Physical Address
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Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Deadline: February 5, 2026
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) invites applications for the 2026/2027 Judicial Fellowship Programme, designed to offer recent law graduates an unparalleled opportunity to gain practical experience at the principal judicial organ of the United Nations.
Held at the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands, the ICJ Fellowship Programme places young legal professionals under the mentorship of a judge of the Court, where they assist in research, drafting, and case preparation. The fellowship aims to deepen participants’ understanding of public international law and judicial proceedings, while fostering global cooperation in legal education.
This prestigious one-year fellowship offers emerging legal scholars the chance to work at the highest level of international adjudication and to contribute meaningfully to global justice and peace.
Benefits
- One-year fully funded placement at the International Court of Justice in The Hague.
- Direct mentorship from a sitting ICJ judge, providing insight into international judicial practice.
- Hands-on experience in researching international law cases, drafting memoranda, and analyzing legal arguments.
- Exposure to the inner workings of the United Nations’ principal judicial organ.
- Opportunity to build an international legal network with judges, researchers, and legal experts.
- Enhancement of academic and professional credentials for future international law careers.
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Eligibility Criteria
In making its selection, the Court seeks candidates of diverse nationalities.
- To be eligible, candidates should be 31 years old or younger at the start of their fellowship. This requirement may be waived only in special circumstances.
- Candidates must demonstrate excellent results in their legal studies, and an interest in public international law through their studies, publications and/or work experience.
- Candidates must have an excellent command, both written and orally, of at least one of the two official languages of the Court (English and French); a working knowledge of the other language is considered an asset.
Only universities can nominate candidates. The Court does not accept applications from individuals. While it is possible to nominate a single candidate, the Court encourages universities to propose more than one nominee.
Application Process and Documents Required
An online pre-screening questionnaire must be completed by the nominating university, which must also designate an authorized focal point through whom all application materials will be submitted.
Following completion of the questionnaire, the focal point will receive a confirmation email containing further application instructions, the ICJ personal history form and the candidate profile summary table.
The following six documents must be submitted for each candidate via the email address of the university’s focal point, in the order below:
- Candidate profile summary table
- Official letter of nomination from the university
- ICJ personal history form
- Letters of reference
- Official academic records
- Writing sample
