Legal Advisor (Protection)

Application deadline closed.

Job Description

Legal Action Worldwide

Description

THE POSITION

LAW is an independent, non-profit organisation comprised of human rights lawyers and jurists working in fragile and conflict affected areas in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia. LAW has a particular focus on gender equality and sexual and gender-based violence, the rule of law and accountability and transformative justice - working to bring justice to those who need it most. LAW’s portfolio includes multiple ground-breaking cases, which utilise creative legal strategies on behalf of victims and survivors from some of the most challenging contexts, representing more than 1000 clients.  LAW’s ground-breaking work has received international media coverage, including in the New York Times, the Times of London, the Guardian, Al-Jazeera, BBC News, France24, The Independent, Voice of America, Huffington Post and Foreign Policy.

LAW has worked on issues related to occupied Palestine since 2013, bringing together leading legal experts from Palestine, Israel and around the world to develop strategies to support the protection of Palestinian human rights. LAW’s work has engaged with a range of critical issues, including: population transfer and house demolitions; business and human rights/ corporate responsibility; third state responsibility.

LAW is seeking an enthusiastic, experienced Legal Advisor to support its work on the protection of Palestinian rights. The ideal candidate will be detail oriented, with demonstrated knowledge of the context and relevant legal frameworks. They will work closely with the Programme Manager on the development of high-quality legal documents, including amici curae briefs, which seek to protect Palestinian rights by upholding relevant international law, and developing LAW’s relationships with a wide range of relevant actors focused on this topic.

KEY INFORMATION

Location: The position be based in LAW’s Head office in Geneva, Switzerland. This position is funded on a full-time basis.

Salary: Competitive salary and rates apply.

Overview: The Legal Advisor will work closely with the programme manager and LAW’s senior management team to implement LAW’s Palestine Programme.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Programme

  • Support the maintenance of strong relationships with key actors, including Israeli and Palestinian civil society, legal experts, INGOs and key donors.
  • Proactively engage with relevant partners for the protection of Palestinian rights;
  • Assist the delivery of targeted technical/ legal support, and other forms of assistance to partners and beneficiaries;
  • Conduct innovative legal research and targeted advocacy on housing, land and property rights, as well as other relevant legal topics;
  • Provide assistance and input in the development of legal documentation, including in drafting high quality case files and amici curae briefs;
  • Support monitoring, evaluation and learning undertaken in respect of this programme;
  • Assist in the delivery of capacity-building initiatives and technical expertise to relevant partner organisations.
  • Support fundraising initiatives to ensure the sustainability and expansion of programme.

Advocacy and Communications

  • Support work in increasing the profile and visibility of the programme amongst relevant stakeholders.
  • Support the Programme Manager and Senior Management Team in external engagement on this programme;
  • Engage with a network of contacts working on this topic, ensuring, where appropriate, they are kept abreast of developments in LAW’s programme;
  • Ensure that website and social media content related to the programme is up to-date and engaging, without compromising the sensitive nature of this programme;
  • Contribute to LAW’s advocacy tools, including factsheets and the LAW Annual Report;
  • Support a high-level advocacy strategy in line with global priorities that engages relevant targets and actors.

ABOUT YOU

  • A degree in law or in human rights law, criminal law or refugee law, qualified lawyer preferred;
  • Demonstrated understanding of international law, in particular, international human rights law, international criminal law and humanitarian law;
  • Excellent organisational skills, with ability to effectively prioritise individual and project work plans in a fast-paced environment, as well as the ability to effectively problem solve and troubleshoot;
  • 4 year’s demonstrated experience in a similar role, with at risk clients or beneficiaries;
  • Experience of fundraising for legal projects in complex or conflict affected environment and liaising with donors preferred;
  • Exceptional written and oral communication skills in English;
  • Flexibility and ability to work simultaneously on a wide range of tasks and projects; ability to prioritise tasks, particularly under pressure, and to meet tight deadlines.
  • Excellent observation, active listening and analytical skills with ability to make sound judgment;
  • Flexibility: someone who is familiar with the unpredictable nature of working in humanitarian environments;
  • Ability to recognise and work effectively with diverse backgrounds and cultures;
  • Building excellent relationship skills both internally and externally with key stakeholders;
  • Proficient in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Power-point, Outlook)

HOW TO APPLY

The closing date for applications is 17:00 hours (Geneva time) on 7 October 2022.

Please submit your CV and covering letter outlining how your previous experience and skills match this role (neither exceeding 2 pages of A4) to: recruitment@legalactionworldwide.org. The heading of the application should read ‘Legal Advisor (Protection)’

At LAW we are strengthened by the diversity of our colleagues reflecting the people and communities that we represent and support. Our team includes many nationalities with diverse professional backgrounds, skills and knowledge. This enables us to deliver and understand the cultural and political contexts on the ground and to tailor our support effectively and appropriately. Women lawyers with experience representing at-risk clients are particularly encouraged to apply.

To learn more about LAW please visit our website: www.legalactionworldwide.org