Deadline: 5-February-2026
The purpose of the trust fund is to grant fellowship awards to selected candidates who are nationals of developing countries and recently graduated from a university based in a developing country, thereby improving and guaranteeing the geographical and linguistic diversity of the participants in the programme.
Trust fund awards are exclusively intended to benefit candidates nominated by universities based in developing countries, which do not have the means to provide financial sponsorship.
Judicial Fellows work on a full-time basis under the supervision of a Member of the Court, alongside the Member’s primary legal assistant. Fellows are expected to conduct research and draft memorandums on questions of law or fact relating to cases pending before the Court, attend hearings and sittings, and perform any other duties assigned by their respective judges.
The fellowship runs for approximately ten months, from early September to June of the following year. The Court generally selects 15 participants nominated by universities across the world.
The award consists of a monthly stipend covering living expenses in The Hague, along with travel and health insurance costs. The stipend is disbursed monthly directly to the selected candidates by the Secretariat of the United Nations, ensuring that Fellows can fully participate in the Programme without financial hardship.
To be eligible, candidates should be 31 years old or younger at the start of their fellowship, though this requirement may be waived in special circumstances. They must demonstrate excellent results in their legal studies and show an interest in public international law through their studies, publications, or work experience.
Candidates must also have an excellent command, both written and oral, of at least one of the Court’s two official languages, English or French, while a working knowledge of the other language is considered an asset. Only universities can nominate candidates, and while a single nomination is permitted, multiple nominations are encouraged.
The nomination process requires universities to complete an online pre-screening questionnaire and designate an authorized focal point through whom all application materials will be submitted. Upon completion, the focal point will receive a confirmation email containing further application instructions, the ICJ personal history form, and the candidate profile summary table.
Each application must include six documents submitted in order: an official letter of nomination from the university, the ICJ personal history form, letters of reference, official academic records, a writing sample, and the candidate profile summary table.
The deadline for the submission of applications is 5 February 2026, and the Court expects to make its final selection by April 2026. Selected candidates will be notified through their nominating universities.
For more information, visit International Court of Justice.
