About Perseus Strategies Perseus Strategies is a public-interest law and consulting firm based in Washington, D.C., specializing in international human rights law and related areas, including advocacy for individuals subjected to arbitrary detention and legal strategies addressing systemic rights violations. The firm’s mission is to create a meaningful impact while addressing complex legal challenges.
Founded by Jared Genser, Perseus Strategies provides legal advisory services to individuals, governments, corporations, and non-profit organizations, with a mission to create a positive global impact and help clients achieve transformative results in addressing their most complex challenges. Perseus Strategies’ expertise includes major international human rights treaties and standards, United Nations bodies, and thematic areas, including arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, torture, neurotechnology and human rights, the responsibility to protect doctrine, and mass atrocity crimes.
Past clients of Perseus Strategies include individuals and organizations facing significant legal and human rights challenges. The firm has represented political prisoners such as leading opposition figures unjustly detained in Venezuela and American hostages held in Iran. It has also worked on cases involving complex international custody disputes, such as assisting an American parent whose child was abducted to Brazil in violation of a U.S. court order. Additionally, Perseus Strategies has provided legal and strategic advice to NGOs conducting undercover investigations into supply chain abuses and supported companies seeking to align their practices with business and human rights principles. These cases demonstrate the firm’s commitment to addressing arbitrary detention, advancing human rights protections, and fostering accountability across sectors.
Internship Overview
Perseus Strategies offers students a dynamic opportunity to work on substantive legal matters under the supervision of barred attorneys and legal/policy professionals. Interns will gain significant experience conducting legal research and analysis, drafting legal memoranda, and preparing case materials on the full range of matters undertaken by the firm. By the end of the internship, students will have developed a polished legal writing sample, supervised by the Managing Director and Counsel, which they can use in future professional endeavors. The internship is structured to provide meaningful exposure to a wide array of public interest legal matters that concern our clients, with interns playing an active role in the firm’s ongoing work.
Specific Responsibilities
Interns will engage in a wide range of tasks directly tied to Perseus Strategies’ practice areas, including:
• Assisting with case work for individuals who are arbitrarily detained, including legal research and analysis, drafting motions and petitions, and preparing case files and related materials.
• Drafting and submitting legal memoranda and materials to United Nations human rights bodies concerning violations of international human rights law. • Researching and drafting human rights reports, op-eds, and other documents related to international law.
• Supporting the development and implementation of advocacy campaigns, including preparing materials such as agendas, talking points, and meeting notes.
• Monitoring developments in human rights law and current events relevant to the firm’s ongoing cases.
• Participating in relevant meetings online, including preparing notes and contributing to discussions. Interns based in Washington, D.C., may have the opportunity to attend in person meetings with the Managing Director and Counsel.
Qualifications
The ideal candidates will:
• Demonstrate strong legal research and analytical writing skills.
• Exhibit a keen interest in international human rights law, business and human rights, international criminal law, or related fields.
• Show academic achievement and extracurricular involvement in relevant activities, such as law review, moot court, legal aid, or legal clinic work. Prior experience in legal internships or related employment is preferred but not required.
• Be well-organized, detail-oriented, and capable of managing multiple deadlines.
• Possess discretion and the ability to handle sensitive client matters. • Is a rising senior in undergraduate studies.
Additional Information
This is a remote internship. While Perseus Strategies is based in Washington, D.C., interns can work from any location. The intern can be compensated in the form of either school credit or a stipend. Full time interns are preferred, but part time interns will still be considered.
