Deputy Program Director
September 26, 2014 9:35 AM
Overview: The International Legal Foundation (ILF), an international nongovernmental organization based in New York, New York, was created in 2001 for the purpose of setting up public defender systems in post-conflict countries (www.TheILF.org). With projects in the West Bank, Nepal, Afghanistan and Tunisia, the ILF has over 100 employees worldwide.
The ILF seeks a lawyer with criminal defense experience (preferably as a public defender) and a strong commitment to the mission and values of the ILF to fill the new position of deputy program director. The deputy program director will assist the program director in developing proactive and effective defense lawyers in the countries in which the ILF works, and building more effective indigent defense systems. The ideal candidate will be a self-starter and a team player with strong legal skills, willing and able to travel to and spend several months on assignments in less than comfortable locations, and fluent in French or Arabic.
Key Responsibilities:
• Strategize with the ILF’s Program Director and relevant country office staff to develop legal strategies and policies that will advance the rights of the criminally accused in that country.
• Update the ILF’s practice manual or training guide in each existing location and/ or develop practice manuals in new countries that will assist in the mentoring of the local staff, and identify key issues to be litigated under the specific laws of the country.
• Provide support to the ILF’s International Fellows, volunteer lawyers that provide intensive mentoring to lawyers and management teams in ILF’s country offices.
• Assist in developing and overseeing the ILF’s monitoring & evaluation systems, including the case management systems used by the ILF’s country programs, in an effort to ensure accountability and to track continuous improvement and impact.
• Assist in supervising, supporting and mentoring the management teams at ILF’s country offices, both individually and as a group and both on-site and long-distance.
• Help guide growth, expansion, and development of each country office’s legal services.
• Work effectively with the ILF’s Executive Director, Program Officer and Communications Officer as necessary and appropriate, in supporting country office staff.
• Assist with grant and report writing, as necessary.
• Assist with research and developing publications that further ILF’s global advocacy efforts.
• Represent the ILF internationally, as necessary and as requested by the Program Director and Executive Director.
Skills and Experience:
• Law degree and at least 5 years of practical experience in criminal law
• Appellate experience required
• Preference will be given to candidates with public defender experience
• Strong and demonstrated commitment to the ILF’s mission and goals necessary
• Familiarity with case management systems utilized by public defender offices preferred
• Practical lawyering skills training experience preferred
• Familiarity with the concept of performance standards and guidelines for meaningful defense representation preferred
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills
• Excellent written communication skills
• Ability to work independently as well as in teams
• Ability to work within strict timelines and handle multiple tasks
• Experience working in an international setting preferred
• Ability and willingness to travel to post-conflict/transitional countries
• Ability to travel for extended periods of time (approximately 4-6 months of interspersed travel per year)
• Knowledge of French or Arabic preferred.
payscale: competitive
job type: full-time
The ILF seeks a lawyer with criminal defense experience (preferably as a public defender) and a strong commitment to the mission and values of the ILF to fill the new position of deputy program director. The deputy program director will assist the program director in developing proactive and effective defense lawyers in the countries in which the ILF works, and building more effective indigent defense systems. The ideal candidate will be a self-starter and a team player with strong legal skills, willing and able to travel to and spend several months on assignments in less than comfortable locations, and fluent in French or Arabic.
Key Responsibilities:
• Strategize with the ILF’s Program Director and relevant country office staff to develop legal strategies and policies that will advance the rights of the criminally accused in that country.
• Update the ILF’s practice manual or training guide in each existing location and/ or develop practice manuals in new countries that will assist in the mentoring of the local staff, and identify key issues to be litigated under the specific laws of the country.
• Provide support to the ILF’s International Fellows, volunteer lawyers that provide intensive mentoring to lawyers and management teams in ILF’s country offices.
• Assist in developing and overseeing the ILF’s monitoring & evaluation systems, including the case management systems used by the ILF’s country programs, in an effort to ensure accountability and to track continuous improvement and impact.
• Assist in supervising, supporting and mentoring the management teams at ILF’s country offices, both individually and as a group and both on-site and long-distance.
• Help guide growth, expansion, and development of each country office’s legal services.
• Work effectively with the ILF’s Executive Director, Program Officer and Communications Officer as necessary and appropriate, in supporting country office staff.
• Assist with grant and report writing, as necessary.
• Assist with research and developing publications that further ILF’s global advocacy efforts.
• Represent the ILF internationally, as necessary and as requested by the Program Director and Executive Director.
Skills and Experience:
• Law degree and at least 5 years of practical experience in criminal law
• Appellate experience required
• Preference will be given to candidates with public defender experience
• Strong and demonstrated commitment to the ILF’s mission and goals necessary
• Familiarity with case management systems utilized by public defender offices preferred
• Practical lawyering skills training experience preferred
• Familiarity with the concept of performance standards and guidelines for meaningful defense representation preferred
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills
• Excellent written communication skills
• Ability to work independently as well as in teams
• Ability to work within strict timelines and handle multiple tasks
• Experience working in an international setting preferred
• Ability and willingness to travel to post-conflict/transitional countries
• Ability to travel for extended periods of time (approximately 4-6 months of interspersed travel per year)
• Knowledge of French or Arabic preferred.
payscale: competitive
job type: full-time