ELIL is a charity registered in Germany and Greece. It was founded by the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE) and the German Bar Association (DAV) in 2016. These organisations represent the bars and law societies of 45 European member, associate and observer countries, and through them more than 1 million European lawyers. ELIL is now also supported by the Conseil national des barreaux (CNB).
ELIL was inspired by belief in the fundamental importance of upholding the rule of law, protecting human rights and ensuring meaningful access to legal assistance. Our teams of lawyers have been providing free, independent legal assistance to asylum seekers in Greece since 2016 (Lesvos, Samos, Athens and Thessaloniki).
ELIL is now setting up a new project in Poland to provide free legal assistance and information to refugees arriving from Ukraine. Our team(s) of volunteer pro bono Polish lawyers will work at various locations across Warsaw, answering legal queries, providing legal information, triaging cases and making referrals to legal/protection actors accordingly.
We are looking to recruit a full-time committed and experienced Legal Coordinator to join our new team.
The start date for this role is 4 July 2022. We offer a competitive salary, details of which are available on request.
The role reports to the Project Manager.
Role responsibilities
- Coordinating team(s) of volunteer Polish lawyers operating at various locations in Warsaw
- Providing training, guidance and advice to the Polish lawyers
- Managing, overseeing and reporting on all aspects of the organisation’s legal work and cases
- Managing referrals made to other legal/protection actors
- Preparing guides, handbooks and training materials related to the applicable legal issues
- Inputting into the organisation’s strategy
- Identifying legal issues for the purposes of advocacy and providing expert legal input accordingly
- Representing the organisation in legal aid/protection coordination meetings, as required, at both national and local levels
- Developing and maintaining good relations with relevant stakeholders and other organisations
Skills and experience required
- Legal background and knowledge of the Polish legal framework
- Excellent verbal and written English and Polish skills
- Excellent drafting, analytical and communication skills
- At least two years’ relevant experience, preferably with experience of working for an international organisation or INGO/NGO
- Experience of providing face-to-face support in a humanitarian/emergency context
- Experience of working with a team of legal professionals
- Undergraduate or graduate degree in a relevant field (e.g. international law, human rights, refugee law, international relations)
- Eligible to work in Poland
- Ability to adapt to a changing legal, humanitarian/emergency-response environment
- Ability to work in a fast-paced, multicultural environment and to cope with competing demands under tight deadlines
- Excellent interpersonal and teamwork skills and experience of establishing good working relationships with a variety of people of different nationalities
- Capable of being proactive and working independently
- Passionate about supporting the rights of refugees, migrants and displaced people
- Culturally sensitive
- High professional ethics
How to apply
To apply for this role, please send a CV and cover letter in English by email to the Project Manager, Tereza Mimikou (vacancies@elil.eu).
Closing date for submission of applications: 30 June 2022
Applications will be processed as they come and the position maybe filled before the above deadline. Only short listed candidates will be contacted. All applications will be treated with strict confidentiality.