Internship at International Criminal Court (ICC), Registry Legal Office, The Hague (6 months, unfunded)

The International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague investigates and, where warranted, tries individuals charged with genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression. Its Registry has opened an internship in the Registry Legal Office (RLO) (Requisition ID 24349), with applications accepted until 31 December 2026.

The RLO supports the legal functions of the Registrar under the Rome Statute, the Rules of Procedure and Evidence, the Regulations of the Court and of the Registry, and the Court's financial and staff rules. It works as a multifaceted international law practice across four areas: regulatory and compliance, litigation, external affairs and judicial affairs. It drafts and negotiates contracts, drafts legal instruments for the Court, advises on issues affecting the Court's functioning, drafts and reviews Registry judicial filings and litigates employment-related matters. The RLO is headed by the Senior Legal Adviser.

Under the direct supervision of the Senior Legal Adviser, the Legal Adviser or other designated RLO staff, the intern will:

• conduct extensive legal research and analysis;
• contribute to drafting (complex) legal documents, including legal submissions, correspondence, memoranda, opinions and briefs;
• contribute to advice to the Registrar, client sections and (senior) officials of the Court;
• assist in negotiating contracts, agreements and memoranda within the Court;
• prepare summaries and updates on legal and factual issues;
• monitor judicial proceedings, advise on decisions and prepare summaries and digests for the Registry;
• support the operational framework for legal services, including work flows, SOPs, systems, databases and central repositories of legal opinions, research, agreements and contracts;
• perform other duties as assigned.

• Education: all candidates must have a university degree in law, with sound knowledge of public international law, international criminal law, contract law or (international) administrative law as relevant to the RLO. An advanced university degree is a strong asset, and a very good record of academic performance is expected.
• Experience: applicants must have less than three years of relevant full-time professional experience. Practical experience is not essential but relevant experience may be an asset. The ICC's internship pages say the programme considers candidates in their final year or who have completed their university studies.
• Skills: excellent research, analytical and drafting skills; ability to work in multicultural and multilingual settings; strong teamwork; good computer skills including Microsoft Office.
• Languages: proficiency in English or French is required; working knowledge of the other is desirable; Arabic, Chinese, Russian or Spanish is an asset.

Indian applicants: the ICC's internship FAQ states: "Unless otherwise specified in the vacancy, candidates from non-State parties are eligible to apply for an internship." This vacancy sets no nationality restriction, and it encourages nationals of non-represented and under-represented countries to apply. Individuals with a parent or sibling currently working at the Court are not eligible, and a person can complete only one internship at the Court.

Interns work full time for six months (to be agreed before starting), in person at the Court in The Hague. The placement is unfunded: the ICC provides no remuneration and no reimbursement of expenses incurred before, during or after the internship, so applicants must be able to support themselves for the whole placement. The Court's Travel and Host State Affairs Unit can assist interns who need a visa for the Netherlands.

• A completed Duties and Responsibilities Form (step 1 on your eRecruitment profile page);
• A motivation letter of no more than 400 words;
• Two reference letters, one of them academic;
• Scanned copies of university degrees and/or diplomas;
• Scanned official academic transcripts showing courses, results and completion dates;
• One short essay of no more than 750 words (single spaced, typed) on a subject relevant to the work of the Court.

Apply only through the ICC eRecruitment portal: the ICC does not accept email applications. Register, complete your candidate profile, open requisition 24349 (Internship - Legal Office) and click Apply. The deadline is 31 December 2026, midnight The Hague time, which is about 4:30 am IST on 1 January 2027; apply by 31 December 2026 IST to be safe. Because of the volume of applications, only successful applicants will be contacted, and there is no fixed timeline for the selection process.