Job Description
Work title: Litigation Coordinator (IPHR Tbilisi office)
IPHR is recruiting a new member of our team to work as a Litigation Coordinator responsible for initiating and leading IPHR’s strategic litigation activities and for supporting our local partners who are at the forefront of providing assistance to victims of human rights violations. The position is based in Tbilisi, Georgia.
Role:
As a Litigation Coordinator, you will plan and implement IPHR’s strategic litigation activities aimed at supporting our local partners. This work will include monitoring and identifying strategic cases, drafting complaints for national and international judicial and quasi-judicial bodies and supporting human rights lawyers in IPHR’s target countries (former Soviet Union region).
Reporting:
The Litigation Coordinator will work closely with and report to IPHR’s Programme Director and Director while providing legal support and guidance to the whole programme team.
Description of duties
Litigation Coordinator is responsible for:
- Leading conceptualization, development, adaptation, and execution of IPHR’s strategic litigation vision;
- Leading and directing IPHR’s human rights litigation initiatives, including ongoing strategic litigation before key and strategic domestic and international courts/quasi-judicial bodies, with a view to securing decisions that respect, protect and fulfil the rights of litigants;
- Developing and overseeing the implementation of an effective system of quality control of strategic litigation, to ensure high-quality and effective legal pleadings, communications and court advocacy;
- Maintaining an overview of the country context with a view to identifying opportunities for strategic litigation in consultation with our local partners;
- Monitoring cases communicated to the European Court of Human Rights in order to identify opportunities for third party interventions;
- Developing strategies to ensure the implementation of the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights, including through submissions to the Department of the Execution of Judgments and supporting initiatives for follow-up domestic litigation where relevant;
- Identifying risks related to strategic litigation and proposing solutions for risk management;
- Safeguarding effective partnerships and coordinating with human rights lawyers in IPHR’s target countries;
- Developing and maintaining partnerships with law firms that provide pro-bono support to IPHR;
- Developing an accurate and appropriate human rights litigation case management system, ensuring compliance with relevant rules of ethics, as well as proper and effective communications with law firms with whom IPHR collaborates;
- Providing legal advice and support to IPHR team as well as to IPHR local partners;
- Assisting as necessary with development, programme administration, and data management, including maintaining accurate timekeeping records;
- Supporting and reinforcing IPHR’s legal education and training initiatives;
- Streamlining impact-driven litigation across IPHR’s programme work.
Qualifications required
- A post-graduate degree in law, preferably in public international law or with a specialization in human rights law;
- A minimum of 5 years of practical experience of litigating human rights cases before domestic and international courts/quasi-judicial bodies;
- Active membership of a national bar association in a Council of Europe Member State is highly desirable;
- Fluency in English and Russian;
- Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work with wide variety of stakeholders in a multi-cultural environment.
If you are interested and qualified for this role, please apply by sending your CV, a cover letter and the names of two referees by 24 February 2020, to the attention of:
Recruiting committee LC
iphr@iphronline.org