INTERPOL is accepting applications for its Legal Support to Programmes internship in Lyon, France, a six-month opportunity starting January 2027.
About INTERPOL
INTERPOL is the world’s largest international police organization, with 196 member countries. Created in 1923, it facilitates cross-border police co-operation and supports and assists all organizations, authorities and services whose mission is to prevent or combat international crime.
About the Opportunity
INTERPOL’s Internship Programme welcomes candidates from any of its 196 member countries and attracts talented students and recent graduates to the organization. This legal internship in France is with the Sub-Directorate of Legal Support to Programmes, under the Directorate of Legal Support to Operations, based at the Lyon duty station.
The internship runs for six months, with an estimated starting date of January 4, 2027. Through the programme, interns gain a better understanding of how international police cooperation is organized, an insight into how an international organization operates, and experience of working in a multicultural, multidisciplinary environment.
The learning objectives include gaining knowledge of and exposure to legal frameworks relating to data protection, information security and the regulation of emerging technology, developing an understanding of the legal framework governing INTERPOL and its interactions with member countries, and learning about the legal aspects of various crime areas, including terrorism, organized crime, cybercrime and financial crime.
Roles & Responsibilities
- Conduct legal research and drafting on a variety of legal questions, including compliance with INTERPOL’s Constitution and Rules on the Processing of Data and INTERPOL’s operational support to member countries, in areas including data protection, information security and partnerships or cooperation with external entities
- Assist in research for and drafting of governance documents relating to various topics, such as risk assessment guides, FAQs and standard operating procedures
- Provide support to staff engaged in the drafting and negotiation of cooperation agreements and other cooperative arrangements concluded between INTERPOL and various partners
- Carry out any other tasks assigned by the supervisor
Internship Allowance
As of January 1, 2025, the internship allowance is EUR 700 per month, along with a transport subsidy of EUR 30 per month. An additional housing subsidy of EUR 170 per month will be provided to eligible interns, making this a paid legal internship for selected candidates. Interns are required to be subscribed to a health insurance coverage for the entire duration of the internship, and they are eligible to request enrolment in the organization’s health insurance coverage at no additional cost.
Eligibility Criteria
- Candidates must be nationals of one of INTERPOL’s 196 member countries
- Candidates must have attained the legal age in their country of nationality
- Candidates must be enrolled in, or must have graduated within the past one year from, a post-secondary accredited academic institution, preferably having completed coursework relating to technology, data protection or public international law
- Professional fluency in English is required; a good command of any other INTERPOL official language, such as Arabic, Spanish or French, will be considered an asset
- Working knowledge of Microsoft Office tools
- Ability to work with discretion, diplomacy, tact and rigour, and a willingness to learn new or unfamiliar areas of law
Prior exposure to data protection law, information security or the regulation of emerging technologies will be considered an asset, as will exposure to the drafting or review of governance, technical or risk management documentation.
Application Procedure
Only applications submitted in response to this specific internship vacancy will be considered. Interested candidates must complete the online application , which should include a cover letter setting out the candidate’s motivation to join the INTERPOL internship programme, their interest in and assets for this specific opportunity, and their expectations for the internship.
All applications will be assessed against the requirements indicated in the call for internship, and applicants who meet the requirements most closely will be contacted by the hiring manager directly. A confidentiality vetting inquiry will be carried out prior to confirming any selection, and selected candidates will be required to produce a certificate of non-criminal records from their country of nationality and from any other country in which they have resided for more than 12 months in the past five years.
The deadline for applications is September 30, 2026.
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