Position: Legal Officer
Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Reports to: Country Manager
Organization: RefuSHE Kenya
Salary Range: Kes 120,000 – Kes 150,000 per month
Contract Type: Full-time
About RefuSHE
RefuSHE is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting refugee girls and young women in Kenya. We provide comprehensive support services, including safe shelter, education, case management, legal assistance, and advocacy, to empower refugee girls to rebuild their lives in safety and dignity.
Position Summary
The Legal Officer will support in delivering essential legal services to refugee clients, especially girls and young women, who are survivors of displacement, violence, and trauma. The role involves assisting with case management, conducting legal research, and liaising with various stakeholders to advocate for the rights of refugees and other vulnerable individuals. The Legal Officer will also provide legal expertise and support for the organization’s functions, management, compliance, and board correspondence.
Key Responsibilities
Legal Research and Documentation
- Conduct research on relevant national and international laws, including refugee rights, immigration policies, and gender-based violence statutes.
- Facilitate legal referrals to partner organizations and assist in coordinating support services, such as documentation, psychosocial counselling or medical assistance.
- Assist in monitoring and analysing legal developments that affect refugees in Kenya.
- Prepare briefs, minutes, resolutions and reports, ensuring compliance with legal standards.
- Draft and review legal documents, correspondence, Memorandums of Understanding and contracts for the organization.
Stakeholder Engagement and Advocacy
- Liaise with government bodies, UN agencies, and other non-governmental organizations to support case advocacy and coordination.
- Participate in community outreach initiatives, raising awareness of legal rights among refugees and vulnerable populations.
- Represent RefuSHE in meetings, conferences, or legal aid networks, as required, to advance the organization’s advocacy goals.
Training and Capacity Building for clients and community members
- Assist in organizing and conducting legal rights workshops for clients, staff, and community members.
- Participate in organizing and facilitating legal awareness sessions for beneficiaries on topics such as their rights, legal processes, and available services
- Design the clinics to include both group sessions and one-on-one consultations
- Support the development of training materials on refugee rights, gender-based violence, and other relevant topics.
- Implement a system for follow-up consultations to ensure participants receive ongoing support for their legal issues.
- Maintain detailed records of consultations and outcomes to track progress and identify any recurring legal challenges.
- Conduct awareness campaigns to inform participants about the availability and benefits of the legal clinics.
Periodic awareness creation and training staff on organization policies.
- Development of training materials
- Conducting regular training sessions for all staff members, including new hires and existing employees.
- Regularly update staff on any changes or new policies through emails, newsletters, and internal communication platforms
- Implement assessments to evaluate staff understanding of the policies.
Contribute to identification of legal and advocacy gaps and corresponding mitigation measures.
- Conduct needs assessments to understand the legal and advocacy needs of program participants and analyse data from needs assessments to pinpoint specific gaps in legal protection, representation, and advocacy effort, where participants’ needs are not being met.
- Formulate strategies to address identified gaps, ensuring they are practical, sustainable, and aligned with organizational goals.
- Propose new initiatives, programs, or policy changes to enhance legal support and advocacy efforts.
- Work with relevant departments and partners to implement the proposed mitigation strategies.
- Ensure that new initiatives are integrated into existing programs and that staff are trained to support these efforts.
- Establish metrics and indicators to monitor the effectiveness of implemented mitigation measures.
- Prepare detailed reports on identified gaps, proposed mitigation measures, and their outcomes, and share findings and recommendations with Interim Country Manager and other stakeholders to inform decision-making and policy development.
Administrative Support
- Manage scheduling, correspondence, and record-keeping, ensuring that Interim Country Manager’s calendars are organized and that all communications are handled efficiently.
- Assist in preparing, filing, and organizing Interim Country Manager’s Office documents, ensuring that all they are easily accessible and properly stored.
Additional Responsibilities
Other duties as assigned to support the mission and goals of RefuSHE.
Qualifications and Skills
Education: Bachelor’s degree in law, paralegal studies, or a related field; relevant certifications in refugee law or human rights are advantageous.
Experience: Minimum 2-3 years of experience in legal assistance, or similar role; experience working with refugees or vulnerable populations preferred.
Knowledge: Familiarity with Kenyan legal and judicial systems, international human rights, and refugee law; knowledge of protection frameworks and gender-based violence policies
Skills:
- Strong organizational and case management skills.
- Excellent verbal and written communication.
- Research and analytical skills, with attention to detail.
- Proficiency in MS Office Suite.
Attributes:
- High level of empathy, discretion, and cultural sensitivity.
- Strong commitment to human rights and refugee protection.
- Ability to work under pressure in a fast-paced environment.
How to apply
Qualified and interested candidates should submit their resume and cover letter indicating salary expectation to hr@refushe.org, citing the position title “Legal Officer” on the email subject line, by close of business on 27th December 2024.
RefuSHE is an equal opportunity employer. We appreciate all applications received, however, please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Consent: By applying for this position, I hereby consent for RefuSHE to collect, process, and store my personal data in accordance with the privacy policy. I understand I may withdraw my consent at any time by contacting the email address provided in this job advert to withdraw my application.