The Courts & Rights research group comprises research projects on the politics of law and courts in the Nordic region:
- Our current project Litigating land rights in Sápmi aims to determine how and why Sami groups employ legal mobilization to claim indigenous rights to land and natural resources, and how such legal mobilization in turn affects Sami communities and the societies in which they live.
- Generally, our research explores how civil society groups mobilize rights claims in courts to pursue their aims and how legal mobilization transforms politics and power relations in society.
- We also analyze how changing international law norms and reconfigurations of domestic politics have altered the roles of courts and judges as policymaking actors.
Our collaborations involve researchers in political science, law, and sociology based at several Scandinavian universities.
What we’re looking for
The internships are primarily open to students enrolled in a MSc programme (with an internship module) in Political Science, Law, Global Studies, Human Rights, European Studies, Sociology or equivalent.
We will prioritise MSc students, but BSc students may also apply.
We’re especially welcoming applications from candidates who are considering writing their degree thesis on legal mobilization, the politics of human rights or judicial politics – in Scandinavia or elsewhere – or on any other topic that relates to our research themes. Overall, we seek candidates who want to learn more about what a career in research entails.
The internship shall allow you to develop your skills and experiences in social science research and project management, such as:
- Qualitative and/or quantitative data collection and analysis;
- Semi-structured interviews;
- Socio-legal theory & research methods;
- Project organization and communication.
Proficiency in a Nordic language may be required for certain tasks, but we’re also inviting applications from students with other language
skills.
What we offer
The internship provides an opportunity to obtain practical experience of working in a collaborative research group in academia. Internship tasks may include participating in or assisting with some of the following project activities, together with the group’s researchers:
- Conducting interviews with persons involved
in legal mobilization; - Collecting data on courts and litigation;
- Writing research overviews and pilot reports
on cases; - Organizing and participating in project meetings or research workshops;
- Managing outreach and dissemination efforts for the project.
You will be provided a workspace at the School of Global Studies and opportunities to participate in the School’s research environment and activities. A 40-hour work week and active presence is expected.
Thesis supervision
If you’re planning to write your master’s thesis on related topics, we can also offer e.g. access to data, opportunities to combine thesis writing with internship tasks, and/or thesis supervision (whether you do an internship with us or not).
Time interval
Starting date and duration are flexible. We’re welcoming applications for both 8–10 and 18–20 week internships during the term.
How to apply
To apply for an internship in the 2025-’26 academic year, submit your application by October 10. (We also accept applications on a continuous basis.) Send a short CV (1–2 pages) and a short writing sample (e.g., a student essay) to Dr. Johan Karlsson Schaffer: j.k.schaffer@gu.se.
