Leadership & entrepreneurship
The lab · The New Forge Lab
The New Forge Lab trains and equips young leaders to build lasting solutions in their own communities. Leadership is practised on real projects, with mentoring that lasts beyond the first burst of enthusiasm.
Discover the labAssignments
- Write general legal information guides, dated and reviewed before publication by a qualified lawyer: choosing a legal structure and setting it up, country by country
- Compare the structures open to young founders (association, cooperative, company, sole trader) under the OHADA uniform acts, French associations law and other national laws
- Explain the basics of intellectual property: trademarks, copyright, protecting an idea and a name
- Prepare pointers on the everyday contracts of a project: partnership, services, volunteering, founders’ agreements
- Document the legal statuses of the social and solidarity economy in several countries
- Run online general legal information workshops with the Impact Projects Officer, who supports the projects day to day
- Provide general legal information, and refer every individual situation to a lawyer or a law clinic
Tools to master
- OHADA.org, Légifrance and national legal portals: legislation in force
- Google Workspace: the lab’s shared drive, Docs and Slides, with Meet for workshops
- Claude: first drafts of fact sheets and comparisons of texts, with every result checked by you
What you will deliver
- Country-by-country legal guides in English and French
- One fact sheet on intellectual property and another on everyday contracts
- Legal workshops ready to reuse
Profile we are looking for
- Studies in business law, company law or social economy law, in progress or completed
- A wish to make the law useful and simple for founders and project leaders
- Rigour and an eye for detail
- A gift for explaining, in writing and in person
- Open to adults aged eighteen and over
A volunteer role, open to young people
Every role we offer is fully voluntary. The experience we ask for can come from a course, a student project, an internship, volunteering or a personal project: every skill counts, wherever you gained it. Our roles are designed first and foremost for young people, and we weigh your motivation and potential as carefully as your track record. Want to be part of something big? Apply.
Nice to have
- Experience in a law clinic, an incubator or alongside founders
- Knowledge of OHADA law or of the law of a country in Africa, Asia or the Americas
- Good English and French
What this role gives you
- Legal guides under your name, used by young project leaders in several countries
- Business law applied to real projects
- Work alongside mentors and committed entrepreneurs
Applications open until ; a new cycle follows
Applications open in forty-five-day cycles, each followed by the next. YouthShare reserves the right to close this listing as soon as the right person is found. We therefore encourage you to apply now.
The one-year commitment
A non-profit project is built over time. Every volunteer therefore commits for at least one year: time to settle in, carry the assignment through and pass on what they have learned. The weekly time depends on the role and is given in each role description.
How selection works
Online application
You choose a role, present your background and attach your CV. A confirmation email gives you your reference.
Profile review
The Talent team reads every application, matches it with the needs of the role and sends you a first reply by email within three days on average.
Video interview
A conversation to get to know each other and shape the assignment together.
Decision and arrival
You receive our answer by email, followed by a welcome to the team and access to its tools.
Know the right person?
Recommend this role to them: they receive an email from YouthShare that presents it, with your name and the link to apply. You can also share the listing on your networks.