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.

Welfare Caseworker/Officer

Job Description

Job title: Welfare Caseworker/Officer

Service: Social Welfare Team 

Reporting to: Head of Programmes

Salary: $14,098 – $24,450/month, commensurate with experience.

Work pattern: Full time, Monday – Friday, 9:30 am – 6pm (part time may be considered)

Duration: 1 year

Asylum Services & Knowledge (ASK) is a non-profit organisation that provides legal and social services to refugees, asylum seekers and other displaced people in Hong Kong SAR. We work to support the vision of Hong Kong SAR as a welcoming and inclusive society.

We provide free specialist legal help to people experiencing forced displacement, while offering tailored welfare and psychosocial support to those affected by trauma and destitution. Through strategic casework, research, training and technical assistance and community initiatives, we work to ensure that even the most marginalised members of Hong Kong society have equitable access to essential services and a voice in our society.

At ASK, we strive to foster community engagement and promote the active participation of refugees in Hong Kong society. Our commitment extends to creating a safe and inclusive working environment that reflects the diversity of the communities we serve.  We strongly encourage candidates with personal experiences of forced migration, individuals from minority ethnic backgrounds, those who identify as LGBTQ+, and individuals with disabilities and neuro-diversity to apply. To learn more about ASK and our mission, please visit our website at www.ask.org.hk.

Purpose of position

The Welfare Caseworker/Officer works under the supervision of the Head of Programmes to facilitate access to social welfare, mental health and other support for people seeking asylum (non-refoulement protection), to enable them to live with agency and dignity and meaningfully participate in legal proceedings in Hong Kong.

You will work closely with our professional team of refugee lawyers, social welfare caseworkers and mental health practitioners. You will have the chance to learn more about and from refugees, and to contribute to rewarding work assisting migrants in vulnerable situations including refugees and asylum seekers in Hong Kong.

Responsibilities

• Handle a caseload of welfare and related legal matters, including with respect to shelter and housing, healthcare, education, financial agency and livelihoods (for substantiated claimants);

• Assess the social welfare needs of ASK clients and formulate individualised action plans accordingly;

• Work closely with our Senior Psychosocial Advisor to assist with intake and coordination of psychosocial services;

• Manage applications for ASK’s Emergency Welfare Fund;  

• Make referrals to external agencies, and liaise and advocate for access to welfare provisions;

• Prepare submissions, applications and other supporting documents to facilitate access to welfare provisions;

• Take part in regular multidisciplinary case conferences, both internally with ASK’s  Direct Services staff and externally with relevant partners;

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

• Develop and deliver presentations and training to clients, partner organisations, pro bono lawyers, and others;  

• Establish and maintain referral mechanisms and positive relationships with external welfare providers;

• Contribute to maintaining positive working relationships with HKSAR government, professional bodies, UNHCR, NGOs and other stakeholders;  

• Keep up to date with legal and social welfare services available to clients, identify potential new services, and contribute to building the profile of ASK;

• Attend all relevant staff meetings;  

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

• Perform other tasks as required for the support of the delivery of Welfare Services, as requested by the Head of Programmes. 

Requirements

Essential

• Registered social worker or holder of a university degree in law or law conversion (LLB, LLM, JD or GDL), social work, human services or other relevant degree (industry experience may be considered in-lieu of professional qualifications).

• Experience working with vulnerable populations or clients in crisis situations and helping them to solve their problems.

• Multicultural sensitivity and ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds and across varying language barriers.

• Demonstrable 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 using simple and accessible language.

• Highly self-motivated, with demonstrable organisational skills, and ability to work independently and under pressure.

• Team-player with excellent interpersonal skills.

• Literacy in basic data entry, case management systems, Microsoft Office and Outlook.

• Legal right to work in Hong Kong.

Desirable

• ·Direct experience of forced displacement, or 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.

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

• Experience of NGO service delivery and/or working with community organisations.

• Ability to promote our work to a wide variety of external stakeholders, potential partners and community organisations.

• Fluency in Cantonese.

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

Benefits 

• 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.

• 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 ‘Welfare Caseworker/Officer’ on or before 9 Oct 2026. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis.