The World Bank Legal Internship Program provides an invaluable opportunity for passionate law students to gain exposure to the World Bank’s mission and the work carried out by its Legal Vice Presidency. This program serves as a platform for individuals to introduce fresh perspectives, innovative ideas, and the latest legal research into the World Bank’s daily operations while enhancing their legal skills in a diverse and multicultural setting.
The primary objective of this internship initiative is to offer participants hands-on experiences within the World Bank by closely collaborating with the Legal Vice Presidency’s staff. Interns become integral members of the team, working alongside esteemed development professionals and senior management. Through this engagement, interns contribute to the legal services provided by the Legal Vice Presidency and actively participate in high-profile events and conferences throughout the internship term.
The World Bank Legal Internship Program is conducted three times a year, spanning a maximum duration of three months. It takes place at the World Bank Headquarters in Washington, D.C., as well as selected country offices, and is exclusively available for currently enrolled law school students seeking to broaden their legal insights and practical knowledge within the context of a global institution.
Can you be a intern in the Legal Vice Presidency?
- Do you hold citizenship of any IBRD member state?
- Are you enrolled in an LLB, JD, LLM, SJD, PhD, or equivalent legal academic program while you would be undertaking your internship with us? (e.g. if you apply for the Summer Cycle of LIP, you must be enrolled in an eligible legal academic program between June and August)
- Do you have an excellent command of the English language?
If you have answered yes to all these questions, you are eligible to be an intern in the Legal Vice Presidency. Preference shall be given to candidates who possess a decent command of a second language, especially if that is one of the working languages of IBRD (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, or Spanish).
Summer Internship Program:
Application period will commence on December 1 and end on December 31 (Internship period is for 10-12 weeks, typically between June and August, depending on prevailing needs). This is an excellent opportunity for students looking to gain full-time professional experiences at the World Bank during the summer months while enrolled in a law program.
Internship at Country Offices: The Legal Vice Presidency has limited its internships in the field to offices where a lawyer from the Legal Vice Presidency is present.
Additional Information On The World Bank Legal Vice Presidency’s (LEG VPU) Summer Internship Program
Visa: Students partaking in the World Bank Legal Internship Program must have valid student visa documents sponsored by their educational institutions. The World Bank shall only assist attainment of visa documents for participants of the World Bank Legal Internship Program in exceptional cases.
Cost: The World Bank shall not remunerate participants of the World Bank Legal Internship Program in the form of monetary fees/compensation. Each World Bank Legal Intern must however be remunerated in accordance with World Bank Group policies and standards in the form of (i) monetary fees/compensation paid by the university or other sponsoring organization and acceptable to the Bank; or (ii) academic credit equivalent to the Bank’s fee schedule. Hence, students partaking in the World Bank Legal Internship Program must secure appropriate funding sources for the duration of their internships.
Medical Insurance: World Bank Legal Interns are responsible for their own medical insurance and any cost(s) arising from accidents and/or illness incurred during the internship period and must show proof of a valid major global medical insurance coverage.f
Selection Process: World Bank Legal Interns shall be selected through a competitive selection process. The World Bank Group is an equal opportunity employer.
Onboarding: The World Bank Legal Vice Presidency shall organize a brief onboarding session at the beginning of the Summer, Fall, and Spring Internship Program for the incoming cohort.
Evaluations on Performance: The World Bank shall not provide evaluation on the performance of participants in the World Bank’s Legal Internship Program.
Method of Application
Please submit the below documents through this link:
- Résumé
- Statement of Interest
- Proof of enrollment in a law degree (LLB, JD, LLM, SJD, PhD, or equivalent) and academic transcript(s).
- Short essay providing a response to a research question posed by the Legal Vice Presidency for the prevailing application period.
Application Deadline: December 31st, 2023.
For More Information,