Following the academic session, students may stay on for internships under the auspices of the Program's internship program. Internships are a minimum of 5 weeks and provide law students with the opportunity to learn and work in a developing country with a different legal system and culture and, in many instances, fewer resources. Internships begin Monday, June 10 and continue through Friday, July 12, at a minimum. Depending on the host organization, it may be possible to arrange for a longer internship than the minimum 5-weeks required. Students MUST participate in the academic portion of the program in order to qualify for an internship.
Participants have the option of either a non-credit internship upon payment of a $500 internship placement fee OR a for-credit internship for three ungraded credits at an additional cost of $2100. Placements are limited and highly competitive, so interested applicants are encouraged to submit their applications as early as possible. While the program has been able to place every student who has applied for an internship to date, the earlier you apply, the greater your chances of receiving your first choice.
For-Credit Internships
For-credit placements are available with the Judicial Service of Ghana and require a minimum of 5 weeks (200 hours) and participation in weekly seminar. These placements begin on Monday, June 10 and end Friday, July 12 at the earliest. For-credit placements are available throughout the Ghanaian court system: Interns are assigned to individual justices and judges of the Supreme Court of Ghana, the Court of Appeal, and the High Court of Justice (which includes several specialized divisions, such as Human Rights, Land, Tax, and Commercial Court). Intern responsibilities are similar to those one would have as a judicial clerk in the United States and generally include conducting legal research, observing court proceedings, and drafting addresses and opinions.
Non-Credit Internships
Placements are also available for students who do not take an internship for credit. Non-credit interns may apply for the same Judicial Service placements as are available under the for-credit program, although for-credit students receive priority. Non-credit internships are also available outside of the judicial service, with leading law firms, government commissions, and non-governmental organizations. As with the for-credit placements, it may be possible to arrange for a longer internship than the minimum 5-weeks required. Students interested in non-JSG placements should contact the Executive Director as soon as possible to discuss possible options.
ELIGIBILITY
Due to the highly competitive nature of placement, we require a minimum 3.0 GPA for internship placement.
INTERNSHIP ARRANGEMENTS AND ACCOMMODATIONS
Students staying on for internships have the option of extending their accommodations in the Executive Hostel for the duration of their stay. Accommodation for the length of the five-week internship session will be an additional $2480 for a single room or $1690 per student for a shared double, if another student wishing to share is available.