Requirements

Additional Requirements

• English competency in writing skill i.e. experiences of developing/constructing Qualitative and Narrative reports
• Ability to organize and prioritize work and completing tasks, meet deadlines and maintain composure without supervision
• Excellent communication, listening and observation skills, including ability to create trust, support, maintain confidentiality, respect of all ages, background and diversity

Responsibilities & Context

This position is responsible for provide response and prevention services to ensure access to justice through direct interventions impacting the lives of women, girls, men and boys, diversified gender and mainstreaming in other response programming and operational areas for ensuring access to justice through providing legal assistance.

Programming:

• Close coordination with respective supervisor to ensure quality, time and effective delivery of legal assistance and awareness to persons of concern (PoCs) as per BRAC and UNHCR guidelines.
• Provide legal counseling and advice to PoCs on legal matters/issues
• Facilitate and conduct legal awareness sessions for refugees in the camps including community, refugee leaders, religious leaders and PSN
• Provide legal representation and support to PoC at police stations on regular basis and in court if require
• Facilitate/conduct mediation session to resolve disputes among PoCs and ensure the follow up on settlement of disputes resolved by engaging associate legal officer and maintain mediation files, records and register
• Conduct visits to detention centers and advocate or intervene with law enforcement agencies including police and courts to release PoCs who are held in detention
• Inform and facilitate with PoCs to appear before court when required
• Assist refugees to file complaints, FIR, GD and cases at police stations and court
• Organize and facilitate prison visits for refugees to visit their immediate/close family members in prison
• Collaborate with  police to rescue refugees who are victims of human trafficking or smuggling including offer legal support to the victims
• Facilitate and conduct training and build capacity of Associate legal officers, stakeholders, refugee volunteers (paralegals) and others on legal assistance
• Maintain effective interfaces, coordinate with PoCs, local authorities, protection as well as ensure PoCs access in legal assistance, remedies to their needs and appropriate responses are identified
• Attend coordination, protection etc. meeting at camp level as required
• Analyze the probable outcomes of cases, using knowledge of legal precedents
• Support Senior Case Management lawyer to evaluate findings and develop strategies and arguments in preparation for presentation of cases
• Gather evidence to formulate defense or to initiate legal actions, by such means as interviewing clients and witnesses to ascertain the facts of a case
• Examine  data or record of cases involving refugees to determine advisability of defending or prosecuting lawsuit
• Maintain communication with concerned CiC, APBn post, other stakeholders, Block-Majhee /Sub-Majhee, Head-Majhee yet these communication
• Participate in initiatives to capacitate authorities, relevant institutions, assistance and protection partners to improve access of justice to PoCs
• Interpret laws, rulings and regulations to refugees
• Analyze the probable outcomes of cases, using knowledge of legal precedents
• Represent clients in court or before government agencies as per the guidance of supervisor
• Search/examine public and other records of cases for drafting legal opinion to support Senior Case Management Lawyer
• Engage associate legal officer with above responsibilities while necessary
• Perform administrative and management functions with the guidance from supervisor
• Perform all other duties as and when required by the Manager/ Supervisor

Grant Management and Reporting:

• Prepare monthly/quarterly/half-yearly/yearly legal statements/ reports  and work plan as per guideline
• Prepare internal and external reports within agreed deadlines using BRAC and donor formats

Staff Management and Development:

• Maintain open, supportive, and professional relationships with team members, and promote a strong team spirit
• Provide regular on-going and constructive feedback to Associate Legal officer to develop their practice and action plans
• Coach, train, and mentor Associate legal officers, paralegal volunteers  with the aim of strengthening their technical capacity, exchanging knowledge, address gaps and providing professional development

Coordination:

• Collaborate with Project Manager, Senior Case Management Lawyer and Case Management Lawyer   to ensure programming is properly supported and that all activities are conducted according to BRAC Administration, HR, Logistics, Finance and other policies and procedures
• Coordinate with BRAC’s other departments as required to ensure effective and collaborative working relationships
• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with all relevant stakeholders including community members, NGOs, government authorities and UN agencies
• Participate in internal coordination meetings as required and liaise with BRAC’s other programs as needed to ensure effective collaboration
• Coordinate and follow-up with partner organizations and other project stakeholders as required

Safeguarding:

• Ensure the safety of Programme Participants, people who come into contact with the organisation and team members from any harm, abuse, neglect, harassment and exploitation including sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) to achieve the programme’s goals of safeguarding implementation. Act as a key source of support, guidance and expertise on safeguarding for establishing a safe working environment
• Practice, promote and endorse the issues of safeguarding policy among team members and ensure the implementation of safeguarding standards in every course of action
• Follow the safeguarding reporting procedure in case any reportable incident takes place and encourage others to do so