Legal Services Consultant

Result of Service Provision of efficient, timely and high-quality legal services to OSLA and its clients.

Work Location Home Based

Expected duration 6 months

Duties and Responsibilities The Office of Staff Legal Assistance (OSLA) is headed by a Chief who, without prejudice to his or her responsibility to provide legal assistance to staff members in an independent and impartial manner, is accountable to the Executive Director. Under the authority of the Executive Director, the Chief is responsible for the management and proper functioning of the programme of legal assistance to staff members in the internal justice system, including in administrative, disciplinary and appellate proceedings before the United Nations Dispute Tribunal (UNDT) and the United Nations Appeals Tribunal (UNAT).

Under the supervision of the Chief of OSLA, the legal services consultant will perform the following duties:

• Provide legal advice to clients in matters related to their terms of appointment;
• Represent and litigate on behalf of clients before the UNDT and UNAT;
• Prepare written and oral submissions to the UNDT and UNAT;
• Identify cases amenable to informal resolution and assist clients in the settlement process;
• Assist in responding to complex inquiries and correspondence;
• Conduct extensive legal research and provide detailed analysis of cases and jurisprudence;
• Provide legal advice on diverse substantive and procedural questions;
• Assist the Office in producing accurate, comprehensive submissions, including by reviewing draft submissions for any inconsistencies or inaccuracies;
• Assist in maintaining the Office's registers (electronic and online) and a legal precedent reporting database;

• Perform other duties as required by the Chief of OSLA.

  Qualifications/special skills Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent degree) in international law. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. Five years of progressive experience in law, including legal analysis, research and writing is required. Experience as an advocate/litigator before courts and tribunals is required. Experience in administrative law in an international organization is desirable

  Languages English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of French is desirable. Knowledge of another official United Nations language is desirable.

  No Fee THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.