After deciding to take a year off before work after I completed law school in May of 2009, I decided to look at legal internship opportunities in Cape Town, South Africa. Connect-123 found an internship for me where I could use my legal writing and research skills—as well as work in an area of law in which I have much interest but rare opportunities to work with in my future career.  For six months, I worked at the Cape Town office of a human rights commission. The commission was created by the Constitution of South Africa and established to entrench constitutional democracy through the promotion and protection of human rights in the nation.

During my time there, I was involved in both parliamentary and monitoring projects. I had the opportunity to attend many meetings of Parliament, in which bills addressing issues from personal privacy to domestic violence were debated. The commission works closely with government in commenting and advising on various human rights issues present in new legislation, and being able to be involved in these new bills were highly rewarding.

On the monitoring side, I was involved in monitoring a temporary safety site for approximately 2,000 Zimbabwean nationals that have been forcibly displaced in the rural town of De Doorns as a result of xenophobic violence. I worked on a report detailing conditions at the camp and making various recommendations concerning site facilities, safety, and security.

Connect-123 enabled me to pursue my interest in constitutional law in the context of a foreign country’s history and culture. To do this in South Africa was particularly exciting, as it is a country that has made great transformations over the past few decades. To be able to witness the country’s preparations for an international celebration as it hosted the World Cup in 2010—while being involved in human rights laws seeking to redress its legacy of apartheid—was extremely rewarding.