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Legal Officer

ECRE - European Council on Refugees and Exiles - 23 October 2009

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Job Description

JOB TITLE
Legal Officer.
 
REPORTS TO
Senior Legal & Policy Officer, Advocacy & Communications

JOB PURPOSE
Support ECRE in the policy and legal fields, to ensure that the organisation achieves its objectives in those areas, and to participate in the strategic and corporate management of ECRE as a whole.

PLACE IN THE ORGANISATION
· Service: Advocacy & Communications Unit.
· Reports hierarchically to: Head of Unit, Advocacy & Communications.
· Reports functionally to: Senior Legal & Policy Officer, Advocacy & Communications.

KEY RELATIONSHIPS – INTERNAL
· Advocacy & research officers.

KEY RELATIONSHIPS – EXTERNAL
· ECRE Member Agencies.
· ELENA network.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
The Advocacy and Communications (AC) team is responsible for following legal and policy developments in the refugee field. The priority focus is on asylum policies at the European Union (EU) and regional developments in the area of asylum. The AC team actively follows policy debates and legislative processes at the EU level and advocates for enhanced standards of protection in the EU and the wider Europe region. The team is proactive in coordinating with ECRE’s Member Agencies at the national level and provides input for ECRE’s web-based discussion forums.

1. Legal & Research
· Legal analysis of legislative developments at the national and European levels.
· Research on developments in national jurisprudence relating to international protection as well as jurisprudence of the European Court of Justice and the European Court of Human Rights.
· Support the Senior Legal and Policy Officer in coordinating the European Legal Network on Asylum (ELENA) and support the Events Officer in organising ELENA courses on international and European refugee law.
· Advocate on legislative and policy developments at EU level in the field of asylum
· Coordinate two ECRE core groups with Member Agencies on selected topics related to European asylum policy.
· Conduct research and write ECRE policy papers on various aspects of European asylum policy and provide support on legal aspects of policy areas covered by other members of the AC team.
· Conduct comparative research on the transposition and implementation of EU asylum legislation at the national level and produce evidence-based policy papers and recommendations.

PERSON SPECIFICATION
Education
· University degree in law. Additional training in European law or equivalent education an advantage.

Experience
· Minimum 2 years of relevant legal experience in the field of asylum. Relevant advocacy experience on asylum issues or the wider human rights field an advantage.

Languages
· Fluent written and spoken English.
· Good knowledge of written and spoken French an advantage.
· Working knowledge of other European languages an advantage.

Specific Knowledge
· Good knowledge of asylum and refugee policies.
· Familiarity with the EU legislative process (preferably on JHA issues, including asylum).
· Knowledge of EU structures and institutions.
· Excellent knowledge of international refugee law.

Essential Abilities
· Ability to work independently and as part of a team as well as with mixed audiences of highly qualified legal and policy experts.
· Ability to meet short deadlines and work under pressure.
· Ability to translate complex legal issues into reader-friendly and policy-relevant language.
· Ability to undertake research and produce publications and policy papers.

Personal Qualities
· Patient and calm in pressurised situations.
· Consultative, constructive problem solving approach.
· Flexibility and willingness to work out of office hours when necessary.
· Good sense of humor.
· Readiness to travel internationally (mainly in Europe).

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT
ECRE aims to ensure that no prospective or actual employee is discriminated against on the basis of race, sex, nationality, marital status, sexual orientation, employment status, class, disability, age, religious belief or political persuasion, or is disadvantaged by any condition or requirement, which is not demonstrably justifiable.

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