Initiative for Strategic Litigation in Africa (ISLA) New Vacancy

The Initiative for Strategic Litigation in Africa (ISLA) is a feminist and Pan-African organisation that is founded on the belief that strategic litigation is a tool for social change because it helps to reframe the understanding of entitlements before the law.

Job Title: Lawyer
Job Location: Johannesburg

That will be an admitted attorney who has during their time in private practice, had extensive litigation experience and is now seeking a change that will bring meaning and add value to their work.  The incumbent must be confident self- starter looking to make a contribution to the advancement of human rights, especially in the field of women’s human rights.
The successful candidate will form part of the ISLA team and who will not only support the Women’s Sexual Rights Program but will also in time provide leadership for the program. The candidate will also actively participate in other programs within the organisation that seeks to advance its aims. The candidate will work closely with other program lawyers, legal researchers, interns, and ISLA’s partners as well as provide thought leadership on other initiatives that will drive strategy.

Key responsibilities of this position include:

• Establishing and strengthening the strategic litigation unit team as part of ISLA’s mandate
• Researching substantive issues of comparative and international human rights law and practice
• Drafting clear and concise legal memoranda, briefs and opinions
• Providing legal representation on cases before domestic, regional and international human rights forums (the spell check goes crazy on fora)
• Building and strengthening alliances and coalitions to support cases with relevant social networks and groups
• Facilitating capacity strengthening workshops on ISLA’s programmes, international human rights law, and practice
• Representing the ISLA and its programmes as required
• Supporting the work of ISLA’s programmes as is required

The Lawyer will have a legal degree and be admitted to legal practice in any African country and have substantial experience using constitutional, regional and international human rights law, with preference to candidates who have had such experience in litigation.

Other skills and qualities include:

• Supervisory or management experience
• Experience in coordinating and managing projects and demonstrate evidence of being a self-driven, resourceful person who is able to manage and coordinate teamwork well
• Experience in contributing to the overall strategic planning of an organisation
• Exhibiting the highest standards of excellence and integrity, and display, at all times and to all persons, a courteous, professional and cooperative attitude

View the full job description and application instructions on the Vacancies page at www.actionappointments.co.za and email your application by Friday 30^th November 2018 to [email protected]