The Fellow works across the Protection Claimant Service (‘PCS’) team to ensure the highest standards of legal services are provided by the Legal team, along with all other teams within Justice Centre Hong Kong to help connect client service delivery with our broader organizational aims.   The Fellow is managed by and reports to the Head of Protection Claimant Services.

Main Responsibilities

• Provide direct services to protection claimants, including group information sessions, individual consultation, and assessment for/delivery of individual assistance services relating to claimants’ legal needs. To include the engagement and collaboration with pro bono partners, clinic students, fellows, and volunteers;

• Support the PCS team and Head of PCS in developing the substance and quality of Justice Centre’s protection claimant services delivery.

• Contribute to Justice Centre’s file management and monitoring and evaluation system, including developing and maintaining files and a data collection and reporting system relating to work with universities and clinic students;

• Review written legal work prepared by staff, pro bono partners, clinic students, fellows and volunteers. To provide detailed feedback and to supervise and develop team members to continually improve the quality of work product;

• Contribute to developing and innovating legal resources for staff, pro bono partners, clinic students, fellows and volunteers, including templates, training materials and legal information;

• Contribute to building the profile of Justice Centre’s protection claimant services programme locally, regionally and internationally. To include attending speaking engagements with stakeholders within the legal and donor community;

• Assist with the delivery of Clinical Legal Education programmes, including designing and delivering seminars and supervising students and Young Advocates;

• Assist in advising the Policy & Campaigns team of trends, opportunities for strategic litigation, and breaking issues arising from case work which should be taken forward through Justice Centre’s advocacy, campaigns and/or communications functions;

• Assist in advising the Policy & Campaigns team and, as appropriate, external lawyers and NGOs of important legal developments in the human rights and asylum law field;

• Contribute to the development of Justice Centre’s policy & campaigns strategy as based on direct expertise drawn from service delivery.

• Contribute to maintaining positive working relationships within the staff team and with HKSAR Government, professional bodies, UNHCR, NGOs, and other stakeholders;

• Ensure the effective administration, organization/scheduling and external engagement in respect of both the Clinical Legal Education and Young Advocates Programmes;

• Support the Head of Protection Claimant Services and ED in developing and maintaining positive working relationships with stakeholders in relation to Justice Centre’s Legal Service delivery, including but not limited to the Clinical Legal Education Programme;

• Assist with the conception, organization, design and delivery of protection claimant services legal and medico-legal trainings. To include internal training of PCS staff and other local, regional and international external legal training;

• Contribute to the support and development of relationships with pro bono partners;

• Contribute to proposals and reports to Board and donors, including annual reports;

• Contribute to developing organisational strategy, networking with strategic partners, communications, fundraising and whole-of-office initiatives;

Perform other duties as assigned by the Head of Protection Claimant Services, ED and other members of the Senior Management Team.

Person specification

Knowledge and Experience

Essential

1.     Undergraduate degree in international relations, human rights, law or other relevant discipline
2.     Postgraduate qualification in international relations, human rights, international law, refugee studies or other relevant discipline
3.     Qualified as a solicitor or barrister having completed a training contract/ pupillage in family, criminal, welfare, immigration/asylum and/ or other relevant areas of law
4.     Expert knowledge of the UN Convention against Torture and other relevant human rights standards at the national, regional and international levels
5.     5 years relevant professional experience including project management
6.     Significant experience of having participated/ delivered in a legal clinic/ law centre while a undergraduate/ post graduate student

Desirable

1.     Knowledge and experience of social science research methods and quality standards
2.     Experience of forced migration advocacy and policy work
3.     Knowledge of Cantonese, Arabic, Hindi, French or other relevant language
4.     Experience in practicing refugee protection law in Hong Kong or elsewhere;
5.     Experience in practicing family law/ employment/ welfare/ criminal/ civil litigation in relevant areas of law
6.     Experience with running clinical legal education and/or experiential learning programmes;
7.     Experience in teaching and training;
8.     Familiarity of working with vulnerable people;
9.     A permit to work in Hong Kong

Skills for this role

Essential

1.     Experience using social media
2.     Strong strategic thinker with a proven ability to shrewdly assess policy-related opportunities and risks
3.     Excellent legal research skills
4.     Outstanding written English skills
5.     Successful team approach to delivering professional responsibilities
6.     Sensitivity, resilience and strength in talking with people who have suffered trauma and working with materials related to these experiences
7.     Commitment to comply and respect Justice Centre’s policies and practices including confidentiality, ethical approaches and equal opportunities

Desirable

1.     Strong verbal advocacy skills
2.     Experience of responsible working with survivors of torture or other forms of trauma in an activism context

TO APPLY:

  Please email Justice Centre Hong Kong for a job application pack. The deadlines for completed applications is Friday 8th June at 5:30pm. The interviews will take place w/c 18th June.