Career Development Office Blog

1) Venue of Fellowship: Executive Secretariat of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) of the Organization of American States (OAS). Address:1889 F Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20006

2) Modality: On-site

3) Deadline to present applications: October 31, 2012

4) Start and End Dates: January 16, 2013 to December 31, 2013

5) Length of the Fellowship: 11 ½ (eleven and a half) months

6) Objective: To provide an opportunity for young lawyers from OAS Member States to understand and apply the mechanisms of protection of the inter-American system of human rights.

7) Program: a) To assist with tasks of the Executive Secretariat of the Commission, under the supervision of its human rights specialists during the period of the fellowship; and b) at the end of the fellowship, present to the Executive Secretariat of the IACHR a detailed report on activities carried out by the fellow.

8) Requirements:

• Be a citizen of an OAS Member State;
• Be bilingual in Spanish and English (attach certificates testifying thereto), knowledge of French or Portuguese desirable;
• Have graduated in law from an officially recognized university (attach copy of the law degree and grades obtained);
• Have received law degree after January 1, 2006;
• Have a demonstrable professional interest in the legal field of human rights;
• Be registered as an attorney before the courts or the appropriate professional body; in the absence of registration, indicate the reason; and
• Present a paper of up to five pages, not edited by another person, on one or more human rights issues of interest to the candidate.

9) Required documents: The following documents are required in order to be considered for the fellowship:

• Letter of interest
• Completed Fellowship Application (LINK)
• Two letters of recommendation
• Curriculum vitae
• Certification of second language a Copy of law degree and grades obtained a Proof of registration as an attorney before the courts or the appropriate professional body (if applicable)
• Written paper of up to five pages

10) Benefits:

• The IACHR provides a monthly stipend of US$3,000.00 for the period covered by the fellowship, that is US$34,500.00 total for 11½ months. With the stipend provided, the fellow is responsible for obtaining health insurance coverage of his/her choosing for the duration of the fellowship, and should provide proof of coverage to the Executive Secretariat of the IACHR.
• Round-trip economy class air transportation from the participant’s country of residence toWashington, D.C. Terminal and transfer expenses are not covered.
• The IACHR will award a certificate of participation in the Fellowship Program to the fellows who satisfactorily complete the entire period of the fellowship.

11) Responsibilities of the selected candidates:

• Once an applicant has been selected, he/she should formally accept the fellowship in writing, confirming with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights his/her availability to complete the fellowship during the specified time period. Once accepted, the IACHR will proceed with the necessary arrangements for purchase of round-trip economy air transportation between the candidate’s country of origin/residence and Washington, D.C.
• In the event a candidate accepts a fellowship but cannot complete it, for whatever reason, he/she must immediately inform the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights so that the course of action may be decided.
• It is the responsibility of each selected candidate to request and obtain the necessary visa to enter theUnited States, and/or transit visa (if applicable) in a timely manner. The IACHR will not incur in any expense related to the processing of immigration or visa documents. The IACHR will provide the candidate a document certifying his/her selection as an official fellow of the IACHR so that he/she may request the corresponding visa, which is the sole responsibility of the selected candidate. In addition, the OAS will send a diplomatic note to the Embassy or Consulate where the selected candidate will be requesting his/her visa, certifying the fellow’s selection.
• It is the responsibility of the selected candidate to arrive in a timely manner so that he/she will be present for the commencement of the fellowship on the date established by the IACHR.
• If the selected candidate declines the fellowship after the flight ticket has been purchased, or does not travel on the established dates or changes routes, the candidate shall reimburse the IACHR the cost of the flight ticket or any additional costs incurred. The latter includes any additional costs, if any, incurred by the IACHR, such as extra costs for accommodation during the candidate’s travel to and from Washington, D.C.
• If the candidate resigns, cancels or terminates the fellowship after the program has begun without providing sufficient reason and evidence to the IACHR for doing so, he/she will fully reimburse the IACHR for all costs incurred on his/her behalf.

12) Presentation of candidates:

The application and other required documents indicated in sections 8 and 9 must be submitted to the Executive Secretariat of the IACHR prior to the closing date of the application period, by email, fax or mail.

October 2012 Postgraduate Fellowships Deadlines:

10/1/2012: American Society of International Law – International Law Fellows

10/1/2012: Council on Foreign Relations – International Affairs Fellowship

10/1/2012: Council on Foreign Relations – International Affairs Fellowship inJapan

10/1/2012: Council on Foreign Relations – International Affairs Fellowship inSouth   Korea

10/1/2012: Equal Justice Society (EJS) – Constance Baker Motley Civil Rights Fellowship

10/1/2012:HarvardUniversity – Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study – Radcliffe Institute Fellowship

10/1/2012: Skadden Fellowship Foundation – Fellowship Grants

10/1/2012: Scoville Foundation – Herbert Scoville Jr. Peace Fellowship

10/1/2012:JuvenileLawCenter – Zubrow Fellowship in Children’s Law

10/1/2012:U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) – Honors Program

10/2/2012:Michigan Society of Fellows – Postdoctoral Fellowships

10/5/2012:Vermont Judiciary Trial Court – Trial Court Clerk

10/12/2012: Business & Professional People for the Public Interest (BPI) – Poliakoff-Gautreaux Fellowship

10/12/2012: Open Society Justice Initiative – Fellowship Funding

10/15/2012: Alexander Von Humboldt Foundation (U.S. Liaison Office) – German Chancellor Fellowship

10/15/2012: Cultural Vistas – Robert Bosch Fellowship

10/15/2012: Equal Rights Advocates – Ruth Chance Law Fellow

10/16/2012: GatesCambridge Trust – GatesCambridge Scholarship

10/17/2012: Institute ofInternational Education – Fulbright Fellowship

10/19/2012: University ofCaliforniaLos AngelesSchool of Law – The Williams Institute – Law Teaching Fellowship

10/29/2012: Center for Reproductive Rights – Columbia/CFRR Fellowship

10/31/2012: Environmental Law Institute – Public Interest Environmental Law Fellowship

10/21/2012: Fair Trial Initiative – Osborn Fellowship

10/312012: Alliance for Justice – Dorot Fellowship

Some deadlines may be extended or changed, so you should always verify deadlines with the employer or host organization or ask your CDO advisor.

For additional information, please visit the website.