduate studies and professional career
  • Intense training in mooting and oral advocacy
  • Most prestigious competition for law students in the world
  • Recognised as a mark of excellence
  • Recognised alternative to doing a summer clerkship
  • Past participants have gone on to work at the UN (ICTY, ICTR, UNCC, UNHCR); ICC; Office of International Law, Cth AG’s; DFAT; London, Sydney and New York Bar; Red Cross etc
  • Full subject credit points (8)
  • If win or come runner-up in Australia, flights to and accommodation in Washington DC

What we are looking for

  • 5 positions, with 2-3 reserves
  • Academic excellence
  • Mooting or public speaking experience (note that the ability to express thoughts clearly is essential)
  • Very hard workers
  • Good team players

The course is highly demanding and it is recommended that members of the Jessup team do not undertake work or other commitments over the summer vacation.

For further information concerning the Jessup Moot competition generally, see the International Law Students Association (ILSA) website.

ELSA Moot Competition on WTO Law

The ELSA Moot Court Competition (EMC²) is a simulated hearing in the World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute settlement system. Competitor teams represent both the Complainant and Respondent parties to the Case by presenting oral submissions in front of a Panel. EMC² Panels consist of WTO law experts and are referred to as Panellist. The Competition provides students with the opportunity to put theory into practice, thereby complimenting their formal legal education.

Contact the Centre for more information about the next competition.

Back to top

Vis Arbitral Moot Competition

The Willem C. Vis Moot and the related Vis Moot (East) seek to foster the study of international commercial law and arbitration for resolution of international business disputes through its application to a concrete problem of a client. The moot involves questions of contract – flowing from a transaction relating to the sale or purchase of goods under the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG) and other uniform international commercial law – in the context of an arbitration pursuant to specified Arbitration Rules

For more information about the next competition, see the briefing paper.

Contact:

Dominic Mueller
Vis Moot Coach


Associate Professor Luke Nottage
Faculty Advisor

Other Opportunities

Projects Abroad

Projects Abroad offer volunteer opportunities in 26 developing countries including internships in International Law and Human Rights in Ghana and South Africa.

International Law and Human Rights Internships in Ghana
International Law and Human Rights Internships in South Africa

World Food Programme, Legal Office Rome Italy

The World Food Programme (WFP) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization and the United Nations frontline agency in the fight against global hunger. The core policies and strategies that govern WFP activities are to provide food aid to save lives in refugee and other emergency situations; to improve the nutrition and quality of life of the most vulnerable people at critical times in their lives; and to help build assets and promote the self-reliance of poor people and communities.
Click here for information on internships.

CHRI Opportunites

There are frequent opportunities at CHRI to work in the headquarters in Delhi, the Africa office in Accra, Ghana or liaison office in London.

Students reading law or social sciences may intern with at any of the three offices for short term or long term internships of up to a year.

Graduates in law, social sciences or other relevant disciplines are welcomed on a volunteer basis to intern for periods ranging from 3 months to a year.

Graduates in law, social sciences or other relevant disciplines if willing to commit for up to one year at headquarters may apply for a stipendiary position as program assistants, researchers.

Graduates with a minimum of 2 years work experience may apply for program officer positions if willing to commit for two years or more. Salaries are local and shared accommodation (at headquarters only) may be provided to candidates from abroad if available.

Please inquire about specific current vacancies or send job applications with a cv statement of purpose, references and short original writing sample to: radhey@humanrightsinitiative.org or visit www.humanrightsinitiative.org to find out more.

Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience (AIME)

Opportunity for Sydney Law School students to volunteer to mentor Indigenous High School Students

For further informaiton see the flyer.

Jessup Moot Team Members

2011

Pat Bateman
Chris Beshara
Glenn Kembrey
Chelsea Tabart
Pat Wall

2010

Christine Ernst
Callista Harris
Naomi Hart
Matthew Kalyk
David Robertson

2009

Adriana Edmeades
Angela Ha
Nik Kirby
Ryan May
Annelise Young

2008

Joel Gilbourd
Laura Johnston

2007

Lucas Bastin
Odette Murray
Fiona Roughley
Natasha Simonsen
Zelie Wood