Editors Articles

The Australian Institute of International Affairs (AIIA) and the Australian Branch of the International Law Association (ILA (AB)) are pleased to present the Peter Nygh Hague Conference Internship. The award will support a post – graduate student or graduate of an Australian law school to undertake an internship with The Hague Conference on Private International Law (The Hague Conference) in the Netherlands by providing funds to cover the cost of travel to the Netherlands and a contribution towards living expenses. Applications for the 2023 Nygh Internship are now open and close on 30 September 2022. Please see below for more information about the award and how to apply.

The Internship

The award will provide a post-graduate student or graduate with the opportunity to work with some of the leading private international law practitioners in the world. With over 80 members (including the European Union) representing all major regions and legal systems, The Hague Conference is a global intergovernmental organisation. A melting pot of different legal traditions, The Hague Conference aims for the ‘progressive unification’ of the various State private international law rules. The work of The Hague Conference involves finding internationally agreed approaches to jurisdiction of courts, applicable law and the recognition and enforcement of judgments. This is achieved through the development and servicing of multilateral legal conventions which respond to global needs in the areas of international commercial law and banking, international civil procedure, international protection of children, international family and family property relations, international legal co-operation and litigation as well as international judicial and administrative co-operation. Activities of The Hague Conference are coordinated by a multinational Secretariat – the Permanent Bureau – located in The Hague. The Conference’s working languages are English and French. The successful intern will work for 5 to 6 months under the direction of the Secretariat assisting with research, translation and preparation of meetings in accordance with the needs of the lawyers of the Permanent Bureau.

How to apply

Applications for the 2023 Nygh Internship are now open. Please send a letter of application addressed to the Peter Nygh Hague Conference Internship Board [email protected] or to c/- Ms. Nicola Nygh, Resolve Litigation Lawyers, level 18, 126 Phillip Street, Sydney, NSW, 2000

Applications close on 30 September 2022. The letter should include:

  • the applicant’s reasons for applying for the Peter Nygh Hague Conference Internship;
  • the benefits which the applicant expects are to be derived from the internship and the contribution which the applicant expects to make to the work of The Hague Conference;
  • the applicant’s career ambitions and how the internship will relate to those ambitions.;
  • a description of the applicant’s current research, if applicable; and
  • the dates when the applicant would be available to undertake the internship (Note: The applicant must be available to undertake the internship for 5 to 6 months. The preferred start date is the beginning of January 2023 and the preferred end date is the end of June 2023. The start date, and indeed whether the internship can be undertaken in 2023, may vary depending on what travel restrictions are in place at the time).
  • The award is for a lump sum amount, and the successful candidate will need to accept the risks and increased costs of travelling during the COVID-19 pandemic, including limited and more expensive flights (in particular into and out of Australia), government restrictions on travel, and quarantine regimes for travellers.

Please also enclose the following;

  • the applicant’s up-to-date résumé;
  • the applicant’s most recent academic transcript;
  • two letters of reference for the applicant (including at least one academic reference), with contact details of referees;
  • a copy of research work by the applicant in a field relevant to the work of The Hague Conference; and
  • any other proof of the applicant’s legal and linguistic abilities and knowledge.

Knowledge of French would be an asset but is not required. Knowledge of any other languages may also be an advantage.

Extensive further information about this opportunity is available on the AIIA’s website.