Legal Coordinator - Rohingya Crisis

LAW’s ground-breaking Rohingya Crisis programme seeks to ensure meaningful Rohingya participation in the ongoing international justice processes seeking accountability for their persecution in Myanmar, including engagement with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (The Gambia v. Myanmar); the ongoing investigation by the Officer of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the work of the Independent Investigative Mechanism on Myanmar (IIMM). Additionally, LAW undertakes innovative strategic litigation on behalf of more than 300 Rohingya clients and ensures Rohingya voices are prioritized throughout its advocacy.

A key aspect of the programme is LAW’s network of over 70 Rohingya Survivor Advocates, who are given ongoing training to provide legal information to the community about international justice mechanisms related to the Rohingya Crisis and provide peer-support to individuals participating in international justice process and along with support in accessing services, especially to survivors of sexual and gender-based violence. In addition to empowering Rohingya women and girls, LAW works closely with Rohingya male and hijra survivors of sexual and gender-based violence to ensure their experiences and needs are mainstreamed in the ongoing international justice and accountability processes.

LAW is looking for an experienced and dedicated Legal Coordinator with excellent inter-personal skills and experience in case management, client support, programme implementation within an INGO to join the LAW Family. You will be reporting directly to the Programme Manager and overseeing the key pillars of LAW’s Rohingya Crisis programme – the legal initiatives; the capacity building for the network of Survivor Advocates, and the high-level and grass-roots advocacy to ensure that the international justice and accountability discourse for the Rohingya is informed by the needs and perspectives of the community.

The Legal Coordinator will work closely with the Programme Manager and the Legal Advisor(s) to support legal research, drafting policy briefs, and implement relevant activities to support LAW’s clients. The post holder will perform duties in accordance with the responsibilities outlined below:

Legal and Research:

• Research supporting LAW’s strategic litigation, including drafting, advice, and coordination both internally and externally;
• Pre-screening and interviewing of individual survivors and witnesses of sexual and gender-based violence and other serious international crimes;
• Develop high quality legal documents including submissions, position papers, reports, and legal briefs;
• To support and develop case management and filings for LAW’s field office;
• Design and devise delivery of trainings and briefings on international law and human rights both internally and externally.
• Assist with any community participatory research initiatives.

Programmatic:

• Support the field team to address queries from clients/survivors seeking legal information and preparing legal updates for the clients;
• Rapport building with relevant service providers, stakeholders, sectors within the Rohingya response to ensure a holistic legal counseling and assistance, along with protection delivery as needed;
• Support the field team in holding community engagement sessions with survivors and key informants on justice priorities;
• Support effective implementation of the activities by advising the Programme Manager on the community inputs, in line with donor requirements and LAW policies.
• Contributing to new initiatives or transforming an existing one into a more impactful, especially in a multi-cultural environment;
• Support with the preparation of training materials, guidance notes and resources for Survivor Advocates and delivering training and workshops to the Survivor Advocates;
• Support in organising external workshops that deliver training to Survivor Advocates.
• Monitor and review the work of Survivor Advocates including the community awareness sessions and referrals undertaken by them; propose recommendations on how to improve coordination and information delivery;
• Support the monitoring of log frames on project activities, in collaboration with the management.

Advocacy and Communications:

• Promote LAW’s innovation and thought leadership, including LAW expert roundtables, and the development of LAW policy and positioning on key thematic issues;
• Develop grassroots advocacy initiatives through conceptualizing effective outreach material in collaboration with the Programme Manager, Legal Advisors and Programme Coordinator;
• Promote the profile and visibility of the programme and represent LAW on national and regional platforms, when required;
• Establish networks with local and international NGO’s and participate in coordination mechanisms at a regional level.

Any other duties as specified by the Programme Manager.

If you are an exceptional individual who is passionate to make a difference, we would like to hear from you. Please submit your CV and cover 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 Coordinator Rohingya Crisis Programme’. The deadline for applications is 15th January 2024.

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.