The Internet Foundation is inviting applications from the innovative lovers for its Freedom Innovation Fellowship. This batch is gong to be its inaugural cohort. It is established through a grant from the Azim Premji Philanthropic Initiative.
Freedom Innovation Fellowship Important Dates
The important tentative dates for the freedom innovation fellowship are:
| Application Deadline | 20 January, 2024 |
| Interview Process Commences | 1 February, 2024 |
| Fellowship Start Date | 15 March, 2024 |
About the Freedom Innovation Fellowship
- The Freedom Innovation Fellowship is a 15-month fellowship for young lawyers seeking to impact change, not just through the courts but through a wide spectrum of social change tools.
- It will train a cohort of five young lawyers for 15 months in strategi litigation and policy engagement.
- It is a full time fellowship and cohorts work directly with IFF staffers at IFF’s office in New Delhi.
- Each fellow is placed for 7 and a half months in either the policy track or litigation track and then rotated to the other track for the next 7 and a half months.
What will a Freedom Innovation Fellow Do?
Litigation
Fellows will draft and review pleadings to be filed in court in strategic and clinical litigation matters, including petitions, applications, replies, rejoinders, written submissions etc.
The fellows will coordinate with clients and external counsels to ensure timely filing and listing of cases. Fellows will attend briefings for arguing counsels for court hearings and prepare briefing notes, written submissions and case compilations in support.
Transparency and Accountability
Fellows will draft and file RTI applications and RTI appeals before the first appellate authorities and the Central or State Information Commissions. They will also collaborate with IFF’s Policy vertical to ensure adequate preparatory work is done prior to litigation.
Track, Analyze, Explain
Fellows will work with IFF staffers in identifying policy issues impacting the public interest requiring intervention on a daily basis, analysing the issues, identifying, and executing the right response. They will monitor legislative proposals and track draft regulations, identify and monitor key discussions and other business-impacting digital rights brought up by Ministers or MPs in Parliament, and assess state government actions that impact our internet freedoms.
Parliamentary and Governmental Engagement
Fellows will assist IFF’s policy team in drafting submissions and representations to public institutions, government agencies and offices, and legislative bodies – including analysis and writing and in following up on these submissions, ranging from corresponding and meeting with officials, RTI applications, in-person briefings, and strategically using convenings and other mechanisms.
Communications and Community
Fellows will provide regular updates about IFF’s work to the public by authoring blog posts hosted for the IFF website. They will collaborate closely with IFF’s Civic Literacy vertical to create content for various social media platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, Reddit, YouTube, Telegram, and Threads. Fellows will help to grow and build IFF’s community through interactions with IFF volunteers and community members on our social media channels.
Eligibility
- The applicant must have a 5-year or 3-year degree in law.
- The applicant must have 0-5 years of work experience.
- The applicant must be enrolled with the Bar Council and authorized to appear in court on behalf of clients. Fresh graduates must enrol with the Bar Council at the first opportunity.
- Candidates with a bilingual proficiency in English and any other Indian language will be preferred.
- A core objective of the Freedom Innovation Fellowship is to reverse the metropolitan bias present in India’s digital rights space. Strong preference will be given to candidates from marginalised socio-economic backgrounds.
What is it like to work at IFF?
- IFF is a small team of 6-7 full-time staffers who work out of its office in New Delhi.
- We work 5 and half days a week.
- We have a flexible and accommodating leave policy which also accounts separately for menstruating persons.
How Do I Apply?
- Applicants must send a resume, write two 500-word policy essays, and a statement of intent. (Apply now)
- Shortlisted candidates are interviewed by a panel on three parameters, commitment/motivation; knowledge of technology policy issues; and reasoning/logical abilities. The panel consists of two external experts and a senior member of the IFF team.
- Based on the decision of the panel, offers are sent out to selected candidates.
Salary
The salary of Freedom Innovation Fellow will be 50,000 per month.
Location
This fellowship is full-time and n-person at IFF’s office in New Delhi.
