Legal Officer Non-profit Careers – Danish Refugee Council (DRC)

Job Title:      Legal Officer
Organisation: Danish Refugee Council (DRC)
Duty Station: Arua /Rhinocamp, Uganda
Reports to: Protection and Community Service Officer
About DRC:
The
Danish Refugee Council (DRC) is a private, independent, humanitarian
organization working on all aspects of the refugee cause in more than 36
countries throughout the world. The aim of DRC is to protect refugees and
internally displaced persons (IDPs) against persecution and to promote durable
solutions to the problems of forced migration, on the basis of humanitarian
principles and human rights. DRC works in accordance with the UN Conventions on
Refugees and the Code of Conduct for the ICRC and NGOs in Disaster Relief.
Job Summary: The Legal Officer will primarily ensure quality
implementation of the legal assistance component and synergy with the larger
protection and community services components which constitute the overall DRC
program. The incumbent will mainly be responsible to identify and train para-legal
staff members, to develop relevant IEC material to disseminate main information
on legal concerns for refugees and host community. The Legal Officer will also
be responsible for representing refugees in courts and to support the
preparation of their legal dossier in coordination with the OPM and UNHCR. The incumbent
is also responsible to represent DRC in any relevant field based thematic
meetings with stakeholders and otherwise as needed. In addition, Legal Officer
will be responsible for complying with donors and internal DRC reporting and
accountability policy and procedures. He/she is also tasked with providing
technical assistance and guidance to mainstream the legal component across
programs in all sectors.
Key Duties and Responsibilities: 
1. General Duties:
  • Render support in advocacy efforts undertaken
    by DRC with a view to introduce and enlarge the protection of all refugees
    in Rhino camp refugee settlement.
  • Provide support in protection trainings and
    promoting the laws on the rights of children, women and Humanity in
    general.
  • Keenly analyses all cases that need legal
    support, document legal related information and advises on best solutions
    for criminal and no criminal   
    offences.
  • Carry out monthly prison visits in Arua,
    Koboko and other prisons within the region and make reports for any
    findings.
  • Make follow-ups on any court cases that have
    refugees involved and share information with partners and parties
    responsible.
  • Provide legal counseling to all persons of
    concern in need.
  • Support in conducting BIDs as well as signing
    foster agreements.
  • Coordinate all legal activities including
    attending court during hearings involving refugees.
  • Follow up with police on any referrals to any
    other station or prison.
  • Provide legal Education to the refugee
    communities.
  • Prepare and submit reports as and when they
    are supposed to i.e., weekly, monthly, quarterly, etc.
  • Write and follow up on any legal
    correspondence in the settlement.
2. Staff development and
management:
  • Offer technical and programmatic leadership
    for the DRC protection staff members and community based mechanisms in
    Rhino camp operational area.
  • Develop staff performance measurement and
    targets and appraise them based on the set targets, as needed.
  • Carry out field visits to support field
    staffs – mentoring – through technical back stopping and to train duty
    bearers.
  • Uphold DRC’s code of conduct and principles
    of accountability.
3. Logistics /Finance:
  • The incumbent assists the Protection and
    Community Services Coordinator to monitor financial commitments and
    expenditures against budgets and provide timely feedback on budget follow
    ups.
  • Plan and coordinate proactively logistics and
    movements of staff from and to different clusters. 
  • Perform any other duties assigned.
Qualifications, Skills and Experience: 
  • The ideal candidate for the Danish Refugee
    Council (DRC) Legal Officer career placement must hold a Bachelor degree
    in any of the following: law, human rights, social sciences or related
    field.
  • At least three years of professional work
    experience in legal protection and assistance, especially for refugees and
    INGOs or UN.
  • Proven record of providing trainings and
    workshops on different protection areas: international law, refugee law
    and international humanitarian law including Uganda law.
  • Excellent analytical, strategic and
    communication skills.
  • Strong computer literacy and report writing
    skills.
  • Excellent interpersonal skills and
    demonstrated ability to establish effective working relations with the
    other team members and other stakeholders.
  • Ability to work under pressure, culturally
    sensitive, and ability to work with minimal supervision.
How to Apply:
All
suitably qualified and interested candidates should send their applications
including;
  • A cover letter (1 page) in which you explain
    why you are interested in the position and how you meet the qualities and
    qualifications criteria and please indicate your salary expectations
  • Updated and detailed -The CV should include
    information about your qualifications, relevant training courses, work
    experience, and name and contact details of three relevant references.
The
complete application package should be uploaded online, Click
Here
Deadline: 29th April 2016
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