International Court of Justice
Outline of the organisation
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. It was established in June 1945 by the Charter of the United Nations and began work in April 1946. The seat of the Court is at the Peace Palace in The Hague. The Court’s role is to settle, in accordance with international law, legal disputes submitted to it by States and to give advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by authorised United Nations organs and specialised agencies.
The Court comprises 15 judges, elected for terms of nine years by the UN General Assembly and Security Council. It is assisted by a Registry, its administrative organ. Its official languages are English and French.
Positions available
The Court offers unpaid internships of one to three months to students and young professionals who are in the early stages of their careers. The internship is an opportunity to put knowledge and experience into practice, while performing certain tasks for the Court under the supervision of Registry officials. Placements are possible in all departments and divisions of the Registry. An internship at the Registry does not create any expectancy of future employment with the Court or with the United Nations.
Further information is available here.
Application process
Applicants should submit their CV along with a letter of motivation addressed to the Registrar to recrutement-recruitment@icj-cij.org. Candidates are also welcome to submit any of the following documents in Word or PDF format to support their application:
- a copy of the candidate’s official academic record;
- letters of reference; and
- a writing sample.