Job Description

Under the supervision of the Legal Technical Specialist and Senior Protection Manager, the legal consultant will contribute to reducing and preventing statelessness and promoting legal protection for stateless persons in Lebanon, through identification of legal needs in the field, and the provision of legal services including legal awareness sessions, legal counseling and legal assistance and representation before relevant administrative bodies and/or courts to Stateless cases.

The legal consultant will be responsible for:

- Conducting legal and field research and compiling relevant legal laws and jurisprudence verdicts, forming the domestic legal framework for stateless in Lebanon, - Developing the legal content on statelessness for information and counselling sessions purposes, - Providing information sessions on birth registration steps and stateless cases, - Providing legal counseling on civil documentation and stateless cases, - Providing direct legal assistance and representation to stateless cases before the Lebanese authorities and the judiciary.

The legal consultant will conduct field visits according to shared schedules to provide consistent follow-up with beneficiaries as needed. The legal consultant will work with community leaders to support advocacy at the community level and engage in mediation and negotiation as needed.

The legal service provider should have previous experience working on stateless cases.

Deliverables:

Legal case management:

- Provide clients with legal counselling on issues including but not limited to stateless cases and civil status documentation. - Provide direct legal support to assist beneficiaries to access civil status documentation, including but not limited to birth and marriage registration. - Provide direct legal support to assist beneficiaries accessing services such as education and health. - Represent stateless cases in different courts. - Mediation with private stakeholders and authorities, including and not limited to eviction cases. - Conduct field visit to Informal Tented Settlements and residential areas to ensure adequate follow-up on cases. - Manage the hotline while present in the office as per Sr Protection Manager request.

Legal information sessions:

- Develop legal content for information sessions in coordination with the Legal Technical Specialist. - Ensure provision of the most updated legal information according to IRC’s guidance notes. - Conduct legal information sessions in coordination with the protection team / Legal team and in adherence with set targets.

Reporting:

- Enter every case on the dedicated platform on a daily basis. - Provide a progress report according to set templates to direct supervisor and Sr Protection Managers under the guidance and support from Legal Technical Specialist on monthly basis. - Analyze data and highlight trends, legal protection needs and changes in legal frameworks and practices in reports. - Keep records of the urgent legal needs identified and the actions taken to assist persons of concern. Upon requests Legal consultant can be asked to conduct other duties by supervisor according to changes in context.

Key Stakeholders and Relationships

- Legal consultant will be accountable to direct supervisor and Senior Protection Managers in North and Beirut and Mount Lebanon. - Close coordination and support from Legal Technical Specialist. - Close coordination with other colleagues within Protection including case management, cash for Protection teams, Women empowerment, Child protection, Health and Livelihoods and other programs, TU staff, and external counterparts. - Close working relationship with IRC Lebanon field office.

Qualifications

Work Experience:

- At least two years of prior professional experience in a similar post, preferably with an international organization. - Good protection background and knowledge of the statelessness in Lebanon. - Member of Beirut or Tripoli Bar Association.

Demonstrated Skills and Competencies:

- Strong management and organizational skills. - Excellent time management skills and ability to meet deadlines. - Good interpersonal skills and ability to work as part of a team, as well as independently. - Flexible and able to work in a dynamic and diverse environment. - Must be computer literate (Microsoft Word and Excel).

Education: Law Degree from an accredited University. Master’s degree preferred

Language Skills: High standard of spoken and written Arabic and English is required.