Ecuador Legal Services Coordinator

Asylum Access, a US-based international refugee rights organization, is seeking an experienced legal advocate to serve as Legal Services Coordinator of Asylum Access-Ecuador. AAE is affiliated with Asylum Access’s Headquarters in San Francisco, and works in conjunction with Asylum Access offices in Thailand and Tanzania. Asylum Access envisions a world where refugees are seen as people with rights, not just people with needs. Asylum Access believes that by empowering refugees to assert their human rights, we can support the creation of effective, lasting solutions for refugees around the world.
With a team of national and international volunteers, our work is enriched by the enthusiasm, experience and knowledge of our volunteers. Furthermore, through quarterly trainings our team is able to realize the general objective of capacity building regarding refugee rights advocacy on both the local and international level.

The ideal applicant will be a lawyer with substantive knowledge of international human rights and refugee law, including client counseling and advocacy, who is able to build relationships and adapt legal strategies to fit new and/or challenging circumstances. The ideal applicant will have experience training and managing staff and volunteers and managing client services, and will be able to work in a diverse and cross-cultural organization. Experience providing legal aid is especially desirable. Fluent professional English and Spanish are essential.

Detailed Job Description

Recruitment, training and supervision of legal services staff

•Play the lead role, in cooperation with other relevant staff, in recruiting and training volunteer legal advisors and paid staff who will work in the legal services program.

•Interview all potential volunteers at AAE, direct logistical issues in hiring new volunteers and staff, conduct mid-term evaluations and exit interviews with volunteers, and meet weekly with volunteers to discuss legal and personal matters regarding work.

•Plan regular training sessions for new and current volunteers and staff, preparing AAE’s legal team to engage in effective advocacy in national and international forums.

•Assure that all contractual obligations are adhered to and making the necessary contacts and efforts to ensure implementation meets AA’s legal services targets.

•Regularly appraise legal services staff and provide feedback and support to enable them to do their jobs better.

Legal services management

•Supervise all individual legal services offered by AAE legal advisors and staff on refugee status determination claims and access to rights processes.

•Approve all written work leaving the office, and providing detailed feedback to AAE legal advocates on the quality of their work.

•Manage and develop AAE’s case management system, including intake, the assignment of cases, and ensuring diligent service to clients.

•Supervise and ensure compliance with the “Nairobi Code” and any other applicable ethical standards.

•Seek additional expertise as needed to ensure high quality ethical service to AAE clients.

•Develop and maintain constructive relations with key governmental, inter-governmental and non-governmental players in Ecuador in order to facilitate effective legal representation.

•Develop criteria and mechanism for case-matter selection in order to allocate scarce legal aid resources in the most effective manner to fulfill AAE’s mission.

•Develop ideas and plans for more effective delivery of legal aid to refugees in Ecuador.

•Directly handle complex cases, such as cases in which clients’ lives, health or freedom are in immediate danger

Advocacy, Leadership and Administration

•Identify, in conjunction with Country Director, priorities for strategic litigation and policy advocacy.

•Direct strategic litigation projects, including planning overall strategies, drafting complaints, motions, briefs, etc., argue cases in national and international forums, and coordinate communication and implementation strategies.

•Represent AAE in meeting with government officials, UNHCR, NGOs and other civil society actors.

•Ensure that information regarding legal services is up to date in client database.

•Attend weekly team meetings and brief AAE team on new developments.

•Update orientation packets, training materials, legal services protocols and other office management documents.

Reporting

•Report regularly to the Country Director and Headquarters on the scope, nature, quality and challenges of AAE’s legal services.

•Any other tasks necessary and reasonable for ensuring the provision of high quality and ethical legal aid to AAE clients.

Organizational relationships

The LSC will report directly to the Country Director. The LSC will be ultimately responsible for the progress of AAE’s Legal Services Program and will be accountable to Asylum Access Headquarters (AAHQ) and Board on operational progress, problems and strategy. The LSC will directly supervise all VLAs providing legal services for AAE.

As part of the general leadership team of AAE, the LSC will thus render advice to the Country Director and Headquarters on budget and resource needs, especially those related to legal services. Under the leadership of the Country Director or Headquarters, the LSC will assist in fundraising efforts for AA and in developing new institutional relationships or networks to benefit AA programs. The LSC will consult with the policy manager on the development of policy advocacy initiatives, and may participate in their implementation.

The LSC may be asked to carry out the functions of the country director in his/her absence.

Qualifications

Minimum required qualifications:

•Professionally fluent in spoken and written English and Spanish •Experienced lawyer or legal advocate with at least 2 years of experience in human rights issues, preferably regarding refugee rights.

•Intimate understanding of International Refugee Law, including the 1951 Convention, the Cartagena Declaration and the Plan de Acción de Mexico, and their respective interpretations.

•Experience supervising legal staff or volunteers from diverse cultural backgrounds in an international setting •Advanced university degree in law (LLB, LLM, JD, LLD, SJD, Ab., etc)

•Comfortable working with people of different backgrounds and cultures •Ability to work full-time, in a deadline driven, high-stress environment •Ability to understand and develop creative responses to a rapidly changing political situation.

•Willingness to do what is needed to achieve Asylum Access’s goals •Enthusiastic about the mission, vision, and approach of Asylum Access

Desired qualifications:

•Familiarity with the Ecuadorian Constitution, and preferably experience litigating Ecuadorian Constitutional Jurisdictional Actions.

•Familiarity with United Nations Institutions, especially UNHCR •Experience advising and representing refugees in Refugee Status Determination Proceedings.

•Experience advising and representing refugees in asylum proceedings •Expertise in forced migration, refugee, and asylum issues •Prior experience working in diverse cross-cultural environments •Prior experience providing services directly to clients and/or working with vulnerable populations •Prior experience with relationship-building, fundraising, and management of funds

Salary

Asylum Access will offer a salary package that is locally competitive and commensurate with the successful applicant’s experience and qualifications.

About Asylum Access

Asylum Access is a US-based international NGO dedicated to making refugee rights a reality in Africa,
Asia and Latin America. Asylum Access achieves this mission through legal aid, community legal empowerment, policy advocacy, and strategic litigation to refugees in first countries of refuge. Globally,
Asylum Access also advocates for improved implementation of refugee rights and helps to foster the growing refugee rights movement worldwide.

Asylum Access currently has offices in Ecuador, Thailand, and Tanzania, as well as a headquarters in the US. We advocate within each of these countries and with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Geneva. Through our efforts, hundreds of thousands of refugees around the world are able to enjoy their fundamental human rights and begin to rebuild their lives. Read more at www.asylumaccess.org.

How to apply:

How to Apply

To apply, please send a cover letter clearly indicating required qualifications with a curriculum vitae, a writing sample, contacts of three references, and any other information the applicant considers relevant to aseler@asylumaccess.org immediately, and no later than May 18, 2012.