BACKGROUND

Legal Action Worldwide
Legal Action Worldwide (LAW) is an independent and unique non-profit network and think tank of lawyers who provide creative legal assistance in fragile and conflict-affected areas. LAW provides legal assistance to the most vulnerable, placing national lawyers at the forefront of legal change. LAW uses legal advocacy, research, advice and strategic litigation to bring about this change. LAW work spans the Middle East, Africa and South Asia and it has offices in the UK and Switzerland. LAW’s main focus is addressing sexual and gender based violence and LAW has global and national partners, with which it works to achieve change and empowerment.

LAW’s work on sexual and gender based violence has been recognised by Harvard University who awarded LAW with two legal fellows under the Hennigson and Satter Fellowships. In 2017 LAW won the Justice Award from leading law firm Allen and Overy. LAW’s work has been covered international and national media coverage, including the New York Times, the UK Times, the Guardian, Voice of America, Huffington Post, Foreign Policy and a number of UN and UK government reports.

Lebanon Programme
In 2018, a consortium led by Euromed Feminist Initiative will implement a multi-county project “Strengthening access to protection, participation and services for women refugees, IDPs and host communities”, funded by the EU Regional Trust Fund in Response to the Syrian Crisis – MADAD. The overall objective is to improve the livelihood, agency and legal and social protection for Syrian women refugees, IDPs and host communities in the region, with focus on Lebanon, Iraq (Kurdistan Region) and Jordan.
In Lebanon the project is implemented by a consortium composed of Euromed Feminist Initiative, Care International in Lebanon, Lebanese Democratic Women Gathering and Legal Action Worldwide. The objectives are to enhance in Lebanon security and resilience for Syrian women refugees and women from host communities through supporting and coordinating comprehensive and structured services and referral mechanisms, as well as to support national institutions in their work towards more gender sensitive policy frameworks and legislation.
LAW’s focus will be on the provision of legal aid, advice, information and representation for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence. Legal aid services will be provided by lawyers and Legal Information Officers (LIOs) operating out of 12 Social Development Centers (SDCs) across Lebanon.

BACKGROUND OF THE LAWYER POSITIONS

LAW is currently looking for passionate, committed, human rights-oriented lawyers to provide legal assistance, advice and representation to members of the Syrian refugee and Lebanese populations, working through Social Development Centres (SDCs) based throughout Lebanon (lawyers should indicate where they are based).

The SDCs will have a particular focus on providing assistance to survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (GBV) and Syrian refugees requiring birth or marriage registration. Each lawyer will supervise four Legal Information Officers, who will assist them in providing legal information and conducting outreach with the communities around the SDCs. They will work in close collaboration with psychosocial and maternal health staff at the SDCs, focal points at the Ministry of Social Affairs, and the police.

The lawyers will: provide legal assistance and advice to community members through the SDCs; provide representation in court; assist clients without documentation to apply for documentation, including through the courts where necessary; liaise with case workers and psychosocial providers to ensure all multi-sectoral needs of the clients have been met; and share information collected through the project with SDC staff, LAW, donors and government agencies as appropriate. They will brief LAW on trends in legal information sought, cases reported, effectiveness of programming and all pertinent legal developments.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

Reports to
Legal Advisor

Functions/Key Results Expected
The lawyers will perform duties and responsibilities in accordance with the objectives and activities mentioned below:

Duties
• Provide legal assistance and advice to community members through the SDCs, with a focus on survivors of SGBV and Syrian refugees requiring birth or marriage registration;
• Provide representation in court to clients as necessary and in accordance to the TORs regulating court representation;
• Input all client information into a secure database and ensure database contains a comprehensive record of all cases and has been updated on a daily bases;
• Supervise four Legal Information Officers (LIOs), who will identify cases to bring to the lawyers, provide initial legal information and conduct outreach with the communities;
• Attend monthly meetings with the LIOs to monitor progress and discuss observations and lessons learned.

Required Skills and Experience

Experience
• Practicing lawyer with at least two years’ experience;
• Previous experience working with SDCs or other organizations providing legal services for vulnerable communities, for example refugees, people with a disability or the urban poor;
• Previous experience in gender-based violence cases;
• Previous experience working with the police and/or a good relationship with the police stations involved in this project is an asset;
• Demonstrated understanding of Lebanese law relating to refugees, documentation of stateless persons, criminal law, family law and human rights law;
• Demonstrated understanding of international human rights law.

Skills
• Skilled and sensitive communicator with people who have experienced severe trauma;
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills;
• Excellent organisational skills;
• Ability to take initiative and work without close supervision.

Language requirements

• Fluency in writing, speaking and listening in Arabic;
• Proficiency in writing, speaking and listening in English, including ability to write basic reports in English;
• Any fluency in French will be considered an asset.

APPLICATION AND RECRUITMENT

Deadline for applications: 14 September 2018

Start date: October 2018

How to Apply:
Please email a CV and statement of interest in English and/or Arabic on or before 14 September 2018 to: brown@legalactionworldwide.org. The subject of the application should read ‘Project lawyer application’.

• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interviews.
• LAW is an equal opportunity employer. Women are particularly encouraged to apply.

Job Email id: brown(at)legalactionworldwide.org