Shurat HaDin interns at a lookout during a field trip in Israel

Legal War Room · Training the next generation

Internship Programs

A twice-yearly legal internship in Israel, winter and summer, for exceptional law students from around the globe: casework on actual cases for victims of terror, weekly seminars with attorneys and security officials, and weekly field trips across the country.

Apply for Winter 2027 The program

Next term: Winter 2027
Terms: Winter and summer
Where: Tel Aviv, with weekly trips across Israel

Why we train

A permanent, multi-generational struggle

Shurat HaDin has always known that both legal defense of the Jewish community, Israel and terror victims is not a short-term project.

It needs to be vigilantly continued from generation to generation. The antisemitic events around the world since October 7, particularly on college campuses, have intensified this knowledge a thousand-fold.

Each month, Shurat HaDin receives numerous requests from exceptionally talented students from many of the top law school programs around the globe who are interested in spending their winter and summer vacations assisting in our efforts. Many of them will go on to take up positions of leadership in both the diaspora and Israel.

Students work in a dynamic environment with volunteer lawyers from around the world. The program also imbues them with the knowledge, ability and passion necessary to fight for Israel on their college campuses, something that is absolutely vital in today’s campus life.

It is a permanent, multi-generational struggle and a fight that needs to be continually developed and improved, studied and shared with the best and brightest of our youth.
From the program description

Terms: Twice yearly, winter and summer
Next term: Winter 2027 · dates to be announced
Casework: Actual legal cases, supervised by a senior Shurat HaDin attorney
Every week: Seminars and a field trip

The program

Three components, one intense experience

Designed to give students a first-hand look at the legal, psychological and political situations that terror victims, the State of Israel and Jews worldwide face.

Component I

Legal research and writing

Students assist Shurat HaDin’s attorneys in preparing current and future cases and working with clients. In many cases it includes direct contact with terror victims, understanding their needs, motivations, and legal situations. All research projects are supervised by a senior Shurat HaDin attorney, who reviews their papers and provides support even once they have returned to school.

Research topics

Anti-boycott activities and BDS
Tort law and anti-terror laws
Free speech issues
Sovereign immunity
Evidentiary matters
Legislative history

Jurisdictions: the U.S., Israel, Canada and the European Union.

Component II

Weekly seminars

Each week, Shurat HaDin holds several two-hour seminars for the interns, combining talks by our own attorneys with outside lecturers from the Israeli military branches, security services and Foreign Ministry. Grounded in our own real-world experience, they are an invaluable supplement to a university education.

Seminar subjects

Jewish advocacy and counter-terrorism
Terror financing
International criminal law and Israeli soldiers
The security fence and the law of return
Countering BDS and “lawfare”
Personal injury law for terror victims

Component III

Field trips across Israel

Once a week, students travel through Israel on excursions that combine an exploration of Jewish history and religious traditions with a special focus on national security, counterterrorism, intelligence, political policy, Israel advocacy and law.

Destinations

The IDF military courts
The legal advisor’s bureau of the Israeli Police
The Supreme Court
The Knesset
Border crossings
Military offices

Who has lectured

In the room with the people who defend Israel

In the past, the seminar program has presented lectures by:

The chief interrogator for the General Security Service (Shin Bet)
The legal advisor to the Israeli Air Force
Judges in the IDF military courts
Spokespersons for the Foreign Ministry
Attorneys representing Israeli officials against war crimes accusations
Knesset Members
A deputy head of the Mossad

“Daniel Reisner … gave a very interesting talk about legal efforts to prosecute Israeli citizens and companies in European courts.”
A winter intern, in an account published on the program page

At a glance

An enrichment program beyond the classroom

Alongside the casework and seminars, the program highlights include:

Tours to places inaccessible to the general public
Military courts and bases
Special tours of the Israeli Supreme Court and the Knesset
Lectures by top experts on anti-terror litigation, BDS, free speech issues, international law and war crimes
Lectures on Middle East current events
Meetings with senior Israeli officials
An overnight trip to the north, focusing on border and security issues

View over the Golan Heights from Mount Bental

The trip north

Just over two hours from Tel Aviv

“As part of the program we traveled north to the Golan Heights and visited Kibbutz Misgav Am, on the Lebanese border, and rode ATVs along the Syrian border. The drive from Tel Aviv took us just over two hours.”

“It is one thing to logically know that Israel shares a border with Syria and Lebanon, but quite another to be standing on Israeli soil and see Hezbollah flags or Syrian sniper towers.”
A winter intern, in an account published on the program page

The Golan Heights, seen from Mount Bental

Casework

Five weeks of real work, in an intern’s own words

From a winter intern’s account, published on the program page. The intern is not named on the site.

“I gained substantive legal experience working on cases that are at the forefront of anti-terror law.”

Researched and wrote memos on questions such as which parent has a superior right to bring a case on behalf of a deceased child’s estate, and whether UN officials are individually immune under the International Organizations Immunities Act.
Prepared a chart to organize contact information and damages documentation for a case with more than 80 terror-victim plaintiffs.
Researched the status of investigations and trials of ISIS terrorists involved in the Istanbul, Brussels, and Paris terror attacks, so that Shurat HaDin attorneys can request information from the local authorities.
Created a uniform intake sheet for new clients.
Fact-checked and provided sources for a New York Times editorial written by Shurat HaDin clients.

Testimonials

In their words

Former interns from schools in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.

It initially seemed too good to be true, that I, fresh out of my first year of law school, would be able to do meaningful work in cases brought on behalf of victims of terror. But my experience surpassed my expectations in every way. … We also had the amazing opportunity to travel to Jerusalem and visit the Knesset and Israeli Supreme Court, and to hear from eminent Israeli legal scholars.

Harvard Law School, Boston, MassachusettsSolange Etessami

This summer we saw the application of the law in real-time; for example, interns actively and successfully assisted attorneys in diverting the arrival of a flotilla to Gaza’s shores. Our efforts were successful — one insurance company retracted coverage of a vessel and the Israeli courts held that Shurat HaDin could seize the vessels in order to collect on an outstanding judgment.

The University of Texas School of Law, Austin, TexasAshley Bergfield

Shurat HaDin taught me the invaluable lesson of how to effectively balance legal work with passionate advocacy… one of the most impactful experiences for me was meeting the actual victims of the terror attack cases I was working on.

University of London, London, United KingdomTaline Torigian

My favorite part of the internship was the opportunity to work on some of the most prominent files that the organization is working on, including writing questions that are to be used during witness examinations, plaintiff declarations, as well as helping communication with parties in various disputes.

Queen’s University, Kingston, CanadaKurt Harris

Working for Shurat HaDin has allowed me the opportunity to participate in impactful cases but also the opportunity to see actual results from those cases.

Pepperdine University School of Law, Malibu, CaliforniaRebecca Ferrari

One of my favorite parts of the internship was meeting with terror victims from Shurat HaDin cases, which gave me a unique understanding of the horrible damage that is caused by terrorism.

Florida Southern College, Lakeland, FloridaPauline Selle

From the incredibly warm and giving attorneys and staff to the unique speakers, my experience at the Shurat HaDin Summer 2018 internship program was more than I could have asked for.

NYU Law, New York, New YorkRivkah Shamouilian

01 / 07

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A parent writes

“I am so very proud of her, and so very grateful for your investment in her learning and personal and professional growth.”

Mother of a recent intern

Questions

When does the program run?

Twice a year, in winter and summer. The next term is Winter 2027; dates are to be announced.

Who can apply?

Law students. Each month, Shurat HaDin receives numerous requests from exceptionally talented students from many of the top law school programs around the globe.

What will I actually work on?

Actual legal cases that assist innocent civilians injured in terrorist attacks, along with other issues relevant to Israeli and Jewish security: hands-on research and writing for Shurat HaDin’s litigation. Interns also support public relations materials and informational and educational campaigns.

Who supervises my work?

All research projects are supervised by a senior Shurat HaDin attorney who guides the students in their work, instructs them in their tasks, reviews their papers, and provides any other support the students require, even once they have returned to school.

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