The position
LAW seeks a Litigation Officer to implement its Programme in Ukraine. The successful candidate will support LAW’s Legal Advisor in all legal aspects of LAW’s work in Ukraine, with a particular emphasis on evidence gathering, legal research, and drafting for strategic litigation including managing the outputs of consultants' work, developing investigation plans and litigation strategies, take notes at team meetings, coordinate with litigation partners, attend conferences and roundtables on behalf of LAW.
More about this position
Where: The position will be based in Kyiv, Ukraine. Flexible and hybrid work arrangements are available, subject to operational and management’s discretion. Possibility of travel on missions to other countries.
Duration: This position is funded full-time with a 12-month contract. Subject to funding, an extension is possible.
Salary: Competitive rates of pay and benefits will apply. Estimated $27,600 — $38,400 gross per year depending on experience plus core benefits including medical contribution. In addition, up to 30 days annual leave entitlement plus 10 bank holidays.
Role overview
Role Overview and Responsibilities
The Litigation Officer will support litigation and accountability measures on a range of complex human rights and international criminal law cases. The Litigation Officer will organise and maintain electronic case files, conduct legal research and write reports on key issues relevant to atrocity crimes in Ukraine, conduct investigations of incidents of possible international crimes by collecting open-source evidence, support the Legal Advisor in managing the outputs of consultants' work, developing investigation plans and litigation strategies, including the cases of universal and extraterritorial jurisdiction, taking notes at litigation team meetings, coordinate with litigation partners, attend conferences and roundtables on behalf of LAW. The Litigation Officer will perform duties in accordance with the responsibilities outlined below:
Legal:
- Supporting all legal activities of LAW’s work in Ukraine, including strategic litigation, support for domestic litigation, and capacity building for local authorities;
- Conducting independent and collaborative legal research, particularly on issues of international criminal law, international humanitarian law, and human rights law;
- Drafting memoranda with research findings to inform litigation strategy and drafting legal arguments to form part of case files or advocacy materials;
- Liaising with law firms giving pro bono advice, and law fellows;
- Supporting the Programme Manager and Legal Advisor in reviewing legal research;
- Assisting the Programme Manager and other team members in devising training materials and conducting trainings;
- Drafting memoranda, report sections, or case sections, analysing collected evidence, and applying the relevant law to reach a conclusion.

Technical Support:
- Supporting the Programme Manager and Legal Advisor in planning and conducting field visits, gathering and analysing information from various sources and developing legal strategies addressing atrocity crimes committed in Ukraine;
- Assisting the Programme Manager and other staff with legal analysis of interviews of survivors and witnesses, including women, LGBTIQ+ persons, and other marginalized groups;
- Supporting open-source investigations with desk research, collection, processing, and analysis of open-source evidence, especially with a view to identifying perpetrators and linking them to crimes

Other Activities:
- Supporting the Ukraine team in designing and drafting advocacy materials, including briefings, press releases, and op-eds. Facilitating high-level advocacy events, liaising with panellists, preparing concept notes, agendas, talking points, and flyers and circulating all to participants;
- Establishing networks with local and international NGOs and participating in coordination mechanisms at a regional and national level;
- Organizing internal and external meetings, assisting with preparing agendas and note-taking. Keeping up-to-date records of discussions with partner organisations and external stakeholders. Attending and contributing to meetings with partners and key stakeholders;
- Supporting other activities as indicated by the Head of Litigation and Programme Manager.

About you
- You must have the legal right to work in Ukraine;
- Bachelor’s degree in law; specialisation in international criminal law, human rights law, international humanitarian law preferred;
- 3 years of demonstrated experience within the legal sector;
- At least one year of experience as part of a human rights, legal aid, or legal accountability programme is highly desirable;
- Excellent, demonstrated legal research and drafting skills; experience applying creative legal solutions to challenging and novel problems;
- Experience working with survivors of gender-based crimes including women and LGBTIQ+ persons is preferred;
- Knowledge of an intersectional, trauma-informed approach to investigations is preferred;
- Excellent knowledge and understanding of the context of Russia’s war in Ukraine;
- Excellent written and oral communication in English and Ukrainian. Knowledge of Russian is preferred;
- Excellent organisational skills with the ability to meet deadlines and take on tasks from beginning to fulfilment;
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and strong technical literacy;
- Flexible and familiar with the volatile and unpredictable nature of working in conflict environments;
- Track record of strong interpersonal skills and ability to develop relationships at all levels

Preferred/desired requirements:
- A qualification to practice law in at least one jurisdiction is highly desirable.
- Track record of documenting international crimes or human rights violations, and/or representing clients in cases involving human rights law or international criminal law is highly desirable.
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of universal and extraterritorial jurisdiction around the world is highly desirable.

To apply
If you have the relevant experience and skills to join our dynamic team to help advance justice for survivors of international crimes in Ukraine we would like to hear from you. The closing date for applications is 17:00 hours (Geneva time) on 15th November 2024.
To apply, please click on this link: https://legalactionworldwide.bamboohr.com/careers/38
At LAW, we are strengthened by the diversity of our colleagues, reflecting the people and communities that we represent and support. Our team includes many nationalities with diverse professional backgrounds, skills and knowledge. This enables us to deliver and understand the cultural and political contexts on the ground and to tailor our support effectively and appropriately. Women lawyers with experience representing at-risk clients are particularly encouraged to apply.
To learn more about LAW please visit our website: www.legalactionworldwide.org.

Контактна інформація →