Internship Program
In the last decade, Shurat HaDin has become the world leader in Jewish community legal advocacy, anti-terror litigation, defending Israelis and Jews in the world’s courtrooms, and working together with Jewish organizations, community leaders, government and intelligence authorities to ensure that victims of terror and Jews under threat have a voice. Shurat HaDin has always known that both legal defense of the Jewish community, Israel and terror victims is not a short-term project. 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. 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. We recognize the broad impact that student internship programs and legal educational seminars can have on the most talented young people in the Jewish world, many of whom will go on to take up positions of leadership in both the diaspora and Israel.
Accordingly, we have been conducting a twice yearly (winter and summer) legal internship program which is designed to provide an intense and invaluable educational experience for students. We allow them the opportunity to get a first-hand look at the legal, psychological, and political situations which terror victims, the State of Israel and Jews worldwide face when confronting the harsh realities of anti-Israel bias, antisemitism, international law, terror financing, victim rights advocacy and the difficult political waters that every lawyer must navigate.
Shurat HaDin’s internship program provides law students with a unique opportunity to play a role in the fight against terrorist organizations and states or institutions sponsoring terror, as well as to join the legal battle against the delegitimization of Israel. Students work in a dynamic environment with volunteer lawyers from around the world. Our program is unique, and the experience the students acquire is invaluable. We provide the students with an edge when competing for a post-graduation position that attract top students. The program also imbues the students 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.
The students make an essential difference by working on actual legal cases that assist innocent civilians injured in terrorist attacks along with the many other issues relevant to Israeli and Jewish security. They conduct hands-on research and writing involving the litigation activities of Shurat HaDin, evaluating topics such as anti-boycott activities, BDS, tort laws, free speech issues, sovereign immunity, evidentiary matters, anti-terror laws, legislative history on different laws, and a variety of other fields.
The program includes three major components:
- Legal Research and Writing: Students assist Shurat HaDin’s attorneys in preparing current and future cases and working with clients. This includes personal research projects regarding the laws governing terror financing and anti-Israel efforts, such as BDS, in the countries where we have pending and future litigation—the U.S., Israel, Canada, and the European Union. In many cases it includes direct contact with terror victims, understanding their needs, motivations, and legal situations. Interns also provide research and writing support for Shurat HaDin’s organizational needs as well, including public relations materials and informational and educational campaigns. 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.
- Seminars: Each week of the program, Shurat HaDin holds several two-hour seminars for the student interns, combining talks by our own attorneys with outside lecturers from the Israeli military branches, security services and Foreign Ministry, with the aim of educating the students about Jewish advocacy, counter-terrorism, national security dilemmas, terror financing and other areas of law that we are involved in—including the implications of international criminal law for Israeli soldiers accused of war crimes, the security fence, the law of return, the settlements, countering the international Boycott, Sanctions and Delegitimization campaign, “lawfare”, human rights practice, the applications of personal injury law to terror victims and more. Grounded in our own real-world experience, these seminars provide an invaluable supplement to their university education. In the past we have 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, and a deputy head of the Mossad.
- Field trips: 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. The students visit the IDF military courts, the legal advisor’s bureau of the Israeli Police, a military court, the Supreme Court and the Knesset, border crossings, and military offices.
TESTIMONIALS
As an ardent Zionist, I could truly think of no better way to spend my summer than coming to Israel and playing a small part of the amazing work that is done at Shurat HaDin. 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. I am overwhelmed with gratitude that I have had the privilege to be directly involved with cases that seek to bring some measureof justice for victims of terror, and also to have been part of an organization that so brilliantly uses legal warfare to fight for Israel both at home and abroad. I have sincerely loved working with the incredible attorneys and staff here, who are not only knowledgeable about the work they are doing, but patient, kind, and supportive of all the interns. The programming Shurat HaDin arranged was also amazing. We took a trip to the north of Israel, where we witnessed first-hand some of the security threats Israel faces every day, and also had the opportunity to hear from those who are doing their part to counter those threats. 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.
Avi was born and raised in Jerusalem. He holds an LLB from Ono Academic College, a B.Ed from Herzog College and a B.Sc in neuroscience from Bar Ilan University. Prior to joining Shurat HaDin, Avi worked as an intern in the office of Israel’s Civil Deputy Attorney General, Sarit Dana. Avi joined Shurat HaDin in 2014 and holds several key responsibilities including, administering legal matters with Israel’s High Court, organizing cases against the Palestinian Authority, collecting evidence regarding cases of liability and damages tried in the United States, and coordinating relations with Israeli government officials. Avi is academic director of Shurat HaDin’s annual New Law of War Conference. He occasionally teaches international law and criminal procedure at Ono Academic College and is studying for his MA in Jewish Philosophy.
I applied for the Shurat HaDin internship to gain an
invaluable practical experience that would expose me to
a future in litigating anti-terrorism cases both inside and
outside the courtroom. 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.
I appreciate Shurat HaDin’s practical and innovative
approach that takes an active role rather than waiting
for courts to mend past wrongs.
As a Christian I learned a religious history of Israel from the
Bible and my interest in the country directed me to Shurat
HaDin. This organization came eagerly recommended by
previous interns, but I was also immensely impressed with
the creativity of Shurat HaDin’s solutions to the problems
caused by terrorist organizations. 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. I appreciate being encouraged to explore
new aspects of my potential legal career. I have also paid
attention to the public perception of Shurat HaDin and it
has been interesting to hear people describe this organization
as Israel’s savior or hero. I am honored to have been a part
of this ongoing battle.
I was interested in the Shurat HaDin internship as a strong
supporter of the mission and to help advocate on behalf of
victims of terror. The internship offers many opportunities
to hear from educators from a diversity of backgrounds,
allowing the interns to understand the complexities of
the region. 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.
As an law student with both an academic as well as personal
interest in the Middle East and Israel, Shurat HaDin taught me
the invaluable lesson of how to effectively balance legal work
with passionate advocacy. In addition to the diverse experts
and knowledgeable attorneys I was able to learn from,
one of the most impactful experiences for me was meeting
the actual victims of the terror attack cases I was working on.
By meeting with the victims in-person, I was able to truly
grasp the profound importance of the work being done at
Shurat HaDin. The inclusive environment, matched with
Shurat HaDin’s creative use of the law makes for a thoughtful
and stimulating work experience that I will cherish
for the rest of my life.
After growing up watching my father and grandmother
heavily involved in pro-Israel work in Norway, I became
interested in the Middle East and in supporting Israel. Shurat
HaDin’s internship provided a unique oppor-tunity for me to
learn how to creatively use the law to actively support Israel.
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. I will be forever grateful for the opportunity to
participate in Shurat HaDin’s internship program.
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. My reason for coming to Shurat HaDin was twofold:
I wanted to be able to spend time in the land of my people
and, more importantly, I wanted to be a part of the incredible
work the organization does. One of my favorite memories is
the group dinner we had with Nitsana and Avi on the Kinneret
during our trip to the North. Thank you so much for affording
me this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and allowing me to
expand my understanding of Israel and the threats it faces.
Rachel was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She graduated summa cum laude from University of Pittsburgh and earned her law degree from Case Western Reserve University Law School. She was named a “Rising Star” by Law and Politics Magazine multiple years and was awarded Case Law School’s Distinguished Recent Graduate Award in 2007. Rachel’s trial practice in the U.S. included both criminal and civil litigation. After moving to Israel in 2010, Rachel joined Shurat HaDin, where she works on the Law Center’s U.S. legal cases, runs educational programming, and heads the development team. Rachel was part of the trial team that won a $655 million dollar jury verdict against the PA and PLO on behalf of 33 American victims of terror during the second Intifada in Israel. Rachel’s work history also includes three years as VP Business Development for a U.S. legal services company. Rachel is married to Jeff Weiser of Cleveland, is the mother of 5 and grandmother of 1.
Leah was born in the U.S. where she received her B.S in Business and Computer Science at the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania. Prior to joining the Shurat HaDin Team in 2019, Leah worked as a Systems Analyst, Programmer, Database Manager and Office Manager. Leah works hand in hand with Shurat HaDin’s Chief Development Officer, managing Shurat HaDin’s fundraising back office, maintaining Shurat HaDin’s donor database, and working with fiscal sponsors. Leah is the mother of five married children and grandmother (Nana) to 9 beautiful grandchildren.
