Virtual Internship Opportunity (with stipend) at Project 39A-NLU Delhi: Apply by May 10!

About Project 39A

Project 39A (hereinafter ‘P39A’) draws inspiration from Article 39-A in the Indian Constitution on equal justice and signals the broadening of our work on the criminal justice system in India. We undertake litigation, research and outreach relating to forensics, torture, legal aid, forensic psychiatry and death penalty (for more information on P39A, visit here).

About the Opportunity

The National Law University, Delhi (‘University’) through Project 39A is seeking to remotely engage, on a contractual basis, interns for managing the written communications in Marathi, Panjabi, Gujarati and Malayalam, with prisoners represented by Project 39A, primarily those sentenced to death. The contract will be for one year initially and can be extended on an annual basis at the discretion of the University. 

Area of Work

The litigation team at Project 39A provides pro bono legal representation to prisoners on death row. For effective legal representation, it is a key to regularly communicate with the clients. The litigation team at Project 39A also believes in keeping prisoners updated about the progress of their case and also involves family members in the preparation of the case. The team also engages with the prisoners in a manner which could assist them in making their prison life more productive. For all these reasons, the team regularly exchanges letters with the clients in the regional languages they understand along with sharing reading materials of their interest. This internship program is looking for interns proficient in at least one of the regional languages listed in the ‘Eligibility’ section.

Responsibilities

1. The interns will study basic case materials and prior correspondence with the respective prisoners and their families. Under the supervision of Project 39A litigation and mitigation associates, interns will draft personalized letters to prisoners regularly, in their respective languages. 
2. To accompany the letters, the interns will identify suitable reading material in the respective regional language for each client.
3. The interns will provide translations of the letters received from the clients into English language.
4. Any other tasks that may be necessary to further the aims of Project 39A’s communication program with prisoners or any other work.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet the following criteria:

1. Students of law, humanities, social sciences, social work, management or media enrolled in bachelor’s or master’s programs.
2. Reading and writing proficiency in at least one of the following regional languages, along with English:
   A. Marathi
   B. Panjabi
   C. Gujarati
   D. Malayalam

Duration

Minimum 1 year internship period. The internship can be undertaken remotely.

Stipend

A small stipend will be provided which may vary subject to case allocation per language. Payment will be released on a six monthly basis.

How to Apply

Interested persons must fill the online form available below and upload three documents;

1. Resumé 
2. A statement of purpose of not more than 500 words explaining your interest in this internship. The statement should clearly state the candidate’s proficiency in at least one of the regional languages mentioned in the eligibility criteria.
3. Translation of the Annexure-I, an excerpt from the Deathworthy 2021 report in at least one of the regional languages listed in the eligibility criteria i.e. Marathi, Panjabi, Gujarati and Malayalam. 

Application Timeline: Last date to submit the application is 10th May 2022. Shortlisted candidates will be intimated by 13th May 2022 and further rounds of assessment and interview will take place on 14th and 15th May, 2022. Only applicants selected for interview rounds will be informed.

Note:                                                                                                  

1. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted via email. If you do not hear from us within 3 weeks after the deadline, please assume that your application has not succeeded. Unfortunately, we cannot reply to individual queries about the status of applications.  
2. National Law University, Delhi reserves the right not to fill these internship positions.
3. National Law University, Delhi is an equal opportunity employer and Project 39A works on behalf of all prisoners sentenced to death, regardless of the offence involved.
4. National Law University, Delhi reserves the right to conduct additional rounds of interviews or written tests.
5. This internship programme is supported by grants received by Project 39A.

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