Human Rights Attorney/Lawyer

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OPEN SOCIETY JUSTICE INITIATIVE
POSITION AVAILABLE
ATTORNEY/LAWYER
(BASED IN LONDON OR NEW YORK)

The Open Society Justice Initiative seeks to recruit an experienced human rights attorney/lawyer to conduct strategic human rights litigation on diverse issues.

The Open Society Foundations work to build vibrant and tolerant democracies whose governments are accountable to their citizens. To achieve this mission, the Foundations seek to shape public policies that assure greater fairness in political, legal, and economic systems and safeguard fundamental rights. On a local level, the Open Society Foundations implement a range of initiatives to advance justice, education, public health, and independent media. At the same time, we build alliances across borders and continents on issues such as corruption and freedom of information. The Foundations place a high priority on protecting and improving the lives of people in marginalized communities.

Investor and philanthropist George Soros established the Open Society Foundations, starting in 1984, to help countries make the transition from communism. Our activities have grown to encompass the United States and more than 70 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Each foundation relies on the expertise of boards composed of eminent citizens who determine individual agendas based on local priorities.

The Open Society Justice Initiative uses law to protect and empower people around the world. Through litigation, advocacy, research, and technical assistance, the Justice Initiative promotes human rights and builds legal capacity for open societies. We foster accountability for international crimes, combat racial discrimination and statelessness, support criminal justice reform, address abuses related to national security and counterterrorism, expand freedom of information and expression, and stem corruption linked to the exploitation of natural resources. Our staff are based in Abuja, Amsterdam, Bishkek, Brussels, Budapest, Freetown, The Hague, London, Mexico City, New York, Paris, Phnom Penh, Santo Domingo and Washington, D.C.

As one of several core activities, the Justice Initiative engages in strategic litigation in "impact" cases that have the potential - when combined with other tools - to foster broader reform of laws and institutional or systemic practices that extend beyond the interests of the particular complainants. The Justice Initiative supports and engages in litigation in three principal ways:

1. through providing research and drafting assistance to counsel who represent individual or NGO complainants before domestic or international tribunals
2. through submitting third party (amicus curiae) briefs in international (and occasionally domestic) tribunals
3. through representing individual or NGO complainants as counsel (usually in collaboration with other co-counsel of record) – such representation generally takes place in regional or international courts (i.e., the European Court of Human Rights, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, the African Commission of Human and Peoples’ Rights) or quasi-judicial mechanisms (the United Nations treaty bodies).

Throughout its litigation, as with all programming, the Justice Initiative works closely with the Soros foundations network, cooperating counsel and many national and international NGOs and academic institutions.

Based in London or New York, under the supervision of the Litigation Director, the Attorney/Lawyer will be assigned to specific cases with the responsibility to litigate them through the exhaustion of domestic remedies to the relevant international tribunal.

Specific duties will be developed from the following:

Litigation
• Conduct the litigation of specific cases that are assigned.
• Undertake legal and factual research into complex issues of human rights law and procedure.
• Draft legal applications, briefs, pleadings and other documents for submission to domestic courts and human rights courts, and review and revise documents drafted by other lawyers.
• Liaise with domestic co-counsel, law clinics, pro bono lawyers, and other partners in the litigation.
• Design and implement advocacy plans in order to support the cases.
• Ensure appropriate professional standards and client care protocols are followed.
• Assist and advise other Justice Initiative litigators on their cases, as and when required.

Management
• Ensure prompt and effective case planning through the development of litigation plans, new case assessments, case conferences, outlines of arguments and draft briefs.
• Coordinate with other Justice Initiative program staff engaged in litigation.
• Maintain and develop close working relationships with project partners in countries of operation and internationally; propose potential partners to address the specific needs of the cases.
• Follow all internal reporting procedures for management oversight of the cases.

Administrative
• Provide information to the litigation coordinator for the litigation calendar and litigation matrix.
• Ensure accurate and up to date filing of litigation documents in paper and electronic format.
• Prepare legal representation agreements for co-counsel and other partners, when necessary.
• Attend monthly staff meetings and some program meetings.

Communication
• Prepare and update website entries and documents relevant to the assigned cases.
• Write and/or edit reports, press releases and other documents necessary to support the cases as required.

Other
• Travel as needed to carry out the above responsibilities.
• Perform duties as assigned by the Litigation Director.

QUALIFICATIONS:
• Around seven years experience litigating human rights cases in domestic & international fora.
• Law Graduate.
• Extensive professional experience in the field of human rights, preferably in one or more fields of Justice Initiative engagement.
• Familiarity with international and regional human rights tribunals and jurisprudence.
• Knowledge of international criminal law an advantage.
• Demonstrated excellence in legal drafting.
• Ability to manage effectively multiple projects in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong management, oral and written communication, and analytic skills.
• Extraordinary initiative and creativity.
• Meticulous attention to detail.
• Extensive skills and high comfort level with computer research, database management and word processing, including Outlook, internet, Lexis/Nexis, Microsoft Word, Excel, and Access.
• Complete fluency in English. Working ability in French or Spanish highly desirable.
• Pleasant, diplomatic manner and disposition in interacting with senior management, colleagues at all levels, contacts, and the general public.
• Ability to work both independently and with others.
• Integrity, professional discretion and ability to handle confidential matters.
• Willingness to travel, may be extensive.
• Familiarity with any of the geographic regions of Justice Initiative engagement is a plus.

SALARY: £65,000 per annum. Excellent benefits package.

START DATE: ASAP

TO APPLY: Send cover letter, curriculum vitae and an English-language legal writing sample no later than April 19th, 2011 to: recruitment-JI@osf-eu.org

Please include Job Code: LO/OSJI in subject line.

No telephone calls, please. The Open Society Foundation is an equal opportunity employer.

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