ICJ Seeking Clerks!

The Administration and Personnel Division at the International Court of Justice has asked us to inform our readers that the Court is looking to hire new clerks.  According to the announcement, the General Assembly has assigned the Court six additional clerkship positions, permitting each judge to have a full-time clerk of his or her own.  The vacancy announcement can be downloaded here; the link to the ICJ’s vacancy page is here; and here are some of the particulars:

Functions: Under the supervision of the judge to whom he or she will be specifically assigned, the Law Clerk will provide such judge with legal research and related assistance with regard to cases pending before the Court. The Law Clerk may also be required to provide legal assistance and support to a judge ad hoc participating in a particular case. In coordination with his or her judge, the Law Clerk may also from time to time be called upon to perform some specific legal tasks for the Registry.

Qualifications and skills: university degree in law, with significant academic background in public international law or professional experience in the field. Graduate and/or post-graduate studies in public international law would be an asset; two years’ experience in the settlement of international legal disputes with an international organization, government, law firm or other private sector entity would be desirable.

Languages: French and English are the official and working languages of the Court. Excellent knowledge of and drafting ability in one of these languages is required, as well as a working knowledge of the other. Command of other official languages of the United Nations would be an asset.

Needless to say, this is an amazing opportunity for recent law graduates.  The ICJ clerks I know have all had an amazing time.  The clerkships, which last two years, are even well paid — more than 50,000 euros per year.  The deadline to apply is April 6.

PS.  Perhaps it’s because I’m used to the US clerkship system, I find it more than a little remarkable that the ICJ judges have never had full-time clerks of their own until now.