Lawyers On Call for Service (LOCS)

Four (4) lawyers will constitute Legal Services for Access to Justice for Burundian Refugees' (LS4AJ) standby unit of Lawyers On Call for Service (LOCS) to provide speedy, free and quality legal assistance to Burundian refugees. In this regard, 1 lawyer will be deployed in Kigali, 1 in Mahama camp, 1 in Nyanza transit center and 1 in Bugesera transit center. LOCS will be hired as consultants.

Duties and responsibilities:

• Be readily available in Kigali or allocated site for a minimum of 3 days per week to ensure proper support and follow up of cases;
  
• Provide close follow up of cases of refugees survivors of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV), child abuse crimes or any other common law crime before relevant authorities, including specifically the police, public prosecution, and courts;
  
• Ensure that persons suspected to have committed SGBV, child abuse or any other crime against Burundian refugees are effectively prosecuted, convicted, and/or serving their sentence according to the law;
  
• Ensure that Burundian refugees prosecuted for SGBV, child protection incident or any other crime enjoy a due process and receive a fair trial before relevant judicial organs including police stations, public prosecution offices, and courts of law by either assisting or representing them;
  
• Represent Burundian refugees before courts of law in order to obtain a suppletory judgment to facilitate birth registration of their children;
  
• File and follow up with administrative authorities about the request for birth registration of newborns or other children whose birth certificates were not established within the regular legal timeframe;
  
• Writing sound and quality submissions or advices in relation to any case assigned to them;
  
• Identify training needs for beneficiaries and stakeholders and, as relevant, prepare and conduct training;
  
• Prepare and submit on a weekly basis a report of any duties discharged following a format that will be agreed upon with the Project Manager
  
• Support Plan International team on advocacy and awareness raising within camp and host community as needed on relevant topics such as refugee rights, human rights, SGBV law, child protection, etc.
  
• Perform any other task as assigned by Project Manager
  

Requirements:

• At least a Bachelor’s degree in law (LL.B.)
  
• To be a practicing lawyer in good standing with Rwanda Bar Association
  
• To have been lawyering for at least 2 years in Rwanda
  
• To be registered with Rwanda Revenue Authority (Tax Identification Number required)
  
• Prior training on human rights, SGBV, and child protection is desirable
  
• Good command of written and spoken English with very good proficiency in Kinyarwanda. A working knowledge of Kirundi could be an asset
  
• An advanced knowledge of national and international laws and procedures pertaining to the protection of refugees
  
• To reside in Kigali, Mahama, Nyanza or Bugesera or any other immediate surrounding area in order to allow prompt availability (this MUST be highlighted in the motivation letter)   
  

How to apply?
Interested candidates are requested to send a motivation letter (not more than 750 words) with their detailed CV to: jobs@iphr-ipdh.org with a copy to president@iphr-ipdh.org before 15 September 2015 at 15h00 Kigali time.

Incomplete applications or those received after this deadline will not be considered. The position for which the candidate is applying MUST appear in the object of the email (example: LS4AJ Lawyer - Bugesera).

Every applicant will be notified about the outcome of their application. Short-listed candidates will be requested to present the evidence of their qualifications on the day of interview. Selected candidates should be available to start working IMMEDIATELY.