Internship – Legal

The Ocean Cleanup; Rotterdam; On-site; EUR 11,000 - 16,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Free lunches

Job summary

The Ocean Cleanup is seeking a Legal Internship candidate to support the Legal department in Rotterdam. You will engage in day-to-day legal operations, assist with trademarks, patents, contracts, and research tools, and coordinate with other teams.

You will gain hands-on experience in a dynamic, international setting. Ideal candidates are pursuing a law degree, have strong English skills, and are eager to learn.

Qualifications

• Currently pursuing a law degree (third year bachelor’s or higher) – EU candidates may not need university during the internship.
• Knowledge of or interest in legal topics related to the organization’s activities in the Legal Department (e.g.: maritime law, patents and trademarks, privacy, legal tech).
• Prior experience with SharePoint and/or Salesforce is desirable.
• Excellent English language skills (written and verbal); Dutch or Spanish is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Assist with day-to-day legal operations and documentation.
• Support in trademarks and patent assessments and legal research tools.
• Assist with contract review and drafting, meeting participation, and translations.
• Coordinate with other departments and escalate to Legal Counsel where necessary.
• Organize meetings and events for the Legal Department.
• Provide administrative support for IP and insurance portfolios.

Skills

Excellent English

Curious and eager to learn

Team player

Strong communication

Education

Law degree (3rd year or higher)

Tools

SharePoint

Salesforce

Job description

MISSION TO METRICS

The mission of The Ocean Cleanup is to develop and scale technologies to rid the world's oceans of plastic. This is an opportunity to be exposed to the mission and work of The Ocean Cleanup. The internship allows individuals to support the Legal team's daily operations and improve their legal skills while working in a dynamic environment.

This internship is an opportunity for students and/or young professionals who wish to gain practical educational work experience and deepen their legal knowledge. Interns will receive monthly compensation, as well as free and healthy lunches at our office.

RESPONSIBILITIES

During this internship, you will be provided with first-hand experience of the day-to-day legal operations of The Ocean Cleanup by closely collaborating with all members of the Legal department. As part of our team, you will be involved in a variety of tasks, ranging from providing support in trademarks and patent assessments to supporting legal innovation projects such as acquiring legal research tools and managing the CLM (Contract Lifecycle Management) tool.

Main tasks:

• Enhancing the legal filing system and supporting document management.
• Supporting the continuous functioning of the Contract Management Lifecycle tool.
• Assisting in reviewing various documents and contracts.
• Supporting with registration processes at the Dutch Chamber of Commerce (KvK).
• Supporting the Legal Team with day-to-day tasks such as drafting and reviewing contracts, conducting legal research, participating in meetings, and translating documents.
• Serving as a point of contact for other departments and escalating to the relevant Legal Counsel(s), where necessary.
• Organizing meetings and events related to the Legal Department.
• Providing administrative support in maintaining the intellectual property (trademarks and patents) and insurance portfolio of the organization.
• Assisting with the implementation of a Corporate Governance Platform tool, preparing documents, securing timeline, liaising with the internal stakeholders (i.e. Management Team, IT), and suppliers.
• Taking notes during departmental meetings, identifying action items, and following up on them.

There will be opportunities to assist the General Counsel with administrative tasks such as scheduling meetings, managing calendars, organizing files, and assisting with the preparation of presentations and the collection of other information, according to the needs of the Legal Department. These tasks are essential for the smooth operation of the Legal team and will provide valuable exposure to the daily responsibilities of a legal professional.

PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

• Currently pursuing a law degree (third year bachelor's degree or higher) - this requirement applies only to non-EU candidates. EU candidates do not necessarily have to be enrolled at a university during the period of the internship.
• Knowledge of or an interest in legal topics related to the activities of the organization in particular in the Legal Department (e.g.: maritime law, patents and trademarks, privacy, legal tech).
• Prior experience with SharePoint and/or Salesforce is desirable.
• Excellent English language skills (written and verbal); Dutch or Spanish is a plus.

PERSONAL QUALIFICATIONS

• Curious and eager to learn
• Pragmatic where possible, but thorough when needed
• Team player with high cultural awareness and sensitivity
• Excellent communication skills
• Thrives in a fast-paced, international environment
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a team environment
• Intrinsic motivation to work on our ambitious and meaningful goal
• APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
• Prospective applicants should submit:
• A curriculum vitae (CV)
• A transcript of academic records or a statement of academic results
• Please submit all required documents as one PDF file.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• Start Date: ASAP - Please indicate your possible start date, duration, and hours per week.
• Duration: 6 months
• Candidates are expected to be available 32 hours per week throughout the duration of the internship.
• Candidates are expected to work from our HQ in Rotterdam at least 3 days a week.
• Candidates are required to be enrolled at a University (Bachelor's/ Master's etc program) throughout the duration of the internship
• If applicable, the internship can be combined with a Master's Thesis project

Curious to hear how it is to work at The Ocean Cleanup? Listen to our team members explain their work in our podcast: Catching Up Podcast The Ocean Cleanup