International Court of Justice (ICJ) Judicial Fellowship Programme for Law Graduates 2022-2023

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) invites applications from eligible universities around the world for the 2022-2023 Judicial Fellowship Programme (formerly known as the University Traineeship Programme).

The Programme was established in 1999 to enable recent law graduates to gain professional experience working at the ICJ. The Fellowship Programme aims to improve participants’ understanding of public international law and of the Court’s procedures by actively involving them in the work of the Court and allowing them to build on their experience under the supervision of a judge.

The Judicial Fellows work on a full-time basis under the supervision of a Member of the Court and alongside the primary legal assistant of the judge. The Judicial Fellows can expect to attend the Court’s public hearings, research and write memorandums on legal questions or factual aspects of the cases pending before the Court, and perform other duties assigned by their judge. The duration of the Fellowship is approximately ten months, from early September to June of the following year.

About International Court of Justice (ICJ)

The International Court of Justice (ICJ; French: Cour internationale de justice; CIJ), sometimes known as the World Court,is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN).It settles disputes between states in accordance with international law and gives advisory opinions on international legal issues. The ICJ is the only international court that adjudicates general disputes between countries, with its rulings and opinions serving as primary sources of international law. The ICJ is the successor of th... read more

ICJ Judicial Fellowship Programme

Aim and Benefits of ICJ Judicial Fellowship Programme

•  To improve participants’ understanding of public international law and of the Court’s procedures by actively involving them in the work of the Court and allowing them to gain experience under the supervision of a judge.
• Each participant is assigned to one judge for a period of around ten months, from early September to June or July of the following year. During this period, participants can expect to attend public hearings of the Court, research and write memorandums on legal questions or factual aspects of pending cases, and have some involvement in other aspects of the Court’s work, the particulars of which will depend on the Court’s docket and the working methods of the judge to whom they are assigned. Work may also involve assisting the judge with conferences, speeches and other duties.
• Participants will work alongside an associate legal officer, who is the primary legal assistant of each judge and is employed by the Court for a period of two to four years.

Requirements for ICJ Judicial Fellowship Programme Qualification

•  Candidates should be 31 years of age or younger at the time the programme begins
•  Candidates must have excellent reading, writing and oral skills in at least one of them
• Candidates must have shown excellent results in their legal studies and have demonstrated an interest in public international law through their studies, publications and/or work experience
• A working knowledge of the second official language is an asset

Documents Required for Application

•  Letter from the university introducing the candidate(s) to the Court. For universities financially sponsoring their nominees, the introductory letter must also include information regarding the university’s commitment to financially sponsor the candidate.
•  Application form and summary table, filled in by the candidate;
•  Two to three letters of reference;
•  Official academic records of the candidate;
•  One writing sample of no more than 15 pages. The sample can, for example, be from a previous publication, note or university paper, preferably on a topic of international law.

Application Deadline

How to Apply

For more details,visit ICJ website