Human rights and international justice need fresh voices right now, and the Africa Legal Aid internship lets you step in while you finish your law degree.
What the internship is
Africa Legal Aid (AFLA) is offering short‑term internships that focus on research, documentation and advocacy for human‑rights cases. You will work on topics that matter, such as developments at the International Criminal Court, policy papers and public‑facing publications. All work is supervised by senior lawyers and experienced associates.
Who can apply
The role is open to South African graduates who hold an advanced degree in law or a closely related field. You must be fluent in English; a working knowledge of French is a plus. The internship expects you to be able to work both independently and as part of a team.
Key requirements
- Advanced law degree (LLB, LLM or equivalent)
- Strong research and writing abilities
- Excellent organisation and computer skills
- Team‑player attitude and a sense of humour
- Fluency in English; French helpful
What you will gain
This placement gives you hands‑on exposure to:
- Human‑rights research and analysis
- Monitoring ICC proceedings and other international tribunals
- Preparing advocacy briefs and policy recommendations
- Supporting AFLA’s capacity‑building programmes
- Proofreading and contributing to the AFLA Quarterly and book series
- Managing the AFLA E‑Reporter and social‑media channels
By the end of the internship you will have concrete examples of legal research, publication work and advocacy support that you can add to your CV.
How to apply – step by step
- Prepare a tailored Letter of Motivation that explains why you want to work with AFLA and how your background matches the role.
- Update your CV to highlight legal research, writing and any volunteer or NGO experience.
- Collect two professional references (lecturers, supervisors or previous employers).
- Choose a recent writing sample – preferably a research paper, policy brief or article on human rights, international law or public policy.
- Save each file with clear names, e.g. YourName‑CV.pdf, YourName‑Motivation.pdf, YourName‑Writing‑Sample.pdf, YourName‑References.pdf.
- Compose an email addressed to The Executive Director. Use a subject line such as AFLA Internship Application – Your Name.
- Attach all four documents and send the email to associatesnl2@africalegalaid.com before the closing date.
Tips to improve your chances
- Show concrete research experience – mention topics, databases used and any findings you presented.
- If you have any published work, include it or add a link in your CV.
- Highlight any French language use, even at a conversational level.
- Explain how you can contribute to AFLA’s projects, not just what you hope to gain.
- Proofread every attachment; a clean, error‑free submission reflects the attention to detail the role demands.
- Send your application a week early to avoid last‑minute technical issues.
Final thoughts
The AFLA internship is a solid step for law graduates who want to move beyond theory and into real‑world human‑rights work. It offers practical research, advocacy and publication experience that can open doors to NGOs, international organisations and policy‑making bodies.
Gather your documents, craft a focused motivation letter, and email your application to associatesnl2@africalegalaid.com by 30 July 2026. Acting early will give you time to perfect each component and increase your chances of standing out.