There are so many different legal aid volunteer projects you can dive into, whether you are passionate about the environment, human rights, or education; it all depends on the goals you have for volunteer abroad. Legal aid volunteer work can last for a week all the way up to two years! The longer you stay, the more integrated you will be and the more sustainable your legal aid work will be. However, you may only have the time and money to volunteer abroad as a legal aid for a week, and that’s fine.
For hands-on law and human rights experience, legal aid volunteer programs that place you with an NGO that supports people who have faced discrimination are a great option. Working with NGOs will help equip you with the skills to empower people who have suffered from domestic violence and evictions. If you’re working with an NGO that does legal work, you will most likely be required to bring a year or two of professional experience, while other legal aid volunteer placements may not require previous experience.
For international women’s rights experience, working internationally is a great resume beautifier. Legal aid volunteer opportunities in countries like India and Costa Rica are a great start if you haven’t set your heart on a location yet. In terms of gendered violence, a crime against a woman in India happens every three minutes! Even if a woman has the right to report a crime, she may not be aware of her rights, or she may be too ashamed. You could work with an NGO that educates women on their rights, and could help them file a report-something they may have never had the support to do before.
Last, volunteers can mix a passion for communications with human rights.  You could work in a radio or TV station to inform people about their legal rights. Some NGOs have their own radio stations. You’d raise awareness about health issues like HIV/AIDS, women’s and human rights, and democracy. This of course depends on how much control of the press your control has.  You could proofread English program transcript, write reports and articles, produce radio shows, and fundraise for the organization. Programs like these would most likely require you to bring your own laptop and have prior communications experience.