Johannesburg

Fixed term

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Legal Associate: Asserting Contested Rights

About The Organisation

The Initiative for Strategic Litigation in Africa (ISLA) is a feminist pan-African organisation focused on the strategic litigation of women’s human rights and sexual rights both at national levels and within the African human rights system. Our work is based on the belief that strategic litigation is an immensely powerful tool for social change because it helps to reframe the understanding of entitlements before the law and challenges the legal discourse. ISLA seeks to gain ground by creating domestic and regional jurisprudence in women’s human rights and sexual rights; strengthening the capacity of litigators and NGOs on the continent; and conducting rigorous research.

Overview of Work

LEGAL ASSOCIATE: ASSERTING CONTESTED RIGHTS (36 months fixed contract) ISLA seeks to appoint a Legal Associate who will provide support to the thematic lead in the Asserting Contested Rights (ACR) Thematic Area, and the Priority Managers for Producing Knowledge for Social Change and Strengthening Capacity to Litigate Strategically on designing and implementing capacity strengthening activities for the ACR Network of Lawyers, as well as supporting the production and documentation of knowledge within the thematic area.

Minimum Responsibilities

Minimum Responsibilities:

Strengthening Capacity (60%)

  • Support the SCLS Manager and Thematic Lead in enhancing the internal capacity of ISLA to effectively support the ACR Network and LSC.
  • Creating well-structured, informative, and accessible meeting materials that support ISLA’s capacity-strengthening activities
  • Support the process of transforming the outcomes of capacity-strengthening activities into valuable insights and accessible reports.
  • Collaborate with and work with other priority areas to enhance the effectiveness of capacity-building efforts and contributes to ISLA’s overarching mission of promoting justice, human rights, and strategic litigation in Africa.

Knowledge Production (30%)

  • Support the development and dissemination of curricula, tools and templates necessary to support the ACR Thematic Area.
  • Support the development of network and thematic related publications.
  • Support the strategic dissemination of reports, engaging with partners, and leveraging communication expertise to help ISLA amplify its impact.

Partnerships and Collaborations (10%)

  • Support the SCLS Manager and Thematic Lead to build and managing strategic partnerships and collaborations that enhance ISLA’s capacity-strengthening activities.

Minimum Job Requirements

Minimum Job Requirements:

  1. Education
  • A legal degree.
  1. Experience
  • Demonstrated experience in human rights through academic research, litigation, or programming, showing a strong understanding of the relevant frameworks, jurisprudence and advocacy strategies. Human Rights experience.
  • Knowledge of anti-rights actors and experience around contested rights.
  • Coordinating and managing projects and demonstrating evidence of being a self-driven, resourceful person who can manage and coordinate teamwork well.
  • Working on human rights issues that are emotive, contentious and polarizing.
  • Exhibit the highest standards of excellence and integrity, and display, at all times and to all persons, a courteous, professional and cooperative attitude.
  1. Skills
  • Strong research background with the capacity to provide quality research in a timely manner. Should have excellent writing skills as well.
  • An ability to make a strategic and dynamic approach to the use of law as a tool for the promotion of human rights and can demonstrate this.
  • A keen analytical ability.
  • Meticulous attention to detail.
  • Understanding of constitutional, regional and international human rights law.
  • Knowledge and understanding of human rights as it relates to gender and human sexuality and feminist analysis.
  1. Other Essentials Specific to the Job
  • Able and willing to travel occasionally within Africa and outside of the continent when needed.
  • Commitment to the overall aims and values of ISLA, feminism and Pan Africanism
  • Expectation of occasional work outside regular weekday hours, as required to do the job.
  1. Preference will be given to qualifying women applicants.

 

Additional Information

 Salary: This position offers a competitive total cost to company salary of per annum, and commensurate with experience.

Closing Date: 01 November 2024

Suitable candidates who meet the requirements for this position are invited to click here to complete an application form.

ISLA’s job application form replaces the need to submit a CV as we prefer to have standardised information provided by all candidates. Upon submission, the applications will be received by the ISLA recruitment team for selection. Only shortlisted candidates will receive feedback on their application with further requirements. Late applications will not be considered.