Work Location

In-person and full-time internship in New York, USA. Hybrid, remote or part-time (equal / less than 34 hours) internship may be considered based on request by successful candidates.

Expected duration

The duration of an internship in the Office of Legal Affairs (OLA) is a minimum of two months with a possibility of extension of up to a maximum of six months, depending upon the particular needs of the divisions or offices. Desired start date can be between 1 September 2026 and 2 February 2027.

Duties and Responsibilities

Organization Setting and Reporting The Office of Legal Affairs (OLA) is recruiting interns for its six (6) divisions and offices located in New York. We are seeking highly motivated applicants who wish to gain professional experience in the legal field within an international organization in order to supplement their knowledge, skills and studies. This internship will provide practical experience in legal affairs in a multicultural intergovernmental organization. Under the supervision, interns are assigned to projects and tasks which will provide them with the opportunities to apply and further develop their knowledge in the recruiting divisions and offices. The six divisions and offices are the Office of the Under-Secretary-General (OUSG), the Office of the Legal Counsel (OLC), the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (DOALOS), the Treaty Section (TS), the Codification Division (COD) and the General Legal Division (GLD). The latter two divisions may consider requests for hybrid or remote setting of the internship by successful candidates. It is important that candidates familiarize themselves with the functions of these divisions and offices as described at https://www.un.org/ola/en/mission; and make an informed decision as to which division or office would be best suited for their interests and qualifications. Responsibilities of internship positions range widely, encompassing many aspects of OLA's work. These responsibilities may include, but are not limited to:

Assistance in conducting legal research on issues related to international law, ocean affairs and law of the sea, or other areas of specialization using multiple research resources.
Assistance in the review of legal documents, instruments or other material.
Assistance in drafting and preparing official and legal documents.
Attending and taking notes at conferences and meetings.
Assistance in servicing conferences and meetings.
Working on websites and/or presentations.
Performing other duties as assigned.

Qualifications/special skills

Applicants at the time of application must meet one of the following requirements: (a) Be enrolled in, or have completed, a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher) in the area of Law; (b) Be enrolled in, or have completed, the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum bachelor's level or equivalent) in the area of Law. Please indicate which scenario is applicable to you. Please note that your will be asked to provide an official certificate upon selection. Applicants are not required to have professional work experience to participate in the programme. Prior training, education, advance course work or skills should benefit the United Nations during your internship.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this internship, fluency in spoken and written English is required. Knowledge of French is desirable. Knowledge of another United Nations official language, i.e. Arabic, Chinese, Russian or Spanish, would be an advantage.

Additional Information

TO APPLY: Please create and complete a Candidate Profile with a Motivation Statement in the UN recruitment platform, Inspira, at https://inspira.un.org. In your Candidate Profile, please indicate if you are proficient in the English language. PLEASE NOTE THAT INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE REVIEWED. Applications will not be considered unless they contain a Motivation Statement addressing each of the following points: 1. Title of the degree currently being pursued, or recently completed, and the specific subjects taken; 2. Expected graduation date from the degree programme or graduation date if already graduated; 3. The applicant's objectives for undertaking an internship with the Office of Legal Affairs and how it fits within their education/ career plan; 4. A description as to why you believe you are qualified for this specific internship as a result of your education and/or work experience for your choice of the three (3) specific OLA divisions or offices. The divisions/ offices are:
the Office of the Under-Secretary-General (OUSG),
the Office of the Legal Counsel (OLC),
the Codification Division (COD),
the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (DOALOS),
the General Legal Division (GLD), and
the Treaty Section (TS); 5. State your preferred start date and your availability for this internship, bearing in mind that the start date should be between 1 September 2026 and 2 February 2027, at a minimum period of two (2) months and a maximum of six (6) months. IMPORTANT NOTE:
It is designed to be a full-time, in-person internship in New York, USA. Hybrid, remote or part-time setting of the internship may be considered based on the request by the successful candidates.
For internships in the United States of America, candidates who are not United States citizens, permanent residents, or on other non-immigrant visa status will be required to obtain a G-4 visa. The selected candidates shall be responsible for ensuring that they have a valid visa and an employment authorization allowing them to undertake the internship.
Applicants who are children, siblings, sons or daughters-in-law (including step-children, half-siblings, or step-siblings) of an active staff member in the UN Secretariat cannot be engaged as an intern.
Interns are not eligible to apply for, or be appointed to, any position in the professional or above categories, within the United Nations Secretariat for a period of six (6) months following the end of their internship. Any employment with the United Nations Secretariat at that point in time shall be subject to established recruitment and selection procedures.
The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance in the organization. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this internship programme.
For details on OLA's mandate and the specific functions of its divisions and offices, please visit us at: https://www.un.org/ola.

Intern Specific text

Interns are not financially remunerated by the United Nations. Costs and arrangements for travel, visas, accommodation and living expenses are the responsibility of interns or their sponsoring institutions. Interns who are not citizens or permanent residents of the country where the internship is undertaken, may be required to obtain the appropriate visa and work/employment authorization. Successful candidates should discuss their specific visa requirements before accepting the internship offer.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.

Legal Affairs Intern