Center for Ethics and the Rule of Law Summer Internship Program

Open to US citizens and non US citizens

Deadline: 03/01/2025 (Tentative)

General Information

The Center for Ethics and the Rule of Law (CERL) at the University of Pennsylvania offers a nine-week Summer Internship Program that prepares law, graduate, and undergraduate students interested in the national security field by providing an ethics and rule of law foundation so that future perspectives, leadership, and decision-making are always rooted in the rule of law. Interns help further CERL’s mission through research, writing, and conference planning, and gain valuable insights through conversations with national security experts on the critical issues facing our nation today.

CERL is a non-partisan institute that preserves and promotes ethics and the rule of law in national security, democratic governance, conflict, and war. CERL draws from the study of law, philosophy, and ethics and unites scholars, policymakers, and practitioners to probe critical issues through the lens of ethics and the rule of law. Using the tools of interdisciplinary engagement and open dialogue, CERL experts answer the hard questions that arise when the rule of law is threatened or violated, and provides guidance that helps safeguard U.S. democracy. Read more about CERL’s mission.

CERL interns work in teams under the supervision of CERL’s leadership and have the opportunity to:

Research critical ethical and rule of law issues affecting the United States today.
Help plan CERL’s conferences, workshops, and public programs.
Publish original works for CERL’s blog, The Rule of Law Post
Help prepare CERL policy briefings and contribute to CERL academic publications.
Interact with leading academics and practitioners in the national security field and CERL Executive Board members.

Eligibility Guidelines

Undergraduate students in philosophy, political science, international relations and other related fields interested in examining the intersection of rule of law values, applied ethics, and national security.
Applicants are required to seek funding from their home institution or from outside sources; stipends will be provided on a limited basis for students who are unable to obtain funding.
If accepted into the program, international students are responsible for securing the proper work visas.