The Hong Kong Refugee Advice Centre (“HKRAC”) was founded 4 years ago and is the only charitable organization dedicated to pro bono legal aid for refugees making claims for asylum before the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (“UNHCR”) in Hong Kong.
In this time, HKRAC has assisted over 800 refugees and their families, and has also established several innovative legal clinical programmes with universities in Hong Kong, successfully advocated fairer procedures at UNHCR and recruited and trained volunteers.
Job Opportunity - Legal Director
We seek a dedicated and effective lawyer to direct all aspects of refugee legal aid at HKRAC.
Under the supervision of HKRAC’s Executive Director and Board of Directors, the Legal Director is responsible for overseeing all aspects of casework management, client representation and advice, advocacy and referrals. S/he is also responsible for the recruitment, training and supervision of Staff Attorneys and Volunteer Caseworkers who are involved in HKRAC’s refugee legal aid project. The Legal Director will supervise up to 5 full time staff members as well as our volunteer caseworkers.
The Legal Director will also work closely with HKRAC’s law firm sponsors. S/he will oversee caseworker trainings and will attend local and international conferences and meetings on behalf of the organization.
The ideal candidate will be energetic, articulate and comfortable interacting with diverse segments of society, from vulnerable clients to corporate sponsors. S/he will enjoy collaborating with HKRAC’s small staff of tireless refugee rights advocates and wider circle of dedicated volunteers and supporters.
Minimum Qualifications:
- Qualified lawyer in any jurisdiction;
- A minimum of 5 years experience in refugee or human rights law;
- Experience in managing and supervising staff or volunteers;
- Excellent legal research and drafting skills;
- Public speaking experience;
- A demonstrated commitment and sensitivity toward vulnerable and/or displaced people;
- Fluent in both spoken and written English
Please send your CV, Statement of Interest, and legal writing sample by 3 February to: info@hkrac.org with the subject line “Legal Director Position.”
The candidate should be in position by 1 May 2012. Please only apply if this meets your time frame. Due to the high volume of applications, only short-listed candidates will be contacted.
Volunteer Opportunity – Casework Volunteer
HKRAC is seeking a full-time casework volunteer to begin in June 2012 for a period of at least 10 weeks. The casework volunteer should have a strong interest in and commitment to human rights and excellent research, writing, and oral communication skills.
The casework volunteer will conduct intake interviews with potential refugee clients and write interview-based reports that require extensive country of origin research. Other responsibilities may include taking the testimony of a client, drafting legal submissions, providing self-representation advice, conducting legal and factual research, attending UNHCR interviews, and helping to prepare for trainings, meetings, and other events.
The ideal candidate should have the following qualifications:
- Law student or law graduate;
- Demonstrated interest in human rights and refugee issues;
- Excellent oral and written communication skills;
- Excellent research skills;
- Experience working with asylum seekers and survivors of torture preferred;
- Fluency in Amharic, Arabic, Dari, Ewe, Farsi, French, Hindi, Lingala, Lugandan, Pashto, Punjabi, Sinhalese, Somali, Swahili, Tamil, Tigrinya, Urdu or other languages preferred.
Please e-mail your statement of interest, CV, and legal writing sample to Stephanie Jones at sjones@hkrac.org by 10 February 2012.
Please note that this is an unpaid position. Due to the high volume of applications, only short-listed candidates will be contacted.