Vacancy announcements
Legal Director, Hong Kong Refugee Advice Centre
The Hong Kong Refugee Advice Centre (HKRAC) is seeking a Legal Director to direct all aspects of refugee legal aid. HKRAC was founded four years ago and is the only charitable organisation dedicated to pro bono legal aid for refugees making claims for asylum before UNHCR in Hong Kong.
Under the supervision of HKRAC’s Executive Director and Board of Directors, the Legal Director is responsible for overseeing all aspects of casework management, client representation and advice, advocacy and referrals. S/he is also responsible for the recruitment, training and supervision of Staff Attorneys and Volunteer Caseworkers who are involved in HKRAC’s refugee legal aid project. The Legal Director will supervise up to five full-time staff and volunteer caseworkers, work closely with HKRAC’s law firm sponsors, and attend conferences and meetings on behalf of HKRAC.
Minimum Qualifications:Qualified lawyer in any jurisdiction; minimum of five years experience in refugee or human rights law; experience in managing and supervising staff or volunteers; excellent legal research and drafting skills; public speaking experience; demonstrated commitment and sensitivity towards vulnerable and/or displaced people; fluent in both spoken and written English. Send a CV, Statement of Interest, and legal writing sample to this email address, with the subject line ‘Legal Director Position’. The candidate should be in position by 1 May 2012. Apply only if this meets your time frame. Due to the high volume of applications, only short-listed candidates will be contacted. Deadline: 3 February 2012.
Teaching Fellow at Michigan Immigration Law Clinic
Michigan State University College of Law is now accepting applications for a two-year teaching fellowship in its Immigration Law Clinic to start 1 July 2012. In coordination with Immigration Law Clinic faculty, the Fellow will supervise students in representing clients and in advocacy projects, teach clinic seminar classes, evaluate students, and participate in the development and functioning of the clinic. In anticipation that the Fellow will pursue opportunities to enter a career in law teaching, the law school will support the Fellow’s efforts at scholarly development including research and conference travel support. Annual salary USD50,000 including retirement annuity, health and dental insurance.
Required: JD degree from an ABA-accredited law school and membership in a state bar. Preference given to applicants with practice experience representing non-citizens, strong academic records and writing ability, demonstrated commitment to public interest law, and potential for success as a teacher. Submit law school transcript, CV and cover letter explaining your interest to by email, or mail to: Professor Veronica Thronson, Director, Immigration Law Clinic, Michigan State University College of Law, 610 Abbot Road, East Lansing, MI 48823. Phone number: +1 517 336 8088, ext.1014. Deadline: 3 February 2012.
Part-time research assistantship in Canada
The Canadian Association for the Study of International Development is seeking a part-time research assistant to work for a maximum of 5–10 hours a week (maximum 160 hours total), from April 2012–March 2013. An initiative of the Refugee Research Network, funded by the Canadian Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, the project in question involves the establishment of a research cluster on methodology and the production of knowledge in forced migration contexts.
Working with key faculty members involved in the RRN, the assistant will be involved in any/all of the following activities: conducting a literature review and preparing an annotated bibliography; identifying relevant research projects and researchers; developing and maintaining databases; facilitating logistics and communication; editing and publishing papers presented at the International Association for the Study of Forced Migration panel; and, presenting her/his own research, as applicable.
Candidates must be full-time, graduate students in migration studies or related fields for the full duration of the project, and have training in research methodology. Excellent oral and written skills in English are a must, and reading knowledge of French, Spanish, Arabic and/or other prominent languages in forced migration literature is preferred. For a full list of necessary qualifications, and information on how to apply, access the website. Deadline for applications is 10pm GMT on 3 February 2012.
Qualified candidates of any nationality are invited to apply; however, for administrative reasons, in the case of candidates with equal qualifications, preference will be given to students based at a Canadian university. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for an interview.
Secretary General, ECRE
The European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE) is seeking a new Secretary General. ECRE is a pan-European alliance of 70 refugee-assisting NGOs established to promote the rights of those who seek international protection in Europe. The Secretary General will collaboratively develop ECRE’s strategic planning and represent ECRE across Europe to maximise their impact through policy development and advocacy. To apply, please send the completed application form available on the website and your CV to this email address. The deadline for applications is 5 February 2012, and interviews will be held 27 February–2 March 2012.
Regional Asylum Project seeks three Regional Activism Coordinators
The Regional Asylum Project, UK is an exciting new project which will use regional organising to achieve a louder, better coordinated voice for asylum seekers. The project is looking for three regional activism coordinators to work in Manchester, Birmingham and Sheffield/Leeds to support existing campaigns and work with the ‘Still Human, Still Here’ campaign. Candidates should have experience working with asylum seekers/refugees; skills in building networks and partnerships; campaigning expertise; and an openness and commitment to the project being directed by the priorities of community organisations and local organisations working with asylum seekers.
The posts require three days of work per week (60 percent of full-time), and the salary is GBP25,000 per annum pro rata. Deadline for applications is 10 February 2012. For more information, view the full vacancy announcement.
Casework Volunteer, Hong Kong Refugee Advice Center
The Hong Kong Refugee Advice Centre (HKRAC) is seeking a full-time casework (unpaid) volunteer to begin in June 2012 for at least 10 weeks. The volunteer should have a strong interest in and commitment to human rights, and demonstrate excellent research, writing, and oral communication skills. The casework volunteer will conduct intake interviews with potential refugee clients and write interview-based reports that require extensive country of origin research. Other responsibilities may include taking the testimony of a client, drafting legal submissions, providing self-representation advice, conducting legal and factual research, attending UNHCR interviews, and helping to prepare for trainings, meetings, and other events.
Qualifications: Law student or law graduate, experience working with asylum seekers and survivors of torture preferred, fluency in at least one of these languages preferred: Amharic, Arabic, Dari, Ewe, Farsi, French, Hindi, Lingala, Lugandan, Pashto, Punjabi, Sinhalese, Somali, Swahili, Tamil, Tigrinya, Urdu. Email statement of interest, CV, and legal writing sample to Stephanie Jones. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted. Deadline: 10 February 2012.
