Legal Fellow at the Resettlement Legal Aid Project at St. Andrew's Refugee Services

The Resettlement Legal Aid Project (RLAP) at St. Andrew’s Refugee Services provides legal aid to vulnerable refugees in Cairo, including advocacy, assistance in testimony drafting, and other referral services. 

Read more at www.rlap.net.
Vacancy: Legal Fellow
 Duties:

• Represent refugees in resettlement application process, including appeals and requests for reconsideration with UNHCR and IOM.
• Contribute to RLAP’s overall legal advocacy strategy, including evaluating requests for appointments, conducting intake interviews, representing clients, communicating with UNHCR and IOM, and working in conjunction with Program Director & Staff Attorneys to identify and carry out research initiatives that are likely to further RLAP’s mission.
• Work with Program Director & Staff Attorneys to recruit, train, and oversee work of volunteer staff. Conduct intensive one week training for new volunteers two times per year.
• Review and edit client testimonies and other documents prepared by volunteers, ensuring the highest quality representation for clients, and actionable feedback for volunteers.
• Supervise volunteers’ daily work, providing case-specific advice along with general guidance for volunteers without legal backgrounds.
• Stay current on refugee issues in Egypt and the home countries of RLAP’s clients and work to maintain an atmosphere of information sharing throughout RLAP.
• Work to maintain and develop partnerships with other refugee service organizations in Cairo.

The ideal candidate will be energetic, articulate and comfortable interacting with diverse segments of society. Ideally, he or she will have demonstrated a firm commitment to human rights and refugee issues.
Essential qualifications:

• JD or equivalent. 2012 graduates encouraged to apply.
• Previous experience with refugees, immigration, human rights, or rule of law.
• Excellent legal research and drafting skills.
• Proven ability to work as part of a culturally diverse team.
• Fluency in oral and written English, Arabic an advantage.
• Ability to live and work in a fluid security environment.

Desirable Characteristics:

• Experience designing and conducting trainings for non-technical audiences.
• Managerial experience or familiarity with the supervision of volunteers.
• Broad involvement in the work of human rights institutions at the international and national level.
• Flexibility and a sense of humor.
• Life and work experience in the Middle East or Egypt.

This is an unfunded position. RLAP will provide a letter of support and any other assistance necessary to secure funding, but it will ultimately be the responsibility of the applicant to do so. This position will offers an opportunity to develop advocacy and leadership skills, while providing meaningful assistance to vulnerable migrants. We are also happy to work to identify additional projects and duties that are of special interest to the successful candidate and fit within RLAP’s mission, advocacy strategy, and client-centered approach.

Interested applicants should send a cover letter, CV, two references and brief legal writing sample to applications@rlap.net, with the subject “Legal Fellow.” Please acknowledge in your letter that you understand that the position does not offer a salary.

Closing date for applications: April 15 2012
Contract period: 1 year
Anticipated starting date: September 1, 2012