Legal Field Officer

All NRC employees are expected to work in accordance with the organization’s core values: dedication, innovation, inclusivity and accountability. These attitudes and believes shall guide our actions and relationships. 

1. Role and responsibilities

The Legal Field Officer is responsible for assisting in developing ICLA’s understanding of the legal situation and legal challenges faced by the targeted population after Beirut blast, particularly on issues related to Housing, Land and Property (HLP) rights, civil documentation and legal status. Through operational and substantive supervision of ICLA legal consultants, as well as training and coaching of the ICLA team, the Legal Field Officer ensures that legal assistance is provided in a consistent manner while efficiently reaching NRC’s target communities in Beirut.

Generic responsibilities

1. Ensure adherence with NRC policies, tools, handbooks and guidelines
2. Ensure adherence with NRC policies, tools, handbooks and guidelines
3. Implement delegated ICLA project  portfolio according to plan of action
4. Prepare and develop status reports as required by management
5. Ensure proper filing of documents
6. Ensure that the projects target the beneficiaries most in need, and explore and assess new and better ways to assist
7. Promote and share ideas for technical improvement
8. Coordinate with relevant internal and external stakeholders, including local community
9. Ensure that NRC’s related activities are implemented within NRC’s Protection mainstreaming guidelines and report any breaches/concerns to the line manager and/or focal point for proper action.
10. Ensure that all protection related detected cases are referred to the concerned referral focal point and to the related Protection Coordinator.

Specific responsibilities

• Lead in developing NRC’s understanding of the law and practice regarding the Lebanese legal system, in particular civil documentation, HLP and legal status, specifically with regard to the Beirut Blast response.
• Deliver regular support and capacity building on legal protection issues to NRC field staff and volunteers, through coaching, weekly legal update meetings, and other tailored activities.
• Coordinate and incorporate into the field team work ICLA’s National team technical and legal inputs, guidelines and tools.
• Deliver regular operational and substantive supervision of ICLA legal consultants.
• Conduct regular field visits and spot-checks on the provision of legal counselling and legal assistance.
• Coordinate with relevant actors and stakeholders (administrative and judicial authorities, other humanitarian and development actors).
• Conduct ongoing and one-off needs assessments to ensure NRC ICLA is reaching those most in need of its services, including by identification of relevant pilot locations and target groups for ICLA activities.
• Undertake lessons learned and stock-taking exercises including case studies, data analysis and reports on specific issues.
• Assist in conducting legal research exercises and undertake mapping of administrative and judicial practice exercises.
• Carry out administrative tasks related to legal consultants’ work.

Critical interfaces

By interfaces, NRC means processes and projects that are interlinked with other departments/units or persons. Relevant interfaces with this position are:

• Emergency Response Team, specifically ICLA team
• Humanitarian actors / Local authorities
• Beneficiaries and host communities
• Legal Consultants

2. Competencies:

Competencies are important in order for the employee and the organisation to deliver desired results. They are relevant for all staff and are divided into the following two categories:

1. Professional Competencies:

• University degree in law (preferably at master’s level).
• Minimum 2 years of work experience in legal aid, including complex and volatile contexts
• Knowledge of civil documentation, legal status and housing rights in Lebanon (based on domestic and international frameworks)
• Experience of working with refugees/ NGOs an advantage
• Human rights and international refugee law knowledge and experience highly desired
• Excellent communication and drafting skills
• Proficiency in MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Proficiency in Arabic and English both written and spoken

2. Behavioural competencies

• Planning and delivering results
• Handling insecure environments
• Working with people
• Coping with change
• Communicating with impact and respect
• Analysing