Documentation Center of Cambodia (DC-Cam) 2013 Summer Legal Associates Intern Program
The Documentation Center of Cambodia (DC-Cam) seeks several exceptional law students to serve as Summer Legal Associates in 2013 for a minimum of eight full weeks. Their primary role will be to assist the Cambodia Law and Policy Journal in its editorial responsibilities; however, there will be a variety of additional projects that they may choose to work on, including a legal writing clinic for Cambodian law students, a community radio program and independent research on issues pending before the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC). In addition, there will be opportunities to assist DC-Cam in heritage law research with Cambodia’s NationalMuseum and facilitating a new weekly newspaper in English and Khmer, the Preah Vihear Times.
Summer Associates will also work closely with officials and attorneys from the ECCC, set up in 2006 to try senior leaders of the Khmer Rouge, as well as members of the local bar and Cambodian law school community.
DC-Cam is an independent Cambodian NGO originally created by YaleUniversity scholars pursuant to the Cambodian Genocide Justice Act of 1994. It is dedicated to ensuring memory and justice in Cambodia with respect to the abuses of the infamous Democratic Kampuchea (DK) regime. The Center documents the history of Democratic Kampuchea and promotes accountability and the rule of law, holding the world’s largest body of information and potential evidence against former DK officials.
Summer Associates will have important roles to play in the Witnessing Justice Project by carrying out the following duties:
- Each Summer Associate will be responsible for overseeing at least one scholarly article prepared by local and international legal scholars on salient issues affecting the ECCC, Cambodian society, or the Southeast Asian region. The Summer Associate will work directly with the authors in editing/revising the articles from manuscript to publication.
- Summer Associates will also be responsible for preparing an article-length legal memorandum on a subject of current relevance to ECCC proceedings. If accepted for publication, this article will be distributed to key actors at the ECCC and in the field of international justice.
- Summer Associates will serve as research assistants to the Director, Deputy Director, and Editor-in-Chief of the Journal, sometimes assisting with other reports and publications.
- Summer Associates will have the opportunity to attend trial proceedings and in some instances may be responsible for drafting periodic trial reports.
- Summer Associates with a background or interest in heritage law will have the opportunity to assist DC-Cam in its work with the Cambodia Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts and the National Museum of Cambodia.
- Summer Associates will have the opportunity to participate in DC-Cam’s Legal Writing Clinic, to include facilitating lessons on legal writing and basic concepts of international human rights law.
- Summer Associates will have the opportunity to participate in DC-Cam’s outreach to survivors and Cambodian society at— large in Phnom Penh and beyond. This may include attending public educational forums and drafting forum reports and short educational pieces for the Center’s magazine.
- Summer Associates will have the opportunity to participate in the Community Radio Program by working with staff in facilitating the series of forums for local students and others throughout Cambodia.
These forums will be conducted at sites relevant to the Khmer Rouge period famine.
DC-Cam is also looking for 1-2 associates, ideally with journalism experience, to facilitate the publication of the Preah Vihear Times. The newspaper will cover sensitive stories in Cambodia and the Southeast Asian region, with a particular focus on raising awareness on topics related to conflict and genocide. The volunteers will work with a team of professional journalists, who are based both inside and outside Cambodia, as well as an IT and editing team.
Law students with an avid interest in international criminal law, human rights law and Southeast Asian studies are invited to apply. Students with editorial or heritage law experience are especially encouraged to apply. Information about past students and projects are available here.
The position does not come with funding, but they will be glad to recommend successful applicants to funding bodies at their home universities. Applicants should e-mail a resume, a one-page statement of interest, and the names of two references to legal advisor Christopher Dearing by February 1, 2013.