Legal Services Consultant
Provide high-quality legal services efficiently and timely.
Overview
Provide high-quality legal services efficiently and timely.
You have:
- Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent degree) in international law.
- 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.
- Fluency in English is required.
- Knowledge of French is desirable.
- Knowledge of another official United Nations language is desirable.
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.
Potential interview questions
| Can you describe a complex legal issue you managed successfully? | We want to assess your problem-solving skills and legal acumen. | Discuss the legal issue, the actions you took, and the outcome. |
| How do you prioritize competing deadlines in litigation? | This question evaluates your time management and organizational skills. | Pro members can see the explanation. |
| What strategies do you use for effective legal research? | Pro members can see the explanation. | Pro members can see the explanation. |
| Describe a situation where you had to provide difficult legal advice. | Pro members can see the explanation. | Pro members can see the explanation. |
| How do you handle conflicts of interest in your cases? | Pro members can see the explanation. | Pro members can see the explanation. |