Assistant Legal Officer

Vacancy name:  Assistant Legal Officer

Region: Uganda

Hours: 40hrs a week

Reports to: Senior Legal Officer

Positions: 1

Application Deadline: 3rd April, 2024

ABOUT JUSTICE DEFENDERS

Picture this: an overcrowded and under-resourced prison full of men, women, or even children who have not been found guilty. This is the case for three million people around the world currently affected by the excessive use of pre-trial detention.

In many countries, suspects are detained in prison almost automatically once they are arrested. Whatever the offence. Some, yes, are guilty. Many are poor and unjustly targeted. At Justice Defenders, we want to see justice served; it’s vital for all of us. What we don’t want to see is people filling our prisons simply because there was no one to equip them to fight for justice.

Justice Defenders is a registered UK charity and US nonprofit. Founded in 2007, we work across Africa, training incarcerated people and prison officers to become paralegals. Our 35 prison-based legal offices in Uganda, Kenya and The Gambia are run by more than 300 paralegals. By equipping justice defenders to facilitate a just legal process, we help ensure a fair hearing at the point of greatest need. As everyone deserves the right to tell their story.

JOB CONTEXT

The Justice Defenders Uganda office is  looking for an Assistant Legal officer, Under the direct guidance and supervision of the Senior Legal Officer, the Assistant Legal Officer will be responsible for assisting in carrying out the structures required for the smooth operation of Drop-in-Legal Advice Clinics.

YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Legal office management.

• Ensure efficient operation and timely implementation of various planned

activities in prison.

• Conduct periodic legal office minutes and share well-drafted minutes.
• Mentorship of paralegals in specific prisons.
• Gather information to support the advocates and follow up to ensure feedback

is given to clients.

• Draft report for any activity conducted in prisons.
• Offer legal services to Justice Defenders clients in prisons.
• Timely review, verification and forwarding weekly and monthly reports to SLO.
• Responsible for offering peer support to the Paralegals regularly.
• Any other task assigned by the SLO, Legal officer and Country Advocate in

charge to support project implementation regardless of the specifically

assigned lead station.

• Manage assets and report on status to SLO.

1. Research

• Support legal research on relevant cases and other supporting

authorities/material required to provide quality advice within the clinic.

• Support the research to understand the current situation, including the

challenges of accessing justice at the project sites.

1. Filing Court Documents

• Filing of Court documents in Courts and other Public Offices.
• Attending registries, boards and other government offices for filing registrations,

making payments, making applications, fixing dates, perusals and searches, and

extracting court orders.

• Tracing of lost court files in court Registries
• Prepare correspondence for filing and file tracing, including permission letters and

affidavits of service.

• Delivering correspondences and documents and effecting service and delivery of

dispatch

• Manage the relationship with the JD-approved courier
• Updating Paralegal Teams and calling for documents in their possession.
• Manage and update court files with the Legal officer and Senior Legal Officer

1. Networking & Stakeholder Management

• Represent the organisation as an advocate of its ethos, mission, core values,

and aims at national and international fora and media events and to provide a

first-hand account of the charity’s work and achievements.

• Engage in appropriate committees, working groups and other activities to

maintain solid and productive external networks and ensure proper stakeholder

management.

1. Finance and accountability.

• Ensure timely submission of requisitions for activities directly managed.
• Make timely accountabilities for all monies received.

Departmental secretarial support.

• Minute-taking during departmental meetings.

Any other duties as assigned by the Senior Legal Officer

YOUR PROFILE

Qualifications and experience 

• A degree in law.
• Experience of work in a complex organization, ideally an NGO.
• Experience in supporting donor-funded projects.
• Sympathy for and a non-judgmental attitude towards prisoners undertaking

reform and rehabilitation.

• Leadership/mentorship skills.
• High sense of discipline
• Willingness to work in resource-limited settings.
• Strong communication skills, with excellent written and spoken English.
• Flexibility and the ability to remain calm under pressure.
• Good team worker and able to live and work closely with a small team.
• Experience in establishing strong working relationships with colleagues from

different functions and cultures.

• Experience in a flexible approach to managing and prioritizing a high workload

and multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment with tight deadlines.

• Confident and proficient in the use of MS Office packages.
• Ability and willingness to undertake frequent travel to field sites.
• An understanding of and commitment to JD’s mission and values.
• Planning and Time Management: able to prioritize tasks, manage time and tight

schedules, work effectively under pressure, and assist direct reports with

prioritization of tasks and meeting deadlines.

• Good email ethic.

Key competencies and abilities

• Excellent communication skills oral and report writing
• Excellent interpersonal & networking skills;
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Ability to work under pressure and to make informed and accurate decisions
• Focused and goal oriented
• Flexibility, openness and broad – mindedness
• Possess professional maturity, sensitivity with different cultures, and impeccable integrity that exemplify JDs’ values on Bravery, Humility & Solidarity.

We especially encourage applications from those who have been in prison, were the recipient of free school meals, or are from the first generation of their family to attend university and from those who consider themselves to be part of minority groups.

Like to apply?

Applications should be received by the stipulated deadline.