Lawyer - Anbar / Al - Qurma

The International Rescue Committee responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, IRC offers life-saving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in more than 40 countries and in 22 U.S. cities, IRC restores safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted by conflict or disaster. IRC leads the way from harm to home.

CONTEXTUAL BACKGROUND

The IRC established programs in Iraq in 2003 to address the overwhelming needs of displaced people in Iraq and the neighboring countries. Since re-establishing its presence in Iraq in November 2007, the IRC has been assisting thousands of internally displaced families in the northern, central and southern governorates in the sectors of protection, gender-based violence (GBV), education, economic recovery, child Protection and emergency humanitarian assistance. Working in coordination with the humanitarian community in Iraq, the IRC's assistance and emergency programs address the needs of war-affected Iraqi internally displaced persons (IDPs) and Syrian refugees from several operational bases in the country, and include both camp-based and urban-based assistance. IRC operates throughout Iraq, with the main office in Erbil and field offices in, Baghdad, SAD, Anbar and Mosul.

Job Overview/Summary:

Under the direct supervision of the Legal Team Leader / Protection and Rule of Law Manager, the Lawyer will conduct daily field visits to identify legal needs, provide legal counselling and case management, deliver legal information and awareness sessions, identify clients and take on legal cases according to his/her caseload and legal specialty (civil documentation, family law, personal status, housing, land and property, and possibly detention or missing person cases).

Major Responsibilities:

1. Conduct daily field visits to identify legal needs.
2. Provide individual legal counselling, advice, casework services and representation before courts and administrative bodies in areas of civil documentation, personal status, family law, HLP, and possibly detention and missing person cases.
3. Carry out all legal services in line with Iraqi law, Humanitarian Principles, and internal ethical and best practice procedures including all Standard Operating Procedures related to the legal program, as well as the IRC Way Policy.

1. Advocate on behalf of clients and make direct interventions with local authorities (e.g. phone calls, letters or meetings) or other organizations (NGOs) or international organizations (UN), were appropriate.

1. Provide legal awareness sessions based on previously identified needs, to the communities, mainly on civil documentation, personal status, family law, HLP, and possibly detention and missing person cases.
2. Ensure all case files are complete with court documents, receipts, signed Legal Service Agreements and case closure forms. Archive all legal cases in secure storage within the IRC office, in individual casefiles, ensuring respect of client confidentiality.
3. Maintain correct and updated and accurate documentation of all legal activities on the CommCare data management system.
4. Keep appropriate records of participants in legal awareness sessions and collect information of individuals benefited from legal counselling.
5. Treat clients with respect and dignity and ensure to clearly communicate their legal rights and options. Ensure client’s confidentiality is respected and take special measures to ensure a sensitive approach is taken in legal service delivery towards highly vulnerable clients.
6. Make appropriate and safe referrals both internally and externally for beneficiaries needing non-legal assistance and follow-up using the correct referral forms. 
7. Prepare and send daily/weekly field reports to the Legal Team Leader/Protection and Rule of Law Manager and raise any protection concern or rights violation observed in the area, according to best practices in term of confidentiality and safety of beneficiaries.
8. Provide weekly work plan to supervisor outlining caseload and movements.
9. Perform other duties, as required by the supervisor.

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to:  Legal Team Leader/Protection and Rule of Law Manager
Position directly supervises:  N/A

Indirect Reporting: Senior Legal Manager/Protection Coordinator
Other Internal and/or external contacts:

Internal: IRC staff

External:  local community and partners