Mizan Lawyers Center
Assistance Lawyer
Place of Work: Wolaita Sodo
Salary: Negotiation
Type of Employment Condition: Full Time
Required Number: 2 (Two)
Background
Mizan Lawyers Center (MLC), formerly known as Mizan Young Lawyers Center (MYLC), is a board-led Civil Society Organization established by ten public-spirited lawyers who graduated from Dilla University. The Center works to protect and promote access to justice and human rights through free legal aid services, advocacy, legal awareness and civic education initiatives, capacity building, and public interest litigation. Under its legal aid program, MLC primarily serves economically disadvantaged members of the community. The Center provides assistance in both civil and criminal matters at all stages of proceedings, including pre-trial, trial, and post-trial phases. In a pioneering effort to safeguard the bail rights of detainees, MLC became the first organization to provide legal aid at the pre-trial stage within police stations in the Sidama and South Ethiopia Regional States. These services are delivered through a combination of stationed and mobile legal aid mechanisms. In addition, MLC has conducted extensive legal awareness activities, reaching more than one hundred thousand people nationwide. These efforts have been implemented including through mainstream media outlets such as local FM radio and television as well as social media platforms.
To achieve these objectives, MLC has been implementing different projects in collaboration with LHR (Lawyers for Human Rights). Currently, MLC is implementing a project entitled “Advancing Human Rights through Legal Aid Services”, in consortium with Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) and Advocates Ethiopia with the support of Agence Française de Développement (AFD). The object of this project is to make legal aid services accessible to detainees in the early stages of criminal proceedings in police stations. The provision of legal aid services in police stations improves the poor protection of access to justice in the early stages of criminal proceedings and contributes to the protection of the rights of detainees in police stations. Accordingly, the Consortium has planned to render legal aid services for detainees in police stations located in Addis Ababa, Adama, Hawassa and Wolaita Sodo. The planned legal aid services will be primarily offered by lawyers. Besides, Assistance Lawyers will play an important role in the delivery of quality legal aid services by conducting client interviews, maintaining general contact of clients, organizing cases, documentation works, assisting lawyers, etc. With this background, MLC is looking to hire two Assistance lawyers to provide the legal aid service in selected police stations located in Wolaita Sodo.
Job Description
Role and responsibilities
The principle role of the Assistance lawyer is by assisting the lawyer to render legal aid service to detainees in selected police stations in wolaita sodo.
Specific duties and responsibilities:
Provide a free legal service in accordance with the guideline of the Free Legal Aid Service guideline
Perform activities assign by the Lawyer
Render advise to beneficiaries on the law and legal matters relating to their case;
Prepare pleadings and petitions based on the client’s needs;
Prepare cases for court as necessary;
Prepare documents on the details of free legal aid services in accordance with the format and report to the lawyer
Render the legal aid services in accordance with ethical standard of lawyers.
Disclaimer:
This job description is only a summary of the typical functions of the job. It is not an exhaustive or comprehensive list of all possible job responsibilities, tasks and duties. The responsibilities, tasks, and duties of the job holder may differ from those outlined in the job description and other duties, as assigned, may be part of the job.
About You
Job Requirements
1. Competencies
Competencies are important in order for the employee and the organization to deliver desired results. They are relevant for all staff and are divided into the following two categories:
Professional competencies:
A University degree in law (LLB) starting with 0 years of experience;
Have sufficient knowledge on the Ethiopian legal system; the criminal justice system of Ethiopia; the Ethiopian criminal and procedural laws; Constitutional right to access to justice through legal aid services and the National and International legal framework on the rights of persons arrested in police stations;
Personal Qualities:
The ability to explain legal matters clearly in non-legal language;
A passion for justice and fairness and for the respect of Human Rights;
Ability to prioritize responsibilities, carries out multiple tasks simultaneously, and meets deadlines;
Ability to work under pressure and with limited supervision in a challenging environment;
Pro-active, goal-oriented, and results-driven;
Flexible and creative;
Excellent communication skills including written communications;
Fluency in written and spoken English and Amharic languages. In addition wolaitega local languages are highly recommended for applicants.
Computer literate and skills in internet usage;
Excellent documentation skills;