Legal Fellow for Latin America and the Caribbean Program

Legal Fellow, Latin America and the Caribbean

Department: Global Legal Program

Job Posted On: February 19, 2014

Center Background: Founded in 1992, the Center for Reproductive Rights (the Center) is a non-profit organization that promotes women’s equality worldwide by securing reproductive rights in constitutional and international human rights law. Its mission is straightforward and ambitious: to advance reproductive health and rights as fundamental rights that all governments are legally obligated to protect, respect and fulfill. The Center is unmatched as a reproductive rights organization in its expertise in U.S. constitutional law, comparative law, and international human rights law.

The Center works across the globe on issues including access to life-saving obstetrics care, contraception, abortion services, and comprehensive sexuality information. In the U.S. Legal Program, the Center’s preeminent litigation team has helped millions of women and their families by securing government funding for abortions, striking down abortion bans and other access restrictions, and protecting teens’ access to emergency contraception and confidential reproductive healthcare services and information. The Center’s complimentary legislative advocacy initiatives and strategies have helped local advocates fight restrictive abortion legislation in over 25 states as well as promote reproductive rights and access to health care for millions of women. Through our human rights advocacy, the Center has been able to promote the integration and adoption of human rights principles in the domestic sphere while systematically norm-building and elevating local reproductive health issues within international treaty monitoring bodies and partner organizations.

The Center’s Global Legal Program has brought groundbreaking cases before national courts, U.N. committees, and regional human rights bodies, and has built the legal capacity of women's rights advocates in over 50 countries. Our Government Relations Program, based in Washington, DC since 2009, focuses on both U.S. domestic and foreign policy, providing leadership within the community of reproductive rights allies. In recent years, the Center has been able to dramatically expand its pro bono support from U.S. and non-U.S. based law firms, supporting not only the work of our U.S. Legal Program, but also our Government Relations Program (engaged in federal advocacy in Washington D.C.) and our Global Legal Program (engaged in advocacy and litigation before the United Nations and various regional and national bodies throughout the world).

The Fellow for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) will be joining the Center at a critical time for reproductive rights globally. As opponents of women’s rights are mounting a scorched-earth campaign to turn back decades of hard-won progress, the Center is fighting back with short-, medium-, and long-term strategies, to reverse the erosion of reproductive rights protections across the U.S. and establish the right to affordable reproductive healthcare in the U.S. A key component of our strategic plan is to restore heightened protections for abortion rights, as promised to American women in the landmark decision of Roe v. Wade (1973).

To learn more about the Center for Reproductive Rights, go to www.reproductiverights.org. The Center seeks a Legal Fellow for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) for a One Year Fellowship. The legal fellow for LAC will work under the supervision of the Regional Director for LAC and Regional Manager for LAC and work closely with other LAC program staff to support and build the work of the regional program in all areas of work. The position will be based in Bogotá, Colombia.

Responsibilities: The Legal Fellow for LAC, primary job responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

•Conduct legal and policy research and analysis on international law, human rights law, and foreign and comparative law, especially laws in LAC that impact women's reproductive rights in the region
•Support the LAC Program’s litigation strategy by developing factual records and drafting legal memoranda, pleadings and amicus briefs--including conducting fact-checking and citation work-- on comparative and international human rights law and claims for use in national, regional, and/or international fora
•Support the LAC Program’s strategy on the implementation of decisions and friendly settlements. Support the research and drafting of publications and other materials to advance the LAC Program’s work and help coordinate the production of LAC Program publications.
•Support the Regional Director for LAC in providing technical assistance to non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other stakeholders
•Participate in and draft submissions to UN and regional human rights bodies, including the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and UN treaty monitoring bodies
•Prepare and/or translate materials for advocacy in LAC regional and international fora
•Support the Regional Director for LAC in preparing presentations for conferences and meetings
•Assist the Regional Director for LAC with the coordination of the internship program and with the supervision of interns, volunteers and pro bono lawyers
•Represent the Center externally on matters related to reproductive rights through public speaking, and as required, engagement with the media
•Support operational activities of the LAC Program as needed, including maintaining filing systems, maintaining relationships with NGO partners in the region, liaising with the New York office, assisting with organizing program-related events and meetings, and assisting with the development of internal procedures for print and electronic media

Regional travel is required

Qualifications:

•Strong commitment to the Center’s mission, purpose, and values
•The candidate should have knowledge of international human rights and women’s rights
•Knowledge of reproductive rights or women’s health rights issues is a strong plus
•Familiarity with filing petitions before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and knowledge of case law under the Inter-American Human Rights System is a strong plus
•The candidate should be capable of complex legal analytical work, must possess excellent writing, editing, research and oral advocacy skills and be self-motivated
•Ability to work collaboratively, to multi-task, and to work under pressure
•Fluency in Spanish and English is required
•Degree in law required
•1-2 years of experience strongly preferred

Duration of Position: One year fellowship

Compensation: The Center offers a competitive salary commensurate with experience and a comprehensive benefits program.

How to apply:

How to Apply: Send cover letter, résumé, two writing samples (in Spanish) and contact information for three references (email preferred) to: resumes@reprorights.org . Applicants must indicate “Fellow for Latin America and the Caribbean, code 232 and their last name” as the subject of emailed applications. The cover letter, resume, writing sample, and reference information should be sent as attachments. Please mention in your cover letter where you saw this opportunity.

Mailing address:
Center for Reproductive Rights
Attn.: Advocacy Advisor, LAC - Code 232
120 Wall Street, 14th Floor
New York, NY 10005

Deadline for applications: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis as they come in and we will not hold the position open for any specific time period. Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply by March 19, 2014.

The Center for Reproductive Rights is an equal opportunity employer, committed to inclusive hiring and dedicated to diversity in our work and staff. We strongly encourage candidates from all groups and communities to apply.
www.reproductiverights.org