The Bernard and Audre Rapoport Center for Human Rights and Justice at the University of Texas School of Law is currently considering applications for the Barbara Harlow Internship in Human Rights & Social Justice, for undergraduates interested in interning with us during the summer semester 2019.
The Barbara Harlow Internship in Human Rights & Social Justice honors the life and work of BarbaraHarlow (1948-2017), who was the Louann and Larry Temple Centennial Professor of English Literature at the University of Texas. She was a committed colleague, friend, and mentor to countless students, activists, and intellectuals. As a collaboration between the Rapoport Center and the Bridging Disciplines Programs (BDP), the internship aims to introduce BDP students to Harlow’s scholarship and activism and to encourage them to imagine future trajectories for her work.
This internship is chosen to honor Barbara Harlow because it was largely through her efforts that the Rapoport Center and the BDP partnered to create the Human Rights & Social Justice BDP certificate in 2009. Harlow chaired the faculty panel for the certificate from its inception until 2017. While the internship is open to all BDP students, regardless of which certificate they are pursuing, it is meant for students who are working on issues of social justice.
Though the internship is similar to the Rapoport Center’s standard undergraduate internship, it offers a higher stipend and requires three additional components:
- In the cover letter, students should reflect (in one paragraph) on how Harlow’s scholarship and activism might influence their work with the Rapoport Center and their pursuit of human rights and social justice more broadly.
- During the internship, each recipient will write a piece for our Human Rights Commentary page, which either engages directly with Harlow’s work or uses her work as a lens through which to engage critically with a topic.
- After the internship, each recipient will create a poster to reflect on the internship, taking into account Harlow’s impact on their experience, and present it at the Annual BDP poster session in April. (Fall and Summer interns will submit at the end of their respective term, and then present in April.)
Required Qualifications
- Commitment to working on issues of human rights and justice
- Excellent writing and editing ability
- Individual initiative and flexibility
- Strong organizational and time management skills
- Professional demeanor
How to Apply
Qualified students should submit the following materials through our online internship application:
- Cover letter: State why you are interested in the position; demonstrate basic knowledge of our programs and activities
- CV/Resume: Indicate any relevant skills and foreign language proficiency
- Transcript: Unofficial is fine; an official copy can be mailed separately if needed, to arrive by the application deadline
- List of three references: At least two must be UT faculty; include contact information; full letters not required
- Writing sample: 3-5 pages; does not need to relate directly to human rights, although that is preferable
Questions?
Contact Ariel Travis at atravis@law.utexas.edu or 512-232-4857.