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Sciences Po Law School Clinic
The Law School Clinics are selective one-year long courses, offered to some Sciences Po students including certain PSIA programs. These selective programs provide valuable practical experience in the chosen field of study.
Programs
The Law School Clinics are selective one-year long courses, offered to some Sciences Po students including certain PSIA programs. These selective programs provide valuable practical experience in the chosen field of study.
Places within the Clinics are limited and therefore participation is based on a competitive selection process. Please read the Clinic rules, selection criteria and application procedure outlined below.
The application occurs from 1 June to 15 June 2026 (by noon Paris time) for the 2026-2027 academic year. The results will be announced in the beginning of July before the academic registration.
An online information session will be organized on 29 May 2026 at 3 pm (Paris time), admitted PSIA students will receive an invitation with a zoom link.
Here is a short overview of student eligibility and language prerequisites:
| Clinic | Eligible students | Language requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Economic Justice & Human Rights | First-year Master in Human Rights and Humanitarian Action and International Development students only, including dual degrees | English and some French (the coursework is taught in English, some projects can be either in French or English) |
| Environmental Justice | First-year Master in Environmental Policy students, including dual degrees Dual degree in Environmental Science and Policies | French C1 level (the coursework is taught in French, some projects can be either in French or English) |
| Corporate Sustainability | First-year students taking the concentration in Environement and Sustainability, including dual degrees | French C1 level |
| Migration | First-year students taking the Concentration in Migration, including dual degrees | French C1 level |
| Digital Justice | First-year students taking the Concentration in Global Risks, including dual degrees. Please note that for this Clinic, a background in law is recommended | English |
Rules
Clinics Require a One-Year Commitment
A one-year commitment is mandatory for all Clinics (Fall and Spring semester). It is not possible to drop the Clinic in the middle of the year.
Clinics require a significant time investment from students. For example, students may also be asked to continue working on their Clinic Projects in May-June, once they have completed their final exams.
Clinics Involve Teamwork
Students selected for the Clinics will be divided into smaller teams and assigned to work on projects within each program. All projects will be supervised by a clinical lecturer, and depending on the projects, by "tutors" (Law School Faculty members, doctoral students, lawyers, or legal experts working in business or NGOs).
Clinics are Worth 16-18 ECTS
Clinics consists of three courses (the Fall Semester Clinic Seminar, the Spring Semester Clinic Seminar and one corequisite course over the course of one semester). In total, these three courses, which combine training in both theoretical and practical approaches, are worth 16-18 ECTS depending on the Clinics.
Selection Criteria
Student selection and project assignment takes into account the student’s profile, their motivation, the specific requirements of selected projects, and the expectations of partners.
The following elements are particularly important :
- Motivation to get involved throughout the academic year on the assigned project (even if the assigned project is not your first choice) and a commitment to follow all the academic requirements for the.
- The selection process evaluates the alignment between a student's academic and professional background and the objectives of the Clinic, the program requirements, and the specific needs of selected projects (for example, language skills and experience, as well as professional and analytical rigor, team spirit, sense of initiative, etc).
- Advanced language skills (French and English) may be required.
Application Process
The application consists of a written application and an interview.
Interested and eligible students should examine the Clinic's project preselected that will be added to a Google Drive end of May (a Sciences Po student email address is required to access this Google Drive).
All descriptions present the general objectives of the project. However, the objectives, methodology or work plan may evolve throughout the semester or the academic year, reflecting the dynamic nature of a professional clinic.
Please read each project description all the way through and pay specific attention to the requirements for each project as well as the number of students per project. You should identify two projects for your application.
The application to the Law Clinics is not compatible with the application to a “Cooperative Project” and to the “Capstone Course “International Law in Action” offered as a Master core course in the Master in Human Rights and Humanitarian Action. Students need to pick one or the other.
Written Application
Eligible students apply via this Google form. A Sciences Po email address is required to access this form. Upon completing the Google form, you will receive an automated confirmation email.
To be considered for admission in one of the five clinical programs, students must include the following documents:
- A motivation letter focusing on two preselected projects (in order of preference) you would like to apply for in the same clinical program (i.e. if you apply for the Economic Justice & Human Rights Clinic, your motivation letter needs to focus on two of the pre-selected Economic Justice & Human Rights projects available this year); if you apply for the Corporate Sustainability Clinic, your motivation letter needs to focus on two of the pre-selected Corporate Sustainability projects available this year, etc.).
- Your CV in English or French.
Incomplete applications will not be considered.
Interview Process
Shortlisted applications will be invited for interviews to be conducted between 19 June and 24 June 2026. Please ensure you are available for a zoom interview during these dates in the event your application is shortlisted.
The final selection will depend on needs for each Project and on the balance within each team.
All applicants will be informed about the results of the selection by 1 July 2026.
More details about the Clinic programs
Currently there are five Clinic programs that eligible PSIA students can apply for:
Students selected for the Economic Justice & Human Rights Clinic work on projects assisting mostly non-governmental organizations to develop legal and extra-judicial strategies (research and documentation, advocacy etc.) that aim to remedy human rights violations by private and public actors of globalization and economic development and engage with global justice issues more broadly.
Clinic Structure: in addition to the year-long Clinic Seminar itself, students must also take a corequisite course “Economic, Social, Cultural and Environmental Rights: Law and Practice in a Changing World” taught in the Fall semester by Sylvain Aubry and Katharina Rall at PSIA (18 ECTS in total).
- For students registered in a simple 2-year degree in Human Rights and Humanitarian Action at PSIA:
- Semester 1: The Clinic Seminar counts as the first course of the Enhanced Master Option. The corequisite course counts as the master core course in the block 2 Human Rights & Humanitarian Action: Specific Challenges.
- Semester 2: The Clinic Seminar counts as the second course of the Enhanced Master Option.
- For students registered in a dual degree in Human Rights and Humanitarian Action at PSIA:
- The Clinic Seminar may be included in the 5 authorised Core courses or be counted as the Human Rights concentration. Please contact your academic team.
- For students registered in a simple 2-year degree or a dual degree in International Development at PSIA who took the thematic concentration in Human Rights:
- Semester 1: The Clinic Seminar counts as the first course in the Human Rights concentration. The corequisite course counts as the second course in the Human Rights concentration.
- Semester 2: The Clinic Seminar counts as the third and the last course in the Human Rights concentration.
Eligible Students: First-year students and dual degree students at PSIA who have selected either the Master in Human Rights and Humanitarian Action, or the Master in International Development with the thematic concentration in Human Rights.
Language of Instruction: English and French. The coursework for the Economic Justice & Human Rights Clinic is taught in English but projects can be in either French or English.
Time Commitment: Clinic seminars involve 24 hours of classroom training per semester, held on Tuesdays from 7:15 pm to 9:15 pm. The corequisite course adds another 24 hours of classroom training in the Fall semester. This does not include the work required outside of the classroom for each course (reading, assessment preparation, revision, etc.). Clinic project teamwork averages half a day per week.
Find out more about the Economic Justice & Human Rights Clinic.
Students selected for the Environmental Justice Clinic will work on projects focused on environmental issues. While some of the team projects can be in either French or English, the program and courses are taught in French: a good advanced level (C1) is therefore required to participate.
Clinic Structure: in addition to the year-long Clinic seminar itself, students must take a corequisite course “Introduction au droit de l’environnement et techniques de mise en oeuvre” taught by Luca d'Ambrosio at PSIA in the Fall semester (18 ECTS in total).
- For students registered in a simple 2-year degree Environmental Policy at PSIA:
- Semester 1: The Clinic Seminar counts as the first course of the Enhanced Master Option. The corequisite course counts as a master core course in the block 2 “Science and Policy”.
- Semester 2: The Clinic Seminar counts as the second course of the Enhanced Master Option.
- For students registered in a dual degree Environmental Policy, Environmental Science and Policies:
- The Clinic Seminar as well as the corequisite course will be included in the 5 authorised Core courses. Please contact your academic team.
Eligible Students:
- First-Year Students enrolled in the Master in Environmental Policy
- Dual degree students at PSIA who are enrolled in the Environmental Policy program
- Dual degree in Environmental Science and Policies
Language of Instruction: French.
Time Commitment: Clinic seminars involve 24 hours of classroom training per semester, held on Tuesdays from 7:15 pm to 9:15 pm. The corequisite course adds another 24 hours of classroom training in the Fall semester. This does not include the work required outside of the classroom for each course (reading, assessment preparation, revision, etc.). Clinic project teamwork averages half a day per week.
Students selected for the Corporate Sustainability Clinic work on projects relating to corporate social responsibility and social innovation initiatives, particularly in support of legal / CSR / ethics & compliance/human rights departments of companies, as well as in partnership with other actors and institutions from both the public and the private sector. While some of the team projects can be in either French or English, the program and courses are taught in French: an advanced level (C1) is therefore required to participate.
Clinic Structure: in addition to the year-long Clinic Seminar itself, students must also take a corequisite course “XXX” (TBC) taught in the Fall semester by XXX at PSIA (18 ECTS in total).
- For students registered in a simple 2-year degree or a dual degree at PSIA who have selected the Environment and Sustainability concentration:
- Semester 1: The Clinic Seminar counts as the first course in the Environment and Sustainability concentration. The corequisite course counts as the second course in the Environment and Sustainability concentration.
- Semester 2: The Clinic Seminar counts as the third and the last course in the Environment and Sustainability concentration.
Eligible Students: First-year students and dual degree students at PSIA who have selected the Environment and Sustainability concentration.
Language of Instruction: French. Clinic seminars are taught in French (but some discussions will be held in English).
Time Commitment: Clinic seminars involve 24 hours of classroom training per semester, held on Tuesdays from 7:15 pm to 9:15 pm. The corequisite course adds another 24 hours of classroom training in the Fall semester. This does not include the work required outside of the classroom for each course (reading, assessment preparation, revision, etc.). Clinic project teamwork averages half a day per week.
Students selected for the Migration Clinic will work on projects focused on legal / administrative assistance for migrants and asylum seekers. Students will also conduct empirical research projects for the association and its partners. The program is taught in French (C1).
Clinic Structure: in addition to the year-long Clinic Seminar itself, students must take a corequisite course, either “Governing Migration in Europe and Beyond: Categories, Policies, Actors” taught by Céline Cantat, Cécilia Baeza and Thibaut Jaulin in the Fall semester at PSIA (18 ECTS in total), or “Introduction to the Politics of International Migration” taught by Antoine Pecoud in the Fall semester at PSIA (18 ECTS in total).
- For students registered in a simple 2-year degree or a dual degree at PSIA who have selected the Migration concentration:
- Semester 1: The Clinic Seminar counts as the first course in the Migration concentration. The corequisite course counts as the second course in the Migration concentration.
- Semester 2: The Clinic Seminar counts as the third and the last course in the Migration concentration.
Eligible Students: First-year students or dual degree students at PSIA who have selected the Migration concentration.
Language of Instruction: French.
Time Commitment: Clinic seminars involve 24 hours of classroom training per semester, held on Tuesdays from 7:15 pm to 9:15 pm. The corequisite course adds another 24 hours of classroom training in the Fall semester. This does not include the work required outside of the classroom for each course (reading, assessment preparation, revision, etc.). Clinic project teamwork averages half a day per week.
- How can the values and rights needed to sustain democracies and the common good be upheld and ensured in our digital world?
- What is the role of the law in this environment where technologies, infrastructures, big players and users themselves construct normativities beyond the law itself?
Digital Justice will involve teams of students and researchers working on action-research projects addressing these issues, designed in collaboration with a range of partners from civil society, public institutions and private actors.
Clinic Structure: in addition to the year-long Clinic Seminar itself, students must take a corequisite course, “Personal Data and European Regulation” taught by Céline Castets-Renard in the Fall semester at the Law School (16 ECTS in total).
- First-year students and dual degree students at PSIA who have selected the Global Risks concentration:
- Semester 1: The Clinic Seminar counts as the first course in the Global Risks concentration. The corequisite course counts as the second course in the Global Risks concentration. An optional course (Special feature or Language) is required in Fall or Spring to compensate for 2 missing credits.
- Semester 2: The Clinic Seminar counts as the third and the last course in the Global Risks concentration.
Eligible Students: First-year students and dual degree students at PSIA who have selected the Global Risks concentration.
Language of Instruction: English.
Time Commitment: Clinic seminars involve 24 hours of classroom training per semester, held on Tuesdays from 7:15 pm to 9:15 pm. The corequisite course adds another 24 hours of classroom training in the Fall semester. This does not include the work required outside of the classroom for each course (reading, assessment preparation, revision, etc.). Clinic project teamwork averages half a day per week.
For further information:
- About the application process and the Clinic projects, please contact: clinique.droit@sciencespo.fr
- About the courses and the requirements, please contact your academic team