Legal Officer

Job Overview/Summary:

Under the supervision of the Legal Team Leader, the Legal Officer will identify legal needs in the field, provide counseling and assistance including representation in relevant administrative bodies and Courts. The Legal Officer will conduct direct case intake on site and will also provide services to cases referred from other actors, including UNHCR and other NGOs. The Legal Officer will be responsible for conducting legal information sessions on protection, rights and entitlements, legal status, statelessness and other issues, as dictated by the needs at field level.  As part of a mobile team, the Legal Officer will be field-based, travelling to different locations throughout North Bekaa on an as-needed basis in order to conduct follow-up with beneficiaries. The Legal Officer will work with community leaders to support advocacy at the community level and engage in mediation and negotiation as needed.

Major Responsibilities:

• Conduct Mobile Field Visits several times a week, according to field needs, to villages, urban areas, and informal settlements/tent clusters to meet with PoCs within the community according to the weekly work plan;
• Undertake ad hoc visits to Nofous, GSO Offices and other public entities when required by the supervisor;
• Identify legal needs in the field and provide on-site counseling to Persons of Concern;
• Under the guidance of their direct supervisor, assist persons of concern by representing them in relevant administrative bodies;
• Representation of refugees/PoC in relevant Courts (for birth registration, marriage registrations etc.);
• Conduct case intake on site utilizing digital data collection system;
• Deliver information sessions on protection, rights and entitlements, legal status, statelessness and other issues as dictated by the needs at field-level;
• Engage in mediation and negotiation as needed (e.g. on housing, ID confiscation, land and property issues);
• Analyze data and highlight trends and legal protection needs;
• Under the guidance of direct supervisor, facilitate one-on-one interviews and focus group discussions with refugees, host community members, state actors and service providers in the field on selected protection and legal concerns;
• Keep records of the urgent legal needs identified and the actions taken to assist affected PoCs;
• Produce weekly reports on activities based on IRC and UNHCR tools;
• Work to strengthen IRC’s relationship with refugees, refugee/host community leaders and municipal actors in order to maintain good access to POCs;
• Support the Protection Team Leader to conduct advocacy on behalf of the community; and,
• Conducts other duties as assigned by supervisor.

Key Working Relationships:

• Position Reports to:  Legal Team Leader
• Position directly supervises:  NA

Job Requirements:

Education:  

• Law degree.

Other job requirements:

• Preferably registered with the Bar Association.

Work Experience:

• At least two years of prior professional experience in a similar post, preferably with an international organization.
• Demonstrated Skills and Competencies:
• Belief in human rights including gender equality.
• Strong communication skills including ability to gain trust and build relationships with new communities.
• Strong understanding of International Human Rights, Refugee Law and Lebanese law with special focus on Family Law.
• Familiarity with the Lebanese legal community.
• Basic computer skills including Microsoft Word.
• Experience in regular report writing.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work as part of a team, as well as independently.
• Flexible and able to work in a dynamic and diverse environment.

Language Skills:

• High standard of spoken and written Arabic, with English language skills required.

Working Environment:

Standard office environment with daily travel to the field, around Central and North Bekaa (security conditions permitting). 80% field work – 20% Office work.