Lawyer - Kirkuk/Tooz

Job Description

The International Rescue Committee responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, IRC offers life-saving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in more than 40 countries and in 22 U.S. cities, IRC restores safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted by conflict or disaster. IRC leads the way from harm to home.

CONTEXTUAL BACKGROUND

IRC working in coordination with the humanitarian community, the IRC currently addresses the needs of conflict-affected populations from several operational bases across Iraq. IRC’s activities focus primarily on the protection and legal assistance, cash assistance and livelihood, distribution of non-food items, education and women and children’s protection, and form part of an over-arching humanitarian response in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Syria, Iraq and the region that seeks to assist refugees, IDPs and war-affected people survive conflict and displacement.

Job Overview/Summary:

Under the direct supervision of the Legal Team Leader / Protection and Rule of Law Manager, the Lawyer will conduct daily field visits to identify legal needs, provide legal counselling and case management, deliver legal information and awareness sessions, identify clients, and take on legal cases according to his/her caseload and legal specialty (civil documentation, family law, personal status, housing, land, and property, and possibly detention or missing person cases).

Major Responsibilities:

1. Conduct daily field visits to identify the legal needs. 2. Provide individual legal counselling, advice, casework services and representation before courts and administrative bodies in areas of civil documentation, personal status, family law, HLP, and possibly detention and missing person cases. 3. Carry out all legal services in line with Iraqi law, Humanitarian Principles, and internal ethical and best practice procedures including all Standard Operating Procedures related to the legal program, as well as the IRC Way Policy. 4. Advocate on behalf of clients and make direct interventions with local authorities (e.g. phone calls, letters or meetings) or other organizations (NGOs) or international organizations (UN), were appropriate. 5. Provide legal awareness sessions based on previously identified needs, to the communities, mainly on civil documentation, personal status, family law, HLP, and possibly detention and missing person cases. 6. Ensure all case files are complete with court documents, receipts, signed Legal Service Agreements and case closure forms. Archive all legal cases in secure storage within the IRC office, in individual casefiles, ensuring respect of client confidentiality. 7. Maintain correct and updated and accurate documentation of all legal activities on the CommCare data management system. 8. Keep appropriate records of participants in legal awareness sessions and collect information of individuals benefited from legal counselling. 9. Treat clients with respect and dignity and ensure to clearly communicate their legal rights and options. Ensure client’s confidentiality is respected and take special measures to ensure a sensitive approach is taken in legal service delivery towards highly vulnerable clients. 10. Make appropriate and safe referrals both internally and externally for beneficiaries needing non-legal assistance and follow-up using the correct referral forms. 11. Prepare and send daily/weekly field reports to the Legal Team Leader/Protection and Rule of Law Manager and raise any protection concern or rights violation observed in the area, according to best practices in term of confidentiality and safety of beneficiaries. 12. Provide weekly work plan to supervisor outlining caseload and movements. 13. Perform other duties, as required by the supervisor.

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to: Legal Team Leader/Protection and Rule of Law Manager Position directly supervises: N/A

Indirect Reporting: Senior Legal Manager/Protection Coordinator Other Internal and/or external contacts:

Internal: WPE, ERD and CP team, MEAL, IMS

External: local community and partners

Qualifications

Requirements:

Demonstrated Skills and Competencies: Good understanding of humanitarian principles, good communication skills including ability to gain trust and build relationships with new communities, basic computer skills including Microsoft Word, Excel and Power point, experience in regular report writing.

Language Skills: High standard of spoken and written Arabic. And English and Turkmen is preferred.

1. Bachelor’s degree in law. 2. Member of Iraq Bar Association (class B). 3. At least 2-4 years’ experience in practicing law (practitioner degree). 4. Experience working in an NGO or working in the humanitarian/development sector. 5. Experience working with IDPs, returnees and host communities. 6. Belief in human rights including gender equality. 7. Strong respect for ethical legal practice. 8. Experience working with people from different backgrounds. 9. Practical understanding of Microsoft office applications.

Standards of Professional Conduct:

The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.

Gender Equality

IRC is committed to narrowing the gender gap in leadership positions. We offer benefits that provide an enabling environment for women to participate in our workforce including maternity leave, gender-sensitive security protocols and other supportive benefits and allowances. Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

Attention Returning National Candidates:

IRC strives to attract, motivate and retain qualified national staff in our programs. We strongly encourage national or returning national candidates to apply for this position. If you are a national of the country in which this position is based and are currently located outside of your home country and possess over two years of international work experience, IRC has introduced an attractive remuneration package. The package includes competitive compensation, return flight to post, shipping allowance, temporary housing and a relocation allowance. Certain restrictions may apply.

Notice to all Job Seekers IRC implements an equal employment opportunity policy and our recruitment process is based on merit.

Applicants and/or successful interview candidates (both internal and external) are not required to pay any fees at any stage of the recruitment process.

If anyone asks you for any financial or non-financial favors to help you secure a job at IRC, kindly report to Iraqhr@rescue.org

ملاحظة لكل الباحثين عن وظيفة

تعتمد لجنة الانقاذ الدولية سياسة فرص عمل متساوية و ان عملية التوظيف لدينا تعتمد على الجدارة.

لا يتوجب على المتقدمين لاي وظيفة او المؤهلين للمقابلات (سواء كانوا موظفين حالين او متقدمين من خارج المنظمة) دفع اي مبلغ مالي خلال اي مرحلة من مراحل التوظيف.

اذا قام اي شخص بطلب اي خدمة مالية او غير مالية لقاء مساعدتكم في تأمين فرصة عمل داخل المنظمة ،يرجى الابلاغ عن ذلك الى Iraqhr@rescue.org