MSF Legal Unit Internship 2026 in Switzerland: Apply for a Geneva Opportunity

Overview

The MSF Legal Unit Internship 2026 offers practical experience for law students and early-career legal professionals within the Intersectional Legal Department of Médecins Sans Frontières in Geneva, Switzerland. The department provides legal advice and support across six thematic areas covering international humanitarian law, medico-legal matters, human resources and duty of care, legal and administrative frameworks, governance, and innovation, medical research, and data protection. Interns accompany legal advisers working across these areas to gain exposure to the legal challenges involved in international humanitarian operations.

Who can apply

Eligible applicants include candidates holding a Master 2 degree in Law, preferably in corporate private law such as contracts, employment, or supply-related matters, individuals completing a PPI internship through a law school, or candidates with equivalent education or experience. A mandatory requirement is the ability to obtain a tripartite internship agreement from a university, law school, or relevant institution. Candidates must possess excellent written and verbal communication skills in English and fluency in French.

What you get

The internship is a full-time position structured around 40 hours per week, with a duration ranging between six and nine months, or six to twelve months depending on the specific internship agreement. Selected participants gain hands-on experience in legal research, contract drafting and review, litigation follow-up, and human resources dispute management. Depending on academic requirements, interns may also pursue an individual legal dossier reflecting both the department's needs and the intern's career interests.

Requirements

Applicants are evaluated on their proficiency in legal research, ability to summarize information, and competence in drafting and reviewing legal documents in both English and French. Familiarity with Microsoft Office applications, including Outlook, Word, Teams, and PowerPoint, is required, while experience with legal design tools such as Canva is considered an advantage. Desirable backgrounds include prior experience in a law firm, company, or legal department focusing on contract drafting, litigation management, or comparative risk analysis.

How to apply

Applications must be submitted exclusively through the recruitment platform of Médecins Sans Frontières. Candidates are required to prepare a curriculum vitae of a maximum of two pages and a cover letter of no more than one page, written in either English or French. Applicants should verify all current vacancy details and application dates on the official platform prior to submission.

Key dates

The supplied documentation contains conflicting information regarding application deadlines and start dates, listing dates such as 16 November 2025, 16 October 2026, and a past start date of 5 January 2025. Candidates must confirm all scheduling details directly through the recruitment platform.