The American Bar Association Center for Human Rights (CHR) mobilizes lawyers to help threatened advocates, protect vulnerable communities, and hold governments accountable under law.
CHR is seeking a legal advisor to support the provision of pro bono technical legal assistance to human rights defenders at risk, advise on labor rights issues, and investigate corruption in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). The legal advisor will support both the labor rights portfolio under the Justice Defenders program and the Center’s new program aimed at combatting corruption in Northern Central America.
Candidates with substantial experience working on issues pertaining to human rights and corruption in LAC and on issues pertaining to labor rights and business and human rights are encouraged to apply. All applicants must have authorization to work in the United States. The ABA does not sponsor visas.
The legal advisor will report directly to the lead legal advisor for the labor rights portfolio.
Responsibilities:
1) Undertake substantive legal work for a grant funded project and provide substantive support and expertise to the ABA Center for Human Rights. Supervised by a more senior attorney or experienced professional. Includes research, writing, and speaking. May have supervisory duties of non-attorney staff.
2) Conduct legal or other research; write memoranda, speeches, and articles, including for publication.
3) Provide substantive advice, information, and policy. Serve as principal ABA expert on a substantive area of law or public policy (labor
rights globally and anti-corruption in LAC). May conduct research and meetings, develop recommendations and memoranda. Includes contact with government entities including officials and with media.
4) Analyze laws, regulations, court rules, and policies/policy proposals. Prepare memoranda on law or public policy. May assist with
supervision of interns/externs.
5) Give presentations and/or teach on legal and public policy issues. Assist in designing substantive content of events, developing model documents, and conducting trainings.
6) Technological legal tool development and use.
7) Research, draft, author, review, and critique legislative/rule/policy or regulatory text. Coordinate policy adoption process.
8) Perform other duties as assigned: Support lead legal advisors for Labor and LAC in a range of duties relating to case strategy, management, advocacy and other matters regarding the execution of case work.
Required Qualifications:
· Possession of a Doctorate degree (JD or PhD)
· Outstanding oral and written communication skills
· Excellent organizational skills
· Ability to exercise independent judgement
Preferred Qualifications:
· Previous legal work or volunteer experience.
· Full professional working proficiency in Spanish; Additional foreign language fluencies welcome.
· Demonstrated experience working on both labor/business and human rights issues globally and anti-corruption in LAC
Certificates, Licenses, Registrations; JD or PhD
Extent of Travel Required in the Job
As a normal course of business, this job will typically require some travel.
Please submit a resume, cover letter, and writing sample via the ABA Dayforce Career Portal. In the cover letter, please outline language
skills.
