The Leitner Center Summer Fellows internship program is designed to provide Fordham Law students with the opportunity to gain practical experience and education in the theory and application of international human rights law.

The program provides selected students with stipends of up to $5,000 to work with international human rights organizations full-time for a minimum of ten weeks over the summer. Students awarded stipends are also encouraged to develop their scholarly interest in the work they undertake over the summer with an eye towards producing a note or other publication upon their return to Fordham. To that end, Center faculty are available to supervise writing for Fellows who wish to turn research related to their summer experiences into a note for submission to the Fordham Law Review or International Law Journal, among others.

Since it began in 2004, the Summer Fellows internship program has sent law students to countries all over the world including Australia, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Cambodia, China, Cuba, Ecuador, Egypt, France, Ghana, Guatemala, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Nepal, Nicaragua, Northern Ireland, Mexico, Morocco, Nepal, the Philippines, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Serbia, South Africa, South Korea, Tanzania, Turkey, Uganda, the United States, and Zimbabwe. Coming soon: list of past placements for Leitner Center Fellows.

Students are required to identify and secure an internship at a non-governmental organization, U.N. agency, or other human rights organization with which they intend to partner. After securing an internship with the partner organization, students can apply for a stipend from the Leitner Internship Program. Stipends are intended to support work in that field that will further students’ international legal training.

Students are encouraged to meet with Executive Director, Elisabeth Wickeri, for human rights internship counseling and suggestions.

The Leitner Center encourages students to identify their own placement organization and will not cover any fees associated with placement organizations that solicit payment.

Eligibility

Leitner Summer Fellows internship stipends are open to all current Fordham Law School Students subject to continuing their studies beyond the end of the summer for which they are being funded.

Students who have participated in the Leitner Summer Fellows internship program at the end of their 1L year are eligible to apply for a second Leitner Summer Fellows internship stipend again at the end of their 2L year. Selection as a Leitner Summer Fellow does not in any way prejudice your acceptance into the Crowley Scholars Program in your 2L year.

Only students who plan to return to their studies at Fordham Law School following their summer internships are eligible for the Leitner Center Summer Fellows program. For instance, 3L or LL.M. students graduating in the spring will not be eligible to seek funding for summer internships that take place after graduation.

Terms

Leitner Summer Fellow stipends are granted contingent upon fulfillment of the following conditions:

• Students must select a partner organization and secure an internship
• Internships must be for a minimum of 10 weeks fulltime, but this can include in person and remote work.
• Students must submit a 3-5 page report on their experience as well as a final budget at the end of the summer.

Students who are awarded the Leitner Summer Fellows internship stipend and have not taken an international human rights class at Fordham Law School may be required to attend 1 pre-summer training and orientation session.

Deadline

There is a March 20, 2026 early decision deadline, and the final deadline is April 30, 2026.

Application

Students identify a non-governmental organization, U.N. agency, or other human rights organization with which they intend to partner. Only after applying for and securing an internship with the partner organization do students apply for internship funding through the Leitner Center.

The application should be sent in one complete package, comprising of: 

1. Cover letter: A one-page letter stating your interest and reasons for applying to work with a human rights organization, relevant past experience, and what you hope to gain from the experience.
2. Résumé or CV
3. Project proposal: A detailed application for funding to work with the specific partner organization you have identified. The proposal should include:
   • a description of the partnering organization
   • a project description identifying the particular human rights issue that will be the focus of the internship and describing the kind of work that the student expects to undertake. The project description should describe the human rights issue and why it is significant. The student should consult with their partner organization to identify the basic contours of the project they will be expected to work on.
   • a rough budget outlining the financial needs anticipated to undertake the internship.
   • a letter/e-mail of support from the partnering organization confirming that the applicant has been accepted as an intern for a minimum of ten weeks and briefly describing the project agreed upon.
4. Transcripts: Undergraduate and Fordham Law School transcripts (official or unofficial).
5. Letter of recommendation: One letter from a professor or employer.

Applications should be emailed in one complete package to the leitner center.

Note: Students may apply for funding before receiving confirmation from their partner organization that they have been selected as an intern in order to meet the funding deadline set by the Leitner Center. In these cases, students should indicate that they are waiting to hear from their partner organization. A stipend may be awarded contingent on final confirmation by the partner organization. In these cases, students may apply to receive funding at more than one partner organization, but must submit a project proposal for each. Only one stipend will be awarded per student.

Evaluation and selection

Applications are evaluated based on the originality and significance of the project proposed, the qualifications of the student to complete the project, the student’s demonstrated interest in international human rights, and the student’s overall academic record. In some cases, interviews will be scheduled.

Stipend determination and disbursal

The Leitner Center will review the budget submitted as part of the project proposal and provide a grant of up to $5,000 to cover the costs of an internship. Students will be paid a portion of their stipend before the summer and the balance of approved funds at the end of the summer once the final report and budget have been submitted in a satisfactory and timely manner.

Students who are also receiving other funding for the same internship/ summer experience may apply, and must disclose the source and amount of this funding, which will be a factor considered by the committee reviewing applications.

Please note that expenses related to some internship placements, including airfare, housing, inoculations, and living expenses, may exceed the amount provided by the stipend.