Legal Officer – Erbil

Purpose/objective of the position:

The Legal Officer is responsible for the technical supervision and coordination of all legal activities under the supervision of the Protection Manager. S/he will ensure that training and capacity building needs of field protection staff are timely addressed and that the protection services and activities meet quality standards in the sector.

Generic Duties:

• Provide technical guidance and support to legal staff (lawyers and legal assistants), ensuring quality in the implementation of activities and services as well as the adherence to protection standards;

• Support the field teams with the development of technically sound (monthly & weekly) work plans, consistent with the goals and objectives of the project;
• Maintain regular and positive collaboration with colleagues to enhance synergies and ensure that intervention between the different project components is harmonized and that protection is mainstreamed into the other sectors of intervention;
• Participate in the recruitment of project staff, provide objective feedback with regards to staff performance (evaluate performance and deliverables against job descriptions), expectations and areas for growth and professional development;

• Identify capacity building needs of legal staff by assessing their knowledge and skills and accordingly provide learning opportunities through training, workshops and/or simulation exercises; ensure continuous on the job coaching and mentoring;
• Support the Protection Manager in developing and/or updating protection tools and training material in order to meet the project’s requirements;
• Contribute to the development of quality internal/external reports and project proposals, providing relevant protection data, insight and analysis;
• Ensure that INTERSOS data protection, PSEA and CP policies are shared, understood and upheld by all staff in compliance with the highest standards of privacy and confidentiality;
• Establish and maintain collaborative relations with relevant partners and other project stakeholders working in the project areas;
• Contribute to the maintenance of an up-to-date service mapping of the service providers operating in the area and take proactive steps to remain informed about the available services;
• Proactively participate in relevant coordination meetings, as requested by the Protection Manager;
• Other duties as assigned by the Protection Manager.

Specific Duties:

• Manage and supervise a team of legal assistants and lawyers;
• Provide coaching and technical guidance to the legal staff to ensure quality and timely implementation of legal activities including: (i) provision of legal information, counselling and assistance to vulnerable persons on civil documentation and family law; (ii) planning and conducting awareness raising sessions on issues related to the law;
• Monitor and evaluate the impact of legal activities on beneficiaries;
• Receive external and internal referrals in line with set criteria and allocate them among lawyers;
• Maintain and update a database of legal cases and a database of internal and external referrals. Provide timely feedback to INTERSOS Case Management staff or to other agencies for cases who were referred for legal assistance;
• Monitor that progress on individual cases is documented by the lawyers/legal assistants, ensure the proper filing and archiving of individual legal files to maintain data confidentiality, respecting strict protocols for confidentiality and consent;

• Regularly verify the status of the legal database, conduct case audits to ensure that cases meet and maintain compliance with established SOPs and minimum standards in legal assistance; provide feedback to lawyers and legal assistants;

• Participate in case meetings for complex cases with a legal issue, if requested by the Protection Manager;
• Regularly analyze data, elaborate on trends and legal situation to feed into relevant reports;
• Provide technical guidance to the development of the legal program and related material (legal brochures, legal awareness);
• Plan and facilitate the induction process for all newly recruited lawyers and legal assistants on protection principles, safe identification and referral procedures, legal SOPs other relevant topics;
• Contribute to the drafting of yearly/monthly financial plan for the relevant budget lines. Ensure monthly follow up on progress of budget expenditures against financial plan and preparation of weekly liquidity plan.
• Coordinate with field staff and with the INTERSOS Logistic Department for materials and services needed to implement activities in the field.

Person Specification:

Education and professional experience:

• Advanced university degree in law;
• Minimum two years of relevant professional experience (of which at least 1 year in a supervisory role);
• Previous working experience with IDPs, refugees and returnees;
• Excellent knowledge of the Iraqi legal system and legal procedures;
• Strong knowledge of international protection and human rights legal standards;

Competencies: (Knowledge, Skills & Abilities)

• Computer literacy (Word, Excel, Power Point)
• Good leadership skills
• Strong technical knowledge in protection and psycho-social support
• High confidentiality, respect and a non-discriminatory attitude
• Good interpersonal and communication skills
• Strong analytical and report writing skills
• Strong planning and organizational skills
• Ability to work under pressure and as part of a team
• Fluency in Arabic and Kurdish (written and spoken)
• Proficiency in English (written and spoken)