Terms of Reference/Job Description (JD)

Position:                    Lawyer

Reports to:                 Program Officer

Supervision of:         Paralegals.

Duty station:              Buroa

Project number:

Duration and type of contract: From July- December 2022.

Now, the Legal Aid Clinic is seeking for a qualified, dynamic Lawyer with high degree of motivation and initiative who is expected to contribute to the smooth functioning of the Legal Aid Clinic activities.

She/he will be responsible to provide basic legal/human rights information to the community and he/she will send the reports to their respective program officer.

Generic responsibilities:

1. Ensure adherence with LAC and IDLO policies, tools, handbooks and guidelines
2. Implement delegated project activity and the portfolio according to plan of action/work plan.
3. Prepare and develop status, narrative and donor reports as required by LAC director.
4. Ensure proper filing of documents
5. Ensure that projects target beneficiaries most in need, and explore and asses new and better ways to assist
6. Promote and share ideas for technical improvement

Specific responsibilities:

These responsibilities shall be adapted to the particularities of the job location and context, phase of operation, strategic focus and type of programme intervention. This section shall be revised whenever a new employee is hired or the context changes significantly.

• Assisting and interviewing clients and their witnesses; with identifying their legal claims, advising as to their legal rights and obligations; and offering assistance with problem resolution through existing traditional forms of dispute resolution and by way of the Somaliland judicial system;
• Attending court hearings, Reading witness statements, Collating evidence and researching case studies.
• Provide remote legal assistance to vulnerable people, including GBV victims and IDPs, through hotlines when needed.
• Identify legal or contractual issues and develop new approaches to resolve complex issues.
• Lawyers advise, and collect evidence or information, draft legal documents such as contracts notary agreements.
• Strategically counsel clients and potential clients on legal matters providing legal advice and guidance.
• Keeping up to date with changes in the law, Representing clients in trials.
• Writing contracts and meeting with client (individuals or businesses) and preparing all documents required to file cases, including briefs and other court documents.
• Maintaining accurate case files, notes and reports.
• Working closely with team members to prepare a comprehensive brief on each case that goes to trial and scheduling and conducting depositions of witnesses and experts.
• Providing proper legal citation and statutory interpretations.
• Researching legal concepts, case law, judicial opinions, statutes and regulations.
• conduct awareness raising activities and participation of Stakeholder debates and dialogues on provision of Access to Justice and Rule of Law throughout your assigned region.
• Giving priority to vulnerable individuals such as IDPs, women, juvenile offenders and the elderly.
• Screen the remand caseload to make sure that people are remanded lawfully, their cases are being expedited and they are held appropriately as per the Criminal Procedure Code and pertinent human rights instruments
• Represent in court proceedings for poor and disadvantaged people including women, disability and Minorities.
• Any other duty assigned by your supervisor related to your work.

Scale and scope of position:

Staff:

Lawyers will in directly guide and manage the LAC field paralegals under the IDLO funded project.

Stakeholders:

Key external stakeholders the post has relationships with (e.g. INGOs, local NGOs, civil society, governmental bodies)