The Judicial Fellows Program was established to enable recent law graduates to gain experience working at the International Court of Justice, located in The Hague, the Netherlands. Candidates are nominated and sponsored by their universities.

The aim of the Program is 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.

The Judicial Fellowship Program is highly selective. The Court accepts up to 15 participants a year, generally with no more than one from each nominating university. In making its selection, the Court seeks candidates of diverse nationalities. The Court looks for candidates who have excellent results in their legal studies and who have studied, published and/or worked in public international law.

The official languages of the Court are English and French, and participants must have excellent reading, writing and oral skills in at least one of these. A working knowledge of the second official language is an asset.

Georgetown law expects to nominate up to four candidates for the Court’s consideration in 2024. The Court will make the final selection from among the nominees of all the nominating schools. If one of the Georgetown candidates is selected, Georgetown will provide the successful candidate with funding in the amount of $40,000 to cover living costs, health insurance, and travel.

Although the Court does not provide a deadline by which they notify candidates of their selection, notification is usually provided by mid-April.

Eligibility

This fellowship is open to JD and LLM students graduating in February or May 2024, as well as 2021, 2022 and 2023 JD and LLM graduates. To be eligible, candidates should be 31 years of age or younger at the time the program begins. This requirement may be waived only in special circumstances. In making its selection, the Court seeks candidates of diverse nationalities. Applicants must have excellent proficiency in one of the Court’s official languages (French or English) and a very good working knowledge of the other is considered an asset. Candidates must demonstrate excellent results in their legal studies, and an interest in public international law through their studies, publications and/or work experience.

Application Process

To apply, please email your application materials (see below) in pdf format to 2024_Ap.wzcspyoyal2qen7r@u.box.com on or before January 19. Please be sure that all documents are clearly labeled with your name. If submitting multiple documents, please use an additional identifier: i.e. JohnSmithApplication.pdf, JohnSmithResume.pdf, etc.

Required materials:

• 2024 Application Form Candidates are strongly encouraged to fill in the application form as comprehensively as possible.
• 2024 Summary Table The summary table should be limited to one page and should highlight the most relevant and important information. Candidates may present this information in list form.
• A current resume or CV.
• A writing sample of no more than 15 typewritten pages that has been submitted for publication or is of publishable quality.
• Two or three letters of recommendation from an individuals who can speak to your credentials in the field of international law.
• Current unofficial Georgetown transcript from MyAccess.

Cover letters and letters of recommendation should be submitted with all other application materials, but may be addressed to the Court as follows:
Jean-Pelé Fomété, Deputy Registrar
International Court of Justice
Peace Palace 2517 KJ
The Hague, The Netherlands

A Georgetown Law committee will select up to four candidates to nominate to the Court. Candidates selected for nomination will be notified in early February. Application materials for selected candidates will be submitted to the Court directly by Georgetown Law.

Funding

Georgetown Law will provide $40,000 in funding to the individual selected by the Court. That individual is responsible for making all personal and practical arrangements such as travel, visa, accommodations, and medical and other insurance and must certify that he/she has obtained medical insurance that provides coverage in The Netherlands for the duration of the fellowship.

LRAP and Tax Implications

Please note that given the nature of the fellowship arrangement, this is not considered eligible employment for coverage under Georgetown Law’s Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) and, under commonly prevailing interpretations of the relevant current regulations, is unlikely to be considered qualifying employment by the US Department of Education for purposes of Public Service Loan Forgiveness.

Any recipient (regardless of citizenship) will be treated as a “supplier” receiving a stipend from Georgetown University and will be required to complete tax forms for registration purposes. US tax withholding will likely apply to US citizens and US permanent residents; non-US citizens will likely be subject to the tax requirements of their home country.

Questions

For more information about this opportunity, please contact: Professor David Stewart

For administrative questions please contact: Cara Morris, Executive Director, Transnational Programs

For assistance preparing your application materials, contact any of the following:

LL.M. Students and Graduates: Caroline Springer, Assistant Dean, Graduate Career and Professional Development, Office of Graduate Programs

J.D. Students and Graduates: Jennie Netburn, Assistant Director, Office of Public Interest and Community Service; or Michele Hoff, Associate Director for Judicial Clerkships, Office of Career Strategy