At PILnet, we are dedicated to shaping the future of public interest law by fostering talent and empowering the next generation of legal professionals. Through our Secondment and Internship placements , we create opportunities for passionate individuals to make a meaningful impact using their legal expertise while building essential skills and networks. Not only do we engage law students and early career legal professionals in an experiential manner through these structured programs, we also ensure that participants remain connected to the PILnet network so that they can join us at future PILnet activities, share their experience, and multiply PILnet’s reach and impact.
PILnet’s Secondment placement program connects qualified and trainee lawyers from leading law firms with opportunities to contribute to impactful legal research, global projects and thematic programs like the Forced Displacement. These secondees bring expertise and experience, dedicating their time to advancing public interest causes. Secondment placements are generously supported by law firms, with secondees fully sponsored by their employers. Over the years, we have proudly collaborated with renowned partners like HSF, Arthur Cox and Ritch Mueller who share our commitment to using the law for good.
Internships placement programs at PILnet are designed for junior professionals eager to gain hands-on experience in public interest law. Most interns are students or recent graduates, who play a vital role in supporting PILnet’s administrative, programmatic, and operational needs. While many interns are sponsored externally through organizations like American Councils through their Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) Program, Belantik School of Government at Oxford through their summer project placements. Subject to available funding, PILnet occasionally steps in to extend or support internships directly, furthering our commitment to nurturing early-career legal professionals. We have also built partnerships with universities, such as the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws (BA&LLB) programme at The University of Hong Kong, which places interns since 2019.
Our interns and secondees are essential to PILnet’s mission of creating a more just and equitable legal system. From 2021 to date we have had over 50 interns, their contributions span from administrative support to high-level research, ensuring that our work continues to drive meaningful change.
Empowering the Next Generation: One Graduate’s Secondment Experience
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