Legal Officer

Volunteering Legal

Overview

Provide legal support and guidance to NGOs assisting returnees in Iraq.

You have:

• Licensed and practicing Lawyer/Advocate in Iraq, with a minimum of 3 years of active legal practice.
• Strong knowledge of the Iraqi legal system, including procedures related to civil documentation and court/administrative processes.
• Demonstrated experience providing legal assistance and/or supporting communities affected by displacement, as a qualified lawyer or legal intern with an NGO, the UN or law firm is an asset.
• Knowledge of conflict, displacement and reintegration dynamics in Iraq and the region.
• Fluent in English and Arabic is a must. Knowledge of Kurdish languages is an added advantage.

Contract

This is a UNV contract. More about UNV contracts.

As the United Nations lead agency on international development, UNDP works in 170 countries and territories to eradicate poverty and reduce inequality. We help countries to develop policies, leadership skills, partnering abilities, institutional capabilities, and to build resilience to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Our work is concentrated in three focus areas: sustainable development, democratic governance and peace building, and climate and disaster resilience. UNDP Iraq has been implementing a project to reintegrate Iraqi returning from Northeast Syria Al Hol Camp. Nearly half of Al Hol returnees lack essential civil documents such as birth certificates, national ID cards, and Public Distribution System IDs. Without these, individuals, especially women and children, face barriers to accessing public services and face heightened risks of social exclusion or secondary displacement. UNDP, is implementing a program on Community Reconciliation and Reintegration of Iraqi returning from Al Hol Camp (CRRISA) for the last which in 2026 and 27, is planning to deliver targeted legal awareness, advice, and representation for returnees, particularly women and children with complex cases, to secure civil documentation and safeguard their rights as part of the broader social economic reintegration. Legal aid and representation will target UNDP beneficiaries only, complementing the work of other agencies.

Under the overall supervision and guidance of the Reintegration Specialist, the legal Officer will provide technical support, quality assurance and coordination assistance to the NGOs delivering legal aid to returnees and their families, with a focus on facilitating access to civil documentation, under the CRRISA Project by carrying out the following tasks: • Provide technical advice and quality assurance on partner’s preparation, review and submission of case files, forms and supporting documentation required for administrative and judicial procedures leading to securing legal documents for returnees under CRRISA project. • Conduct legal research and prepare guidance notes on complex legal issues affecting returnees’ legal status and advise partners on appropriate case approaches in line with applicable Iraqi legal procedures. • Support the design and delivery of training sessions and knowledge-sharing initiatives to promote awareness of legal issues among the NGOs working with UNDP (CRRISA) on legal issues of returnees as well as sensitization of returnees themselves. • Strengthen and monitor partner case management processes, how NGOs are providing support to returnees in need of legal documentation support and report on the progress and challenges while supporting the process. • Coordinate and liaise with relevant Government counterparts and other stakeholders to advocate and facilitate the work of UNDP in providing legal documentation to returnees UNDP beneficiaries, and address systemic obstacles affecting returnees’ access to civil documentation. • Provide general support to the CRRISA Program on ongoing projects.

• Achieve Results: Plans and monitors own work, pay attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline. • Think Innovatively: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements. • Learn Continuously: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback. • Adapt with Agility: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty; is flexible. • Act with Determination: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident. • Engage and Partner: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships. • Enable Diversity and Inclusion: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination.

• Licensed and practicing Laywer/Advocate in Iraq, with a minimum of 3 years of active legal practice. • Strong knowledge of the Iraqi legal system, including procedures related to civil documentation and court/administrative processes. • Demonstrated experience providing legal assistance and/or supporting communities affected by displacement, as a qualified lawyer or legal intern with an NGO, the UN or law firm is an asset. • Knowledge of conflict, displacement and reintegration dynamics in Iraq and the region. • Fluent in English and Arabic is a must. Knowledge of Kurdish languages is an added advantage. Cross-Functional and Technical Competencies • Business Development – Knowledge Generation: Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need • Business Management – Communication: Ability to communicate in a clear, concise and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor • messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience. • Legal – Knowledge of applicable legal framework: Understanding of the legal norms as applied to Iraq in particular. • Legal – Legal Writing Skills: The ability to analyze fact patterns and present argumentation in written form. It also includes the ability to convey legal analysis and recommendations to internal parties in written form. • Legal – Legal Research: The ability to identify and retrieve information to support legal positions from all relevant sources.

As this is a national UN Volunteer assignment, the UN Volunteer will be responsible for arranging his/her own housing and other living essentials. National UN Volunteers receive a volunteer living allowance to sustain a basic, adequate, and safe lifestyle. This allowance varies from one location to another depending on local living costs, but all national UN Volunteers in the same location receive the same allowance. Below is a summary of the Conditions of Service. Allowances: The purpose of allowances for national UN Volunteers is to enable the national UN Volunteers to sustain a modest and secure standard of living at the duty station. The allowances are in no way to be understood as compensation, reward, or salary in exchange for the volunteer work. The purpose of this allowance is to cover the basic living costs of the national UN Volunteer, and Her/his family when applicable. The allowance is to ensure that the volunteer can sustain a basic, adequate, and safe lifestyle. • Monthly Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA) at the amount of USD 1,724.16. • Entry lump sum(one time): USD 400 • Exit allowance (paid on successful completion of the assignment): USD 1,724.16. for 12 months • Annual and learning leaves • Medical and life Insurance • Free access to different learning platforms. For more information on UN Volunteer benefits, entitlements and support, please visit: https://www.unv.org/volunteer-your-country-conditions-service

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Potential interview questions

Added 5 months ago - Updated 4 months ago - Source: unv.org