Lawyer at Russian Justice Initiatives

Job description: The ideal candidate shall have at least one year of professional experience in the human rights field; be committed to justice and respect for human rights; possess a high level of ethical awareness; be creative and able to work both independently and as a part of a team; a quick learner with a nuanced understanding of the human rights situation in the North Caucasus; capable of suggesting and implementing innovative approaches to providing legal redress to victims of human rights violations in the North and South Caucasus.

Start-date for the position is 1 February 2012 or sooner.
The lawyer is based in Moscow and works under the supervision of the Legal and Program Director. S/he works with staff members located in Moscow and in the Northern Caucasus. The lawyer is expected to be willing to travel to the North Caucasus several times a year.

The responsibilities of the lawyer include but are not limited to:

• Drafting applications to ECHR and preparing submissions at the advanced stages of the procedure before the ECHR in cases from the North and South Caucasus;
• Preparing submissions to domestic legal bodies where applicable;
• Meeting with and briefing clients and potential clients;
• Liasing with independent lawyers or local NGO partners in the North Caucasus;
• Assisting in conducting legal research on various topics of international and/or domestic human rights law.

Qualifications:

• Fluency in Russian and English at professional working levels;
• Background in international human rights law, in particular, in the ECHR system;
• Solid knowledge of Russian law (in particular criminal law and criminal procedure);
• Strong legal writing and research skills;
• Computer literacy;
• Good interpersonal skills.

Recommended:

• Admission to the bar in Russia;
• Knowledge of the post-2008 conflict human rights situation in Georgia and South Ossetia;
• Experience in drafting applications to the ECtHR.

 

Application deadline: 1 February 2012
Interested applicants should submit an application package to srji.org@gmail.com consisting of:

• a motivation letter (in English);
• a resume (in English);
• two short unedited writing samples, preferably on legal topics (one in English and one in Russian);
• contact details for two references.