Justice Fellow (Legal)

Job Description

Job title: Justice Fellow (Legal)

Service: Legal Services

Reporting to: Head of Programmes

Salary: Voluntary

Work pattern: A minimum commitment of 2 days/week in the office

Our office hours are Monday – Friday, 9:30 am – 6pm, flexible working options may be considered.

Duration: 6 months, with the opportunity to extend

Purpose of position

The Justice Fellow (Legal) is a position created to develop public interest law capacity in Hong Kong. 

Fellows receive extensive training and supervision to develop expertise and practical experience in the area of refugee and human rights law. They will provide a valuable contribution to ASK’s Legal services, and to the operation of ASK’s pro bono partner programme. 

Responsibilities

As a Justice Fellow (Legal), you will assist (under supervision) with legal casework, and your support will help ensure that our Education Programmes run smoothly and help to develop and implement our Training and Technical Assistance Programmes. Tasks may include:

• Assist with client cases, including helping to conduct intake assessments, conducting legal and factual research and preparing reports and court filings;

• Input, upkeep and coordinate data collection, entry, verification, monitoring and evaluation, ensuring legal and file management systems are accurate and up to date;

• Assign, supervise, and review work by other volunteers and pro bono partners;

• Contribute to developing legal service information and processes; 

• Assist with the review and edit of training and technical assistance materials, including practice advisories, website content, and training resources;

• Contribute to the development and planning of ASK’s Young Advocates Summer Camp (YASC);

• Support the delivery of the YASC, by: arranging or delivering training sessions, arranging engagement opportunities and briefing, supervising and mentoring students;  

• Contribute to the development and implementation the monitoring and evaluation of the YASC; 

• Contribute to and/or be consulted on our wider Legal Education Programmes, including our Mock Trial, Law and Leadership Week, and bespoke school programmes;

• Work in partnership with our Community Outreach team to maximise impact of our work and increase the scope for our clients to effectively contribute to the delivery and design of our services; 

• Contribute to maintaining positive working relationships with internally and externally;   

• Coordinate and assist with external fundraising and outreach initiatives and events, including managing materials, guest lists, venues, catering, and pre- and post-event evaluations;    

• Attend all relevant staff meetings;  

• Ensure the organisation and tidiness of office;

• Perform other tasks as required for the support of the delivery of Legal Services, Training & Technical Assistance and Education Programmes, as requested by the Legal Services Manager or Head of Programmes; and 

• Comply with ASK’s policies and procedures, and treat everyone with respect, dignity and fairness.  

Requirements

Essential 

• University degree in law, social science, international relations, or other relevant fields, or equivalent industry experience; 

• Multicultural sensitivity and ability to work compassionately and effectively with people from different cultural backgrounds (and who are often vulnerable including those with mental health issues), and across the language barrier; 

• Commitment to upholding the principle of equal opportunities, and interest in issues related to refugees, asylum seekers and other forced migrants; 

• Fluency in verbal and written English, and ability to present complex information (verbally and written) in ways that make it understandable and accessible; 

• Demonstrable organisational skills, including the ability to prioritise multiple tasks and to work effectively when under time pressure; 

• Team-player with excellent interpersonal skills; 

• Willingness to learn and develop new skills; 

• Literacy in basic data entry, Microsoft Office and Outlook; 

• Legal right to work/volunteer in Hong Kong; 

 Desirable 

• Direct experience of forced displacement, or an understanding of the challenges faced by refugees, asylum seekers and other forced migrants, including legal, mental health and social welfare issues; 

• Experience of working with vulnerable and young people who may be traumatised or distressed in a professional setting; 

• Experience of and/or training in domestic and/or international laws, processes and policies relating to refugees, asylum seekers and other forced migrants; 

• Experience of relevant legal casework – handling matters relating to refugees, asylum seekers and other forced migrants, within relevant international and/or domestic legal frameworks; 

• Experience of case-management or equivalent data gathering systems; 

• Fluency in Cantonese; and 

• Fluency in another language such as French, Arabic, Somali, Urdu, Hindi, Sinhala or Bengali would be a considerable asset.  

Benefits 

• A daily stipend of HK$75; 

• Access to in depth training and supervision from internationally qualified lawyers;  

• Access to external professional development opportunities within the refugee response and forced displacement sector;  

• Flexible working hours; and  

• Generous leave policy. 

We are committed to the safeguarding of children and where appropriate will require the successful applicant to undertake a police background check.

Please complete an Application Form and email it to jobs@ask.org.hk with the subject line ‘Justice Fellow (Legal)’. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis.