Amicus Internship Programme

Since 1992, Amicus has sent over 300 interns to the US.
Currently, the charity places 20-30 interns each year in 17 different affiliate offices across 11 key states.
As capital defenders face severe funding constraints, Amicus interns carry out vital work that quite simply would not be done without them.



To apply, click the relevant button and download the application form.
Please read the FAQs below before applying.

 

What are the requirements?

Minimum Requirements
  • Law degree or equivalent professional experience
  • Minimum commitment of three months
  • Attendance at Amicus Training (held twice annually in central London) within the three years prior to applying for an internship
  • Membership of Amicus 
  • Ability to deal well with stressful situations
  • Excellent communication skills
  • Experience - paid or voluntary - in human rights, charity, legal or criminal work

Preferable Experience
  • Litigation experience in the UK or elsewhere
  • Valid driving licence
 

What is the application process?

  1. The candidate completes an application form and submits the same to Amicus via email, together with his or her CV. Amicus recommends that candidates submit their applications three to six months before the target start date. 
  2. If the candidate is shortlisted, Amicus will contact the candidate to arrange an interview. 
  3. After the interview, Amicus will inform the candidate whether or not the application has been successful.
  4. Amicus will thereafter inform the candidate of the office in which he or she has been placed. 

If the candidate is shortlisted, Amicus will contact the candidate to arrange an interview in London or, subject to interviewer availability, Manchester. Candidates to notify Amicus as soon as possible if they would prefer to be interviewed in Manchester. 
 

Can you describe the work of an intern?

You will be placed in either a pre-trial or post-conviction office, but the office culture and the nature of the work you will undertake varies between offices. In some offices you may be required to work on your own initiative, whereas others may be more structured. The type of work assigned to you will also depend on whether your state carries out regular executions or whether it is less active. 
 

How long is the internship?

The minimum requisite duration of internships is three months. It usually takes interns some time to familiarise themselves with the area and the office and to settle into patterns of work. Moreover, short-term accommodation can be difficult to secure. Generally, we find that the longer an intern stays in the US, the greater benefit they are to attorneys. 
 

Do I need a driving licence?

The US offices in which we place interns generally require interns to have valid driving licences. You may well be required to drive in order to conduct witness interviews, prison visits and case investigations - possession of a valid driving licence ensures you are able to undertake such work even if there is no attorney available to accompany you. Exceptional cases may well arise where a driving licence is not required but please bear in mind that public transport in the US is much more limited than in the UK. Not having a driving license may make you a less useful intern and it would be more difficult for Amicus to place you. 
 

How much does it cost?

The cost of the internship varies depending on the city and the office in which you are placed. Costs of living in the US can be high, particularly in larger cities such as Atlanta or Houston. Interns generally find that they need $1,250-$1,750 per month to cover their living costs. Up-front costs such as rental deposits should also be considered. Together with flights, we estimate that an internship can cost approximately £4,000. This figure will increase if you spend time travelling before or after the internship. 
 

Missouri Project

The Missouri Project is a large research project into the disproportionate application of the death penalty which we hypothesise may call into question the constitutional legitimacy of the regime. The research is intended to form a comprehensive manual which may subsequently be relied upon in strategic litigation.

The general background information for the research project is as follows: In the wake of the landmark case of Furman v Georgia in 1972, the constitutional legitimacy of capital punishment came under intense scrutiny. In response to this, a myriad of states enacted statutes to ensure adherence to the US Constitution's Eighth Amendment prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment.

Missouri was one of these states. Its new legal regime limited death penalty cases to a "narrow category of the most serious cases" and demanded the introduction of a proportionality review system. This latter change laid the foundations for this research project's analysis. Missouri's Supreme Court has a rich source of well-documented empirical data pertaining to specific details of capital punishment cases. The project provides the opportunity to further build upon seminal research critically examining the issue of proportionality in death penalty cases.

Esteemed criminologist professor Raymond Paternoster is leading the team in exploring and analysing this hitherto untapped information. It will require interns going to Missouri for a minimum of one month. Interns will be based at Saint Louis University Law School and generally live in an apartment within walking distance from the university.
 

What are the requirements for the Missouri Project?


The requirements (which differ in some respects from the general internship) are:

  • Minimum commitment of one month 
  • Law undergraduate/graduate or equivalent professional experience (non-law undergraduates are welcome to apply and will be considered on a case-by-case basis)
  • Attendance at Amicus Training (held twice annually in central London)
  • Membership of Amicus
  • Valid driving licence 
  • Laptop
  • Experience - paid or voluntary - in human rights or charity work
 

Maryland Research Internship

Interns will be based in the Baltimore office of Advancing Real Change, Inc. (www.advancechange.org), which seeks to transform the US criminal justice system by providing comprehensive and accurate life history investigation to decision-makers in order to inform the fates of individuals facing the most severe penalties.

Time-frame:

Interns will be recruited on a rolling basis throughout the year, starting from NOW. Each internship should last a minimum of 1-3 months. Longer commitments are welcomed.

Key tasks:

  • Research, Review of litigation documents, Construction of case theory memos, Assisting in drafting articles for publication

Essential requirements:

  • Completion or commencement of a law degree, or equivalent professional experience

  • Attendance at Amicus Training & membership of Amicus

  • Experience - paid or voluntary - in human rights/legal work & excellent research skills 

How to apply:

Please follow the General Internship application process above.

 

London Office Interns

Occasionally, we have volunteer internship opportunities in our London office. All positions require a minimum time commitment of 14 hours per week for three months. Do note that unfortunately we are currently unable to offer expenses. 
We look for individuals that are responsible, motivated and able to work on their own initiative. The ideal candidates will also be flexible, able to work as part of a small team and committed to human rights.
Keep an eye out for vacancies on our website (under News) and on our Facebook and Twitter pages. 
 

Further questions?

If you have any further questions, please contact us.