Thank you for your interest in an internship position with the Los Angeles office of Human Rights Watch. Please click on any of the links below for more information on the LA internship program.

What does the LA internship entail?
What are the current intern projects for Spring/Summer 2008?
Is the internship paid? Who can apply?
What is the acceptance rate for applicants?
When are applications due?
What is the time commitment?
How should I send my application materials?
What type of writing sample is required?
Who should write the recommendation letter?
How long should the cover letter and resume be?
When will I be notified?
What are the qualifications?
What is the application procedure?
Who is the internship coordinator? Where do I send my application materials?
Where can I learn about internships in other Human Rights Watch offices?
Does Human Rights Watch offer internships abroad?
Where can I find employment information?

What does the LA internship entail?
Please keep in mind that the Los Angeles office is primarily a fundraising office that does limited advocacy work. Most internship opportunities in the Los Angeles office are not research based. If you are looking to work on a specific issue or region of the world, the Los Angeles office internship is not for you and you may want to consider an internship in another HRW office. This is not a business focused internship. If you are a law student or recent law school graduate, there is possibility to do research on juvenile justice and foster care issues in California for our California Advocate based in the Los Angeles office.

Each intern will be responsible for supporting and guiding special projects in the areas of advocacy, education, outreach and development for the Los Angeles office of Human Rights Watch. Interns will establish and maintain communication with HRW constituents - and occasionally with HRW researchers and East Coast based staff - and participate in HRW Los Angeles' special events (class/work schedule permitting). Each intern will be assigned to support several main projects and events.

Examples of past LA intern projects include: Creating human rights materials for the Student Task Force and presenting them at local high schools; working with Young Advocates; assisting the Women’s Rights Committee in the planning of their spring fundraiser; organizing advocacy campaigns and events at local Student Task Force schools and helping to plan the Annual Dinners in Los Angeles and Santa Barbara.

What are the intern projects for Spring/Summer 2008?
The Los Angeles office has a number of interesting intern projects for the Spring and interns are currently:

*Helping to plan the Los Angeles and Santa Barbara Spring events, featuring the Human Rights Watch “Cries from the Heart” Event.
* Working on the Student Task Force campaign.
*Helping to organize educational and fundraising events for the local Women's Rights Committee
*Assisting the Young Advocates with their initiatives and events.

Is the internship paid? Who can apply?
The Los Angeles Office of Human Rights Watch provides an unpaid internship program for undergraduate students, graduate students and volunteers year-round. Human Rights Watch does not provide assistance with visas, passports or any such documents. Interns are responsible for their own transportation, housing and living expenses. The internship is not paid and does not include a stipend.

What is the acceptance rate for applicants?
Generally, we have 4-5 interns working in the Los Angeles office at any one time. On average, the Los Angeles office receives 1-2 internship applications per day or about 100 applications for every internship position available.

When are applications due?
Interns are accepted on a rolling basis. Applications for the Spring of 2008 are due this February 2008. Applications for the Summer of 2008 are due in April of 2008.

For specific descriptions of upcoming internship openings, please click here.

What is the time commitment?
Each intern is required to work a minimum of 15 hours per week, 3 days a week for 3 months. A "summer" internship would constitute approximately three months between the months of May and September. A "fall" internship would constitute approximately three months between the months of September and December. A "spring" internship would constitute approximately three months between the months of December and May. Of course, we encourage interns to stay with us for more than three months, if possible.

How should I send my application materials?
We encourage you to send hard copies of your materials to the Los Angeles office rather than sending them through email. However, if the deadline for the internship for which you are applying is less than two weeks away, please email your application materials to LAjobs@hrw.org with "WRC Internship Application" in the subject line.

What type of writing sample is required?
Please, no academic writing for the writing sample. We require a professional or administrative writing sample (i.e. memo, letter) instead.

Who should write the recommendation letter?
The recommendation letter can come from either an academic or a professional reference and be sent to the Los Angeles office via fax or postal mail.

How long should the cover letter and resume be?
Please keep the cover letter and resume to one page each and make sure to mention your exact dates of availability in the first paragraph of the cover letter.

When will I be notified?
We are not able to provide confirmation that we have received your internship application. Please do not contact the office inquiring about the status of your application. We will contact select applicants only.

What are the qualifications?
Candidates must be enthusiastic, self-motivated, well-organized, collegial and able to handle multiple tasks simultaneously. Experience working with volunteers is a plus. The candidate must have strong computer skills - familiarity with Excel, Microsoft Word and the Internet - and be comfortable in working with computers, information systems, and office machines. Strong oral and written communication skills and attention to detail are required. Candidates with web design and/or Raiser's Edge experience urged to apply. Knowledge of Spanish a plus.

What is the application procedure?
Please send one copy of each to the address specified below:
1) Cover letter, indicating availability in first paragraph, as well as applicant's specific human rights interests (1 page)
2) Resume or curriculum vitae (1 page)
3) Letter of recommendation sent to the HRW office via fax or postal mail
4) Professional/administrative writing sample (1 page)

Who is the internship coordinator? Where do I send my application materials?
Internship Coordinator: Caitlin McAdam
Human Rights Watch
11500 West Olympic Blvd. # 441
Los Angeles, CA 90064
Fax: 310-477-4622

Where do I find information on internships in other Human Rights Watch offices?
For information on internships in other locations like Washington, DC or New York, please visit http://www.hrw.org/about/Intship1.htm. The LA office cannot answer questions about internship programs in other Human Rights Watch offices. Please visit the Contact link on the home page www.hrw.org for contact information for each individual HRW office. Those individuals who want to apply to more than one office must submit a separate internship application to each office. Notice that not all offices require the same materials for the internship application.

Does Human Rights Watch offer internships abroad?
The Los Angeles office doesn't offer any internships for working abroad. Our only internships are here in the Los Angeles office. Please refer to http://www.hrw.org/about/Intship1.htm for information on all other HRW internships.

Where can I find employment information?
For employment information, please visit http://www.hrw.org/jobs.

If you have any further questions on the internship program, please feel free to email LAjobs@hrw.org with "Internship Question" as the subject. We will respond as soon as possible.