Volunteer with the IAJ
The Institute for the Advancement of Justice and Human Rights performs, in institutional practice, the functions of a Paris Principles–compliant National Human Rights Institution for the United States. That function requires people — experts, professionals, and committed individuals across multiple disciplines.
All IAJ volunteer roles are unpaid. They contribute directly to the institutional record before UN treaty bodies, to independent tribunal rulings, and to evidence-based findings that domestic mechanisms have failed to produce.
Apply to VolunteerWhy Volunteers Are Essential to the IAJ's Institutional Function
A Paris Principles–compliant National Human Rights Institution must be independent of government funding and direction, staffed with sufficient expertise to investigate all human rights treaties simultaneously, and capable of receiving complaints, conducting investigations, and publishing findings. The IAJ fulfills these functions as a civil society body in the absence of any state-established equivalent.
That function cannot be performed by a single staff. It requires a multi-disciplinary team: legal experts who know treaty law, medical professionals who can assess harm under the Istanbul Protocol, researchers who can document patterns, observers who can monitor proceedings, investigators who can pursue concealed facts, and advocates who ensure the institution is accessible to the people it serves.
Every volunteer role at the IAJ directly serves one or more of the Paris Principles' operational requirements. When you volunteer with the IAJ, you are not performing administrative support for an advocacy NGO — you are contributing to an institutional function that the United States government has structurally failed to provide.
Every Volunteer Shapes the IAJ's Standards
Every IAJ volunteer, in every role, contributes directly to the on-going evolution, improvement, and quality assurance of the standards governing their volunteering track — and, as applicable to their scope of work, to every other IAJ standard. The IAJ's methodological framework, investigative protocols, tribunal rules, documentation templates, training modules, and published standards are all living documents. Volunteers do not merely follow them; volunteers test them, critique them, identify gaps and ambiguities, propose refinements, and in doing so advance the institution's methodological rigour. Contribution to standards development and quality assurance is not an optional add-on — it is an expected and welcomed part of every volunteer role at the IAJ.
Volunteer Roles
Select a role to read a full description of what the IAJ is looking for and how the work integrates with the IAJ's mission as a shadow NHRI.
Human Rights Legal Experts
Legal scholars, international law specialists, and human rights advocates who can assess complaints, draft findings, and engage with UN treaty body standards across UNCAT, ICCPR, CRPD, ICERD, CEDAW, and CRC.
Medical & Mental Health Professionals
Licensed mental health professionals and physicians at every level of experience — from LCSWs, LMFTs, and LPCs to doctoral psychologists, neuropsychologists, and psychiatrists — contributing through the IAJ's four-tier evaluator model under the 2022 UN Istanbul Protocol and the IAJ Psychological Investigation Standard.
Academic Researchers & Data Scientists
Academic researchers, data analysts, and social scientists who can conduct systematic analysis of complaint data, document patterns of violations, and contribute to the IAJ's published research and shadow reports to UN treaty bodies.
Court Observers
Individuals who attend public court proceedings to systematically document judicial conduct, track the treatment of persons identified in IAJ investigations, and observe how accommodation requests are handled in practice.
Independent Investigators
Ethical, independent investigators with high standards of conduct who can lawfully assist with fact-finding in cases where facts are concealed, cases involving deceased persons, or cases discovered in court records requiring third-party documentation.
Compassionate Advocates
Individuals with a deep commitment to serving humanity who support the IAJ's public-facing work: outreach to affected communities, helping complainants navigate the process, awareness-raising, and ensuring the IAJ is accessible to those who most need it.
Essential Qualities We Seek in All Volunteers
Regardless of role, all IAJ volunteers must demonstrate these qualities.
Impartiality
Ability to reason without prejudice toward any party — including judges, courts, and government agencies — and to follow the evidence wherever it leads.
Ethical Integrity
Commitment to honesty, accuracy, and the highest professional standards. The IAJ's credibility before international bodies depends on the quality and integrity of its work.
Independence
Freedom from conflicts of interest, government employment, or institutional affiliations that would compromise the IAJ's independence from state direction — a core Paris Principles requirement.
Dedication to Service
A genuine commitment to the advancement of human rights — not credential accumulation or resume-building. The IAJ's work is consequential and requires volunteers who understand what is at stake.
Ready to Apply?
Read the role description that matches your expertise, then submit your volunteer application. Applications are reviewed by the IAJ's staff and responded to individually.
Submit Volunteer Application