Legal Fellow at the Center for Justice and International Law

EMPLOYMENT TYPE: Full time

TIME RESTRICTED POSITION: 6 months

STARTING DATE: Immediately

The Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL) seeks a bilingual (Spanish/English) legal fellow to provide support for our legal defense team with our current litigation of human rights cases before the Inter-American System for the Protection of Human Rights. This position will be based in Washington, DC. Established in 1991 by a group of prominent Latin American human rights defenders, CEJIL is a regional organization that works to promote human rights throughout the Hemisphere through the effective use of the Inter-American System. For more information about our organization, please visit our website at www.cejil.org.

QUALIFICATIONS NEEDED:

• Law Degree (Masters preferred but not required);

• Two years of work experience in the field of human rights, preferably at the international level;

• Strong analytical skills and the ability to develop convincing legal arguments;

• Bilingual English-Spanish, with outstanding Spanish writing skills and oral fluency;
• Ability to work on own initiative and work with others as part of a team;

• Strong organizational skills, ability to handle complex litigation, ability to work under pressure and on various projects at once;

• Willingness to travel and work in a multicultural environment;

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Support the litigation of cases before the Inter-American Commission and Court of Human Rights as well as other international bodies, in conjunction with CEJIL legal staff;

• Investigate facts and law of cases to determine causes of action and to prepare cases;

• Prepare legal arguments and compile evidence in coordination with CEJIL’s Directors;

• Identify appropriate laws, judicial decisions, legal articles, and other materials that are relevant to assigned cases;

• Design and support training sessions, workshops, and materials about the Inter-American System or international human rights law;

• Completing institutional responsibilities, such as writing reports and work plans, among other things;

• Assisting with general administrative tasks;

• Other duties as may be assigned from time to time.

TIME COMMITMENT: Six months full time.
FELLOWSHIP SALARY: based on experience.

CEJIL assures equal employment opportunities for all qualified persons without discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, disability, or sexual orientation

Interested candidates should send a cover letter and resume no later than June 27th, 2011 by email only to washington@cejil.org (subject: 2011 Fellow Search).

Only candidates selected for interviews will be contacted.
 

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis. Short-listed applicants will be interviewed in Washington, DC or by phone.

Final candidates will eventually be asked to submit a writing sample in Spanish and write a legal brief on a topic relevant to the Inter-American System.

NO PHONE CALLS, PLEASE