Job overview

The International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals is inviting applications for a Legal Intern position based in Arusha, Tanzania. The internship is within the Office of the Prosecutor and is suitable for law students or recent law graduates interested in international criminal law, legal research, litigation support, and tribunal-related legal work.

Job details

Position: Legal Intern

Job opening ID: 277600

Job family: Legal Affairs

Category and level: Internship, I-1

Duty station: Arusha

Work location: Arusha, Tanzania

Department/office: International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals

Date posted: May 20, 2026

Application deadline: June 3, 2026

Expected duration: 3–6 months

Organizational setting and reporting

The Office of the Prosecutor of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, Arusha Branch, provides legal counsel on a broad range of matters related to the continuing functions of the Mechanism.

These functions include:

• Assistance to national authorities prosecuting war crimes cases
• Policy development
• Capacity building
• Enforcement of sentences for convicted persons
• Requests for early release
• Witness protection
• Post-conviction litigation, including contempt and review proceedings

Duties and responsibilities

The Legal Intern may be required to support the Office of the Prosecutor through a range of legal and litigation-related tasks.

Key duties may include:

• Conducting legal research
• Carrying out factual analysis
• Providing drafting assistance
• Supporting litigation-related work
• Cite-checking legal documents
• Compiling and collating relevant materials
• Assisting with legal documentation and case-related preparation

Qualifications and special skills

Candidates applying for legal internships in the Office of the Prosecutor must meet one of the following requirements at the time of application:

• Be enrolled in, or have completed, the final academic year of a law university degree programme at minimum bachelor’s level or equivalent; or
• Be enrolled in, or have completed, a graduate-school programme in law, such as a second university degree, master’s degree, equivalent qualification, or higher.

Applicants to the United Nations Internship Programme are not required to have professional work experience. However, applicants must have a field of study closely related to the internship.

Applicants must be:

• A student in the final year of a first university degree programme, bachelor’s degree or equivalent; or
• Enrolled in a master’s or PhD programme or equivalent; or
• Have completed a bachelor’s, master’s, or PhD programme.

Required skills and competencies

Applicants must have:

• Good drafting skills
• Good oral communication skills
• Experience dealing with sensitive or confidential information
• Computer literacy in standard software applications

The following skills and experience are desirable:

• Previous legal experience
• Ability to prepare and draft legal documents
• Ability to conduct legal research

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the Mechanism.

Applicants must have:

• Fluency in English

The following language skills are desirable:

• Working knowledge of French
• Working knowledge of Kinyarwanda

Required application documents

Applicants are strictly required to submit the following documents through the attachments section of the Inspira application:

• Two letters of recommendation
• Copies of law degree transcripts, including courses taken and grades received
• A writing sample, preferably in a field relevant to the work of the Mechanism and no more than 10 pages long
• The Preference & Availability Form, available through the IRMCT internship programme guidelines page

Documents may only be submitted in English or French.

Applications without the required or complete documentation will not be considered.

Internship conditions

Interns are not financially remunerated by the United Nations.

The following costs and arrangements are the responsibility of interns or their sponsoring institutions:

• Travel
• Visas
• Accommodation
• Living expenses

Interns who are not citizens or permanent residents of the country where the internship is undertaken may be required to obtain the appropriate visa and work or employment authorization.

Successful candidates should discuss their specific visa requirements before accepting the internship offer.

No fee notice

The United Nations does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process, including:

• Application
• Interview meeting
• Processing
• Training

The United Nations does not request or concern itself with information about applicants’ bank accounts

• Conducting legal research
• Carrying out factual analysis
• Providing drafting assistance
• Supporting litigation-related work
• Cite-checking legal documents
• Compiling and collating relevant materials
• Assisting with legal documentation and case-related preparation

• Good drafting skills
• Good oral communication skills
• Experience dealing with sensitive or confidential information
• Computer literacy in standard software applications
• Previous legal experience
• Ability to prepare and draft legal documents
• Ability to conduct legal research

• Be enrolled in, or have completed, the final academic year of a law university degree programme at minimum bachelor’s level or equivalent; or
• Be enrolled in, or have completed, a graduate-school programme in law, such as a second university degree, master’s degree, equivalent qualification, or higher.
• A student in the final year of a first university degree programme, bachelor’s degree or equivalent; or
• Enrolled in a master’s or PhD programme or equivalent; or
• Have completed a bachelor’s, master’s, or PhD programme.