Internship Location: Washington DC
Organization Type: Federal Government
Policy Areas: Human Rights & Accountability, International Economic Policy
During my internship at the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Russian Affairs, I contributed to the drafting of the Country Reports on Human Rights Practices and the International Religious Freedom Report. These are two of the Department’s most widely used public documents, offering detailed assessments of global human rights conditions and informing both U.S. foreign policy and international advocacy efforts. My responsibilities included researching and writing about human rights violations in Russia, including restrictions on civil liberties, political repression, and religious discrimination. I recommend this internship to other La Follette students interested in human rights, international relations, or global justice policy. It’s an opportunity to make a tangible impact while applying classroom knowledge in a high-stakes, professional setting. The experience strengthened my commitment to a career in international human rights and showed me how policy-driven work can advance global accountability.