World Bank Legal Internship Program for Summer 2024 is now open for entries

Highly motivated law students get the chance to learn about the goals and activities of both the Legal Vice Presidency and the World Bank through the World Bank Legal Vice Presidency. Through the World Bank Legal Internship Program, people can hone their legal abilities in a multicultural setting and contribute fresh viewpoints, cutting-edge concepts, and recent research experiences to the organization’s everyday operations.

The program’s goal is to give you firsthand knowledge of the World Bank’s daily operations through close collaboration with Legal Vice Presidency staff members. As a member of our team, you will collaborate closely with exceptional and motivating development professionals and senior management, and throughout your internship, you will have the opportunity to participate in high-profile events and conferences, as well as contribute to the legal services provided by the Legal Vice Presidency.

Program for World Bank Legal Internships

For presently enrolled law school students, the World Bank Legal Internship Program is offered three times a year for a maximum of three months at the World Bank Headquarters in Washington, D.C., as well as in some chosen country offices.

Can you work as the Legal Vice Presidency’s intern?

Are you a citizen of any of the states that make up the IBRD?

During your internship with us, will you be enrolled in an LLB, JD, LLM, SJD, PhD, or similar legal academic program? (For example, to be eligible to apply for the Summer Cycle of LIP, you must be enrolled from June to August in an academic program that offers legal studies.)

Do you speak English with exceptional fluency?

You qualify to be an intern at the Legal Vice Presidency if you said “yes” to each of these questions. Candidates with a respectable knowledge of a second language—preferably one of the working languages of IBRD, such as Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, or Spanish—will be given preference.

Both eligible students from abroad and those residing in the United States are urged to apply.

When?

Summer Internship Program: Applications will be accepted from December 1 through December 31. The internship will last 10 to 12 weeks, usually from June to August, depending on the needs of the program. For students enrolled in legal programs who would like to work full-time at the World Bank during the summer, this is a fantastic opportunity.

Fall Internship Program: Applications will be accepted from April 1 through April 30. The suggested internship duration is 10–12 weeks, with the possibility of extending into November, contingent upon needs. For students enrolled in full-time law schools or those in part-time or evening programs, this is a great chance to get professional experiences at the World Bank through externships during the academic year. As per the regulations set forth by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, students who are eligible for pre-completion Optional Practical Training (OPT) may labor up to 20 hours per week during the school day.

Spring Internship Program: Applications will be accepted from September 1 through September 30. The suggested internship duration is 10 to 12 weeks, with the possibility of extending until May, depending on needs. For those participating in part-time or evening law schools, as well as full-time law programs wanting to gain professional skills at the World Bank through externships during the academic year, this is a great option. Students approved for pre-completion Optional Practical Training (OPT) may work 20 hours or less per week while classes are in session, under U.S. Department of Homeland Security regulations.

Internship in Country Offices: The Legal Vice Presidency has restricted its field internships to offices staffed by one of its attorneys.

How do you submit an application?

Please use this link to submit the papers listed below:

Internship in Country Offices: The Legal Vice Presidency has restricted its field internships to offices staffed by one of its attorneys.

Submission of all applications must occur within the designated application timeframes.

Synopsis

Interest Declaration

Evidence of enrollment in an academic program and academic transcripts for a law degree (LLB, JD, LLM, SJD, PhD, or equivalent).

For the current application session, a brief essay answering a research question from the Legal Vice Presidency.

What function would you have?

A wide range of responsibilities will probably be assigned to interns as they come up within the internship program, including:

carrying out a range of legal tasks under the guidance of the supervising attorney or attorneys.

utilizing the law files that already exist as well as other sources (such as computer-assisted searches on the internet, intranet, and/or other databases) to do research on assigned issues, analyze the data, and summarize conclusions.

identifying legal and policy concerns, investigating pertinent precedents, conducting comparative legal assessments on a variety of challenges in a given sector, and suggesting suitable remedies.

joining task/project teams under the direction of the supervising attorney or attorneys.

helping with conference and meeting planning and coordination.

carrying out ad hoc tasks as directed by the supervising attorney(s).

Extra Details

Visa: Students enrolled in the World Bank Legal Internship Program need to have documents supporting their valid student visas, which are supported by their schools. The World Bank will only help participants in the World Bank Legal Internship Program get visa documentation in extraordinary circumstances.

Cost: Participants in the World Bank Legal Internship Program will not receive anything from the World Bank in the form of fees or other remuneration. However, all World Bank Legal Interns must receive compensation in line with World Bank Group policies and standards. This can take the form of (i) monetary fees or compensation that are approved by the Bank and paid by the university or another sponsoring organization, or (ii) academic credit that is equal to the Bank’s fee schedule.

For the period of their internships, students enrolled in the World Bank Legal Internship Program are therefore required to obtain suitable financial sources.

Health Insurance: World Bank Law Enforcement Interns must provide documentation of a current primary worldwide medical insurance coverage and are responsible for paying for their own health insurance as well as any expenses related to illnesses or accidents they may have during the internship.

Selection Procedure: A competitive selection procedure will be used to choose World Bank Legal Interns. The World Bank Group is an employer that values equal opportunity.

Onboarding: At the start of the summer, fall, and spring internship programs, the World Bank Legal Vice Presidency will provide a brief onboarding session for the incoming cohort.

Performance Evaluations: Participants in the World Bank’s Legal Internship Program are not eligible for performance evaluations from the World Bank.

Please be aware that applying to or participating in the World Bank Legal Internship Program does not guarantee employment with the World Bank after the program is over. For more details visit the official website