The Public Law and Human Rights Forum (CPLR) facilitates International internship opportunities for LLB and JD students of the CityU School of Law. These internship opportunities aim at providing students with exposure to law-related issues as a part of the School’s commitment to developing the next generation of lawyers with global perspectives. The internship also enables our students to gain valuable global perspectives as to how different organisations function and the experience of working and living aboard.
Students have been able to do internship with the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Geneva as well as at Human Rights Law firms and non-governmental organisations (NGO) in Seoul, South Korea. Some students have also assisted UN agencies (like UNDP) or the UN Human Rights experts in their projects as part of the United Nations Volunteers Programme.
In August 2019, 10 LLB and JD students participated in the MUPR Competition held in Seoul, South Korea. CPLR collaborated with Human Asia, a South Korean Human Rights NGO, to create this unique opportunity for CityU law students. The aims of the MUPR are to encourage participating students to understand human rights challenges and explore sustainable solutions to such challenges in a given country that they represented. By simulating the UN Human Rights Council’s universal periodic review system, the MUPR also allows students to learn how the UPR works at the UN level. Moreover, Human Asia organised an all-day human rights tour of Seoul for participating students.
“… I was assigned to the oldest law firm in Seoul, Kim, Chang & Lee. I have heard from local students that this internship opportunity is extremely precious and competitive. Two other students and I worked under the direct supervision of the managing partner. Both the internship and MUPR competition are great opportunity for students to develop public speaking and diplomatic skills.” — Jessica Wu
“It was a valuable and memorable experience for me to have an internship in Kim, Chang& Lee law firm, which is the oldest and one of most prestigious international law firm in South Korea. During the internship, we were assigned to conduct research on anti-competition law, copyrights law and corporate law in South Korea… Yet, what is perhaps more valuable and what may continue to guide my future career are those inspiring life principles from my supervisors who advised me to always embrace the future, to always control time rather than be controlled by time, to nurture the enthusiasm about everything around me not only the law, and to have the bravery to question authority… This is a precious experience I would never forget.” — Yipin Chen
“The Seoul Legal Placement Programme is a great way for students to get involved with Human Rights in all sorts of different contexts. I was placed in the EU Centre of Korea University, where I helped write a paper about the EU’s Human Rights position regarding North Korea. This was a truly unique opportunity to learn more about how Human Rights are implemented around the world.” — Justin Chung
