Legal Officer

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Description

Hello Hello!  Alight is recruiting a Legal Officer for our program in Uganda to be based at Kyangwali Office. You’re interested in joining us? Welcome, we’re happy you’re here!

If you join us, you will find…

A team with deep experience in co-designing solutions that create new value around the world. We know we need to always be better, and we believe in the power and abundance of everyday people, everywhere, to change the world with us.

A culture of radical accountability to our customers –as we help build a meaningful life for and with the displaced, we ask them what they want and then deliver on it. 

Reporting directly to the Protection Manager, the Legal Officer will identify legal needs in the field; provide counseling, information and legal options. He/she will be responsible for conducting legal information sessions, legal case management and follow ups, detention facility visits, awareness creation on rights and obligations of refugees under Ugandan Laws. She/he will work with communities particularly Paralegals to ensure access to legal assistance is accessible by all. He/she will also be part of an integrated protection team, working on issues on general protection and sexual and gender based violence. 

Key Duties & Responsibilities

• Monitor prisons within or around the Refugee settlement monthly in partnership with other agencies and stakeholders to interview imprisoned asylum seekers and/or refugees to establish reasons for their imprisonment and offer legal counseling. 
• Liaise closely with other implementing partners and ALIGHT program Services staff on reported cases of Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) to ensure these incidents have been reported to the police in the settlement, and they have been followed up with district police, and actions have been taken to led to prosecution;
• Conduct training and provide legal advice to refugees and asylum seekers in Kyangwali Refugee Settlement in liaison with relevant local authorities as necessary on their rights and obligations in Uganda, importance of obtaining documentations from relevant national authorities such as birth certificates for the newly born children, marriage certificates, death certificate, and custody documentations; liaise with relevant local authorities as necessary to facilitate the issuance of these documents to the UNHCR's persons of concern.
• Prepare a weekly, monthly, bi annual, annual protection report and any other reports based on a UNHCR and ALIGHT formulated themes.
• Provide stationery, police forms and facilitate community policing by police.  
• Follow up on charges filed either by the State authorities or the victims against the SGBV perpetrators - as per UNHCR Kyangwali Refugee Settlement Standard Operation Procedures (SOPs) for victims of SGBV;
• In liaison with OPM, UNHCR and other stakeholders; conduct peace building sessions between the refugees and host communities to enhance peaceful co-existence.
• Monitor and support Community Paralegals in alternative dispute resolution activities and legal case management.
• Together with GBV and CP officers support community leadership structures, especially the Neighborhood watch committees in their crime prevention and response functions.
• Undertake regular monitoring and visits of detention and prison facilities
• Provide legal counseling, information and available legal options to refugees and other persons of concern.
• Conduct legal information sessions on human rights and key Laws relating to protection of refugees and other persons of concern.
• Conduct case management and follow up on legal cases with relevant authorities.
• Closely work with Police to provide necessary assistance to survivors and witnesses.
• Submit daily and weekly data, including narrative of high risk cases to inform appropriate actions.
• Participate in legal trainings for state and none state actors as directed by the Protection Manager. 
• Analyze data, highlight trends and legal protection needs of refugees and other persons of concern and share with protection manager
• Work and manage sector budget- quality implementation and spending.
• Participate in external meetings aimed at promoting access to justice for refugees and legal assistance such as district coordination committee meetings, Zonal meetings involving UNHCR, OPM and partners.
• Work closely with the GBV and CP Officers to ensure linkages and referrals are done in a safe, effective and timely manner.

Requirements

• A University degree in Bachelor of Laws (LLB) with a minimum of 3 years’ experience working with IDPs, Asylum seekers, Refugees and stateless persons on legal matters. 
• Ability to conduct comprehensive interviews and provide accurate assessments.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Ability to write clear and concise reports
• Must be fluent in written and spoken English
• Fluency in Swahili and ability to ride with a valid license (Class A) is an added advantage.

Behavioral competences: 

• Prior experience working at the community level, with thorough understanding of how to communicate clearly.
• Understanding of human rights and issues relating to gender equality. 
• Ability to work individually and within a team.
• Ability to write clear, detailed, and concise reports on computer and consistently able to meet deadlines.
• Willingness to travel throughout communities and work in a participatory manner with a variety of populations.
• Strong knowledge of the local population and language.
• Ability to handle stressful working conditions with limited supervision. 

Others/Extra Details

Alight is an Equal Opportunity Employer offering employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, citizenship, physical or mental disability, or protected veteran status.  Alight complies with all applicable laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. Any form of canvassing in the recruitment process will lead to automatic disqualification.

"By applying to this job, I understand and acknowledge that ALIGHT is committed to ensure compliance of its code of conduct by staff and any other persons working on behalf of ALIGHT  with zero tolerance to GBV acts and Protection against Sexual Exploitation and Abuse. ALIGHT requires its staff and any other person working on behalf of ALIGHT to treat all people with dignity and respect and to actively prevent harassment, abuse and any nature of exploitation. Further, I understand that if I am a successful candidate, I will be subject to a comprehensive background check, and my personal/professional references will be asked to evaluate my behaviors related to the above safeguarding related topics".