Associate Legal Advisor at the International Commission of Jurists

 The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) is a worldwide network of judges and lawyers united in affirming international law and rule of law principles that advance human rights.

We are seeking to recruit an Associate Legal Adviser to work on our Europe Programme from our International Secretariat in Geneva. The Associate Legal Adviser will work on the Europe region with a particular focus on the Russian Federation and other countries in the CIS region, in particular Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. The Europe Regional Programme aims to strengthen legal protection of human rights and the rule of law in Europe, and to protect and advance regional human rights law standards. The Programme uses its expertise of international human rights law and standards to influence the development of law and policy in the region, at both the regional and national levels, in particular in the areas of counter-terrorism, migration, and criminal justice. The Programme also supports and protects judges and lawyers under threat in the region.

Under the supervision of the Senior Legal Adviser for the Europe Programme, and in co-ordination with other ICJ legal and administrative staff, the Associate Legal Adviser, Europe Programme, contributes to implementation of the ICJ’s programme of work in Russia and other countries in the CIS region, in particular by:

• Organising ICJ missions, trial observations or seminars in the CIS region including managing practical arrangements, liaising with local partners and arranging meetings;
• Researching and writing background briefings for missions, including analysis of relevant national and international law;
• Researching and writing training materials for seminars, drawing on national law and practice and international human rights law standards;
• Assisting in the preparation of reports of the missions or trial observations;
• Review and editing of papers prepared by ICJ consultants on national law and practice relevant to human rights protection in the region;
• Liaising with consultants, the ICJ Publications Officer and others regarding publications;
• Translating short documents from English into Russian or vice-versa where necessary;
• Monitoring relevant legal and policy developments in Russia and the CIS region;
• Research on human rights law and practice in the region to support ICJ interventions including submissions to UN bodies, press releases and reports;
• Contribute to fundraising for the programme.

Education and Experience

• A degree in law from a country in the region or including significant elements of national law of a country in the region. Further academic studies in international law or human rights law highly desirable;
• Excellent and practical knowledge of international human rights law and of relevant international, regional and national jurisprudence;
• Working experience with a non-governmental organisation or an intergovernmental organisation an asset.

Essential Skills

• Excellent legal and policy judgment and proven capacity for legal and policy analysis;
• Understanding of the human rights situation in the region;
• Knowledge of relevant governmental, non-governmental and inter-governmental actors in the region;
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills;
• Fluency in Russian and English;
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills and ability to work as part of a multi-cultural team;
• At ease with fundraising and outreach;
• Demonstrated commitment to human rights and the rule of law.

APPLICATIONS close on 10 April 2011 and should be addressed with your resume, a cover letter and the names of at least 2 references to:

Ref: Associate Legal Adviser, Europe Programme:

By email: recruitment@icj.org

Or by post: International Commission of Jurists, P.O. Box 91, 1211 Geneva 8, Switzerland

Please appreciate that due to the volume of applications, only short-listed candidates will be contacted. We cannot answer phone enquiries, thank you for your understanding.