Funded Summer Internships for BVS & SPP Students at Law Clinics in South Africa
Are you currently a BVS or SPP student at City Law School, intending to practise law in social justice and human rights? We invite you to apply for our prestigious summer internship programme ‘The Ubuntu Scholarships 2025’, supporting poor and vulnerable communities through law clinics in Cape Town.
Position: Pro Bono Legal Intern
Location: Cape Town, South Africa
Dates of internship: You must be available between 26 July – 31 August 2025. The internship lasts 28 days and exact dates finalised when places are offered.
Funding: You will receive a bursary to cover your flights and accommodation in Cape Town
Closing date for applications: 7pm on 30th April 2025
Why Intern?
- Immerse yourself in South Africa’s rich tradition of social justice lawyering
- Gain invaluable pro bono experience in an international legal setting
- Contribute to meaningful projects that make a difference
Who will you be working for?
You will be placed with one of our host partners:-
- University of Western Cape (UWC) law clinic
- University of Cape Town (CTU) law clinic
- Women’s Legal Centre (WLC)(*female only applicants*)
What You Will Do:
- Work alongside South African attorneys and law students
- Assist with legal research and case preparation
- Sit in on client meetings and consultations
- Draft legal documents and correspondence
- Support attorneys in court proceedings and hearings
- Engage in community outreach
Who We Are Looking For:
Current BVS & SPP students with:-
- A passion for social justice and intention to practice in this field
- Relevant volunteering and/or pro bono experience
- Strong analytical and research skills
- Excellent verbal and written communication abilities
- Ability to work collaboratively in a team environment
- Ability to work respectfully in a different culture
- Willingness to follow local advice on travel and personal safety
- Experience of living independently, ideally overseas
- The ability to professionally represent City Law School overseas
We especially encourage applications from students who meet any of the below criteria:
- Black and minority ethnic
- from a household with total income under £25,000
- care leaver/experienced/estranged student
- student carer
- student with a registered disability
- refugee or asylum seeker
- first generation to go to university
What will the Scholarship cover?
You will receive a bursary to use towards your flights to Cape Town and accommodation for the month. CLS will cover your travel insurance. You will be expected to seek shared accommodation with your fellow students to save costs.
We want this opportunity to be accessible to any student, regardless of their finances. If you are not sure about affordability, we encourage you to apply. If selected, we will discuss financial support.
What does Ubuntu mean?
Ubuntu is a Bantu word which has no direct translation into English, but is used to describe a uniquely African worldview in which people can only find fulfilment through interacting with other people. It represents a spirit of kinship which unites humanity to a common purpose. Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu said “Ubuntu is very difficult to render into a Western language…It is to say. ‘My humanity is caught up, is inextricably bound up, in what is yours’.The Zulu phrase umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu translates as a “person is a person through other people.
What do our past Scholars say ?
Read more from our past Ubuntu Scholars
How to apply?
- The closing date: 7pm on Wednesday 30 April 2025
- Shortlisted candidates will be emailed week of 5th May.
- Interviews: Will take place in person, on campus, week of 12 May 2025
Applicants must:
- Complete the Qualtrics form (HERE) where you should also submit
- a personal statement (max 250 words) addressing our criteria above. Make sure you tell us what you intend to get out of this.
- A short essay (500 minimum-750 words maximum) on this topic: “What are the current social justice challenges in Cape Town and how is the legal clinic you are applying to meeting these challenges?”