MINELRES: Justice Initiative Positions Available

[email protected] [email protected]
Fri Jun 17 17:02:06 2005


Original sender: Justice Initiative <[email protected]>


Dear Friends:

Attached please find three announcements for positions with the Justice
Initiative:  Senior Officer, Communications; Legal Officer,
Equality/Citizenship; Legal Officer, Anticorruption Resource Curse
Project.

We request your help in distributing these postings, identifying strong
candidates, and encouraging them to apply.

Kind regards,

Open Society Justice Initiative 

-------------------------

POSITION AVAILABLE
SENIOR OFFICER, COMMUNICATIONS
OPEN SOCIETY JUSTICE INITIATIVE
JUNE 2005

The Open Society Institute, a private operating and grantmaking
foundation, aims to shape public policy to promote democratic
governance, human rights, and economic, legal, and social reform.  On a
local level, OSI implements a range of initiatives to support the rule
of law, education, public health, and independent media.  At the same
time, OSI works to build alliances across borders and continents on
issues such as combating corruption and rights abuses.  OSI was created
in 1993 by investor and philanthropist George Soros to support his
foundations in Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. 
Those foundations were established, starting in 1984, to help countries
make the transition from communism.  OSI has expanded the activities of
the Soros foundations network to other areas of the world where the
transition to democracy is of particular concern.  The Soros foundations
network encompasses more than 60 countries, including the United States.

The Open Society Justice Initiative, an operational, non-grant making
program of the Open Society Institute, promotes rights-based law reform,
builds knowledge and strengthens legal capacity worldwide. The Justice
Initiative seeks to shape law reform policy and achieve concrete results
through hands-on technical assistance; litigation and legal advice;
knowledge dissemination and network building; and counsel to donor
institutions. The Justice Initiative works in the thematic areas of
national criminal justice; international justice; freedom of information
and expression; and equality and citizenship. It has offices in New
York, Budapest, and Abuja.

Based in the New York office, the Senior Officer for Communications,
develops, oversees and edits all published and internet-based
communications, publications, press releases, and announcements as well
as relevant internal communications of the Justice Initiative.  The
Senior Officer for Communications furthers the Justice Initiative's
goals of knowledge-generation and dissemination; fortifying networks of
communication among staff and various partners; and projecting an image
of the Justice Initiative as an engaged participant in law reform
grounded in human rights.
 
By making available regular assessments of its own work and that of its
partners, and by systematically gathering information about the law
reform activities of others, the Justice Initiative website seeks to
facilitate a continuous process of learning and reflection about law
reform rooted firmly in the practice of ongoing events and specific,
real-life projects. The website serves as a means to project, and
underline the importance of, its work by highlighting the
inter-relatedness of human rights and law reform.  The website helps
bridge the distances with its partners worldwide, by facilitating
information exchange and offering information services of concrete
benefit to partner institutions. 

Through publication of reports and projects, press releases,
announcements and a law reform journal, Justice Initiatives, the Justice
Initiative promotes the accessibility of its work as a resource for the
law reform community at large, and increases public awareness of issues
of the Justice Initiative's priority. Justice Initiatives presents,
explains and critiques selected law reform efforts; draws on the
experience and analyses of practitioners and  theoreticians; and
monitors developments in law reform internationally and at domestic
level - legislation drafted, case progress, projects launched or
evaluated, new institutions founded. Justice Initiatives strives to
inform policy-makers, human rights practitioners and the general public. 

RESPONSIBILITIES:
- The Senior Officer for Communications, a staff position within the
Justice Initiative, reports directly to the Justice Initiative Director
of Programs and works under the guidance of, and in close collaboration
with, the OSI Office of Communications to carry out the following
responsibilities: 
- Develop, coordinate and manage the Communications strategy for Open
Society Justice Initiative; identify resource needs; recommend and
implement policies and procedures; explain Communications policies and
procedures; coordinate the development and production of materials to
support the communications strategy; 
- Direct the production of, and edit, publications and special reports
including a periodic, theme-focused law reform journal, Justice
Initiatives; calculate production specifications and schedules; develop
ideas for articles; monitor printing of publications to assure schedules
and specifications are met; 
- Write and/or edit and produce press releases, other announcements
regarding Justice Initiative activities, and other material for the
website, press and/or newsletter related to the activities of the
Justice Initiative and the broader law reform field of its partners and
related institutions;  
- Maintain, monitor and upgrade the website as a whole ensuring the
contents meet/improve on the established format to include a legal
reform resource center composed of a resource database, a clearinghouse
for best practices, a case law library, a news center, a network and
exchange hub and advocacy tools; 
- Participate in the development and administration of the budget for
Communications; forecast additional funds needed for staffing,
equipment, materials, and supplies; direct the monitoring of and approve
expenditures; recommend adjustments as necessary; 
- Coordinate the services and activities of Communications within
Justice Initiative and those of other OSI programs, outside agencies and
organizations; facilitate communication by assessing needs and utility
of web, press and publications with Justice Initiative staff; 
- Review written work product of Justice Initiative staff and
consultants for purposes of identifying cross-cutting themes of interest
to each other and/or to persons/institutions beyond the Justice
Initiative; 
- Oversee consultants and others hired/retained by OSI-NY for assistance
with the website or publications; 
- Supervise translation of articles for the website and/or publications; 
- Frequent international travel as required; 
- Perform related duties and responsibilities as required or assigned by
the Director of Programs. 

QUALIFICATIONS:
- Equivalent to a Bachelors degree in journalism, English,
communications, journalism, public relations, political or social
sciences or a related field required; Masters Degree preferred; 
- Exceptional English-language writing and editing ability; 
- Advanced studies in international law and policy, human rights or
related fields an asset; 
- Four years professional journalistic writing and editing experience; 
- Demonstrated practical experience in website programming and
maintenance; 
- Proven ability and skills in the development, implementation and
evaluation of communications and advocacy strategies; 
- Excellent knowledge of principles of communications development,
public relations strategies and techniques, and international media
relations; 
- Strong management, oral and written communication, and analytic
skills; 
- Extensive skills and high comfort level with computer research,
database management and word processing, including Outlook, internet,
Lexis/Nexis, and Microsoft Windows package; 
- Fluency in written and spoken English mandatory; fluency in another
language pertinent to the Justice Initiative an asset; 
- Ability to manage effectively multiple projects in a fast-paced
environment; 
- Extraordinary initiative and creativity; 
- Pleasant, diplomatic manner and disposition in interacting with
Program management, colleagues at all levels, contacts, and the general
public; 
- Ability to work both independently and with others; and 
- Integrity, professional discretion and ability to handle confidential
matters.

SALARY:  Commensurate with experience with full benefits plus 4 weeks
vacation.

START DATE:  August 1, 2005

TO APPLY: Send resumes, cover letter, short unedited writing sample,
contact details for two references and salary requirements before June
30, 2005 to:

Open Society Institute
Human Resources Dept. - CODE:  SOCOM/OSJI
400 W. 59th Street
New York, N.Y. 10019
Fax:  (212) 548-4675

No telephone inquiries, please.  The Open Society Institute is an Equal
Opportunity Employer.
-----------------------------

POSITION AVAILABLE
LEGAL OFFICER - EQUALITY AND CITIZENSHIP
OPEN SOCIETY JUSTICE INITIATIVE
JUNE 2005

Seeking an individual with substantial human rights litigation
experience, exceptional organizational and project management skills,
preferably in the fields of racial/ethnic discrimination and/or the
rights of non-citizens. 

The Open Society Institute, a private operating and grantmaking
foundation, aims to shape public policy to promote democratic
governance, human rights, and economic, legal, and social reform.  On a
local level, OSI implements a range of initiatives to support the rule
of law, education, public health, and independent media.  At the same
time, OSI works to build alliances across borders and continents on
issues such as combating corruption and rights abuses.  OSI was created
in 1993 by investor and philanthropist George Soros to support his
foundations in Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. 
Those foundations were established, starting in 1984, to help countries
make the transition from communism.  OSI has expanded the activities of
the Soros foundations network to other areas of the world where the
transition to democracy is of particular concern.  The Soros foundations
network encompasses more than 60 countries, including the United States.

The Open Society Justice Initiative, an operational program of the Open
Society Institute (OSI), pursues law reform activities grounded in the
protection of human rights, and contributes to the development of legal
capacity for open societies worldwide. The Justice Initiative combines
litigation, legal advocacy, technical assistance, and the dissemination
of knowledge to secure advances in four priority areas: national
criminal justice, international justice, freedom of information and
expression, and equality and citizenship. Its offices are in Abuja,
Budapest, and New York.

Justice Initiative work in the field of equality and citizenship
addresses three, often interrelated, problems: ethnic and racial
discrimination; access to citizenship/denationalization/statelessness;
and treatment of non-citizens.  Its work cuts across the fields of
ethnic minority rights, migrants, refugees, and stateless persons.  The
program works with partners to document discrimination on grounds of
citizenship status, ethnicity and/or race, through visual monitoring,
data gathering/statistical analysis, use of 'testing' techniques, and
personal testimony from victims. We develop and apply strategic
approaches to litigation and advocacy to secure effective remedies for
rights violations at national, regional and international levels. In the
area of citizenship, we work to clarify and where necessary expand
international legal norms on access to citizenship and the rights of
non-citizens. Current project work is concentrated at global level, and
in Africa, Western and Central Europe, Mexico, Russia, and Spain.  

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Based in New York or Budapest (preferably Budapest), the Legal Officer
for Equality and Citizenship develops, implements, and manages projects
in the fields of equality and citizenship, in cooperation with OSI
network entities and partner NGOs.  The Legal Officer works under the
supervision of the Senior Legal Officer for Equality and Citizenship and
the Executive Director of the Justice Initiative, with the guidance of
an advisory committee of the Board of Directors.  In consultation with
the Senior Legal Officer and other staff, the Legal Officer for
Equality/Citizenship has the following principal responsibilities:

- Design, develop, implement, and evaluate specific projects to document
and legally remedy discrimination and citizenship-related human rights
violations;
- Ensure the efficient day-to-day conduct of projects, including by
pursuing research, litigation and legal assistance, advocacy and
capacity building;
- Maintain and develop close working relationships with project partners
in countries of operation and internationally;
- Identify and pursue advocacy opportunities for activities, including
the development of a dissemination strategy for all written products; 
- Pursue litigation and advocacy on equality/citizenship issues before
national governments, IGOs and other interested parties, including by
drafting legal briefs and submissions;
- Provide legal advice on comparative and international law to project
partners;
- Undertake legal and factual research (via internet, Lexis/Nexis,
foreign source materials, academic studies, oral interviews of experts,
and official and NGO documents) ;
- Write and/or edit reports, advocacy materials, press releases and
other documents as required; 
- Supervise and direct pro bono lawyers, consultants and interns working
on equality/citizenship projects
- Prepare and monitor budgets and expenditures on individual projects;
- Provide material for the Justice Initiative website and ensure that
the Justice Initiative files, database and website are up-to-date on
projects for which the Legal Officer is responsible;
- Travel as required (may be extensive);

QUALIFICATIONS:

- Law school graduate; 
- Substantial professional experience with human rights litigation at
national or regional levels, preferably in the field of racial and
ethnic discrimination;
- Familiarity with international and regional human rights tribunals and
jurisprudence, particularly in the field of racial and ethnic
discrimination;
- Ability to manage effectively multiple projects in a fast-paced
environment;
- Extensive skills and high comfort level with computer research,
database management and word processing, including Outlook, internet,
Lexis/Nexis, Microsoft Word, Excel, and Access;
- Excellent English-language writing, editorial, and oral advocacy
skills;
- Extraordinary initiative and creativity;
- Capacity to work well in a team;
- Complete fluency in English and another widely used foreign language;
- Pleasant, diplomatic manner and disposition in interacting with senior
management; colleagues at all levels, contacts, and the general public;
- Ability to work both independently and with others; 
- Integrity, professional discretion and ability to handle confidential
matters; and 
- Familiarity with any of the geographic regions of Open Society Justice
Initiative engagement is a plus.

SALARY:  Competitive salary commensurate with experience.  Excellent
benefits. 

START DATE:  August 2005

TO APPLY:  Send cover letter and curriculum vitae, together with a list
of publications and an English-language legal writing sample, the names
and addresses of two references and salary requirements, no later than
July 7, 2005, to:

 
Open Society Institute 
Human Resources - Code LO/EC/OSJI
400 W. 59th Street 
New York, New York 10019 
Fax: +1 (212) 548-4675 

No telephone calls, please.  The Open Society Institute is an Equal
Opportunity Employer.
-------------------------

POSITION AVAILABLE
LEGAL OFFICER -ANTI-CORRUPTION RESOURCE CURSE PROJECT
OPEN SOCIETY JUSTICE INITIATIVE
JUNE 2005

Seeking a lawyer with professional experience in the field of
international human rights, transparency and/or anti-corruption to work
on a one-year project exploring legal remedies for resource-extraction
related corruption from a human rights perspective. The candidate should
have research, advocacy, litigation and/or regulatory experience in one
or more relevant fields such as human rights, environmental protection,
corporate finance and/or criminal prosecution of financial crimes.

Start Date: September 2005 for one year

The Open Society Institute, a private operating and grantmaking
foundation, aims to shape public policy to promote democratic
governance, human rights, and economic, legal, and social reform.  On a
local level, OSI implements a range of initiatives to support the rule
of law, education, public health, and independent media.  At the same
time, OSI works to build alliances across borders and continents on
issues such as combating corruption and rights abuses.  OSI was created
in 1993 by investor and philanthropist George Soros to support his
foundations in Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. 
Those foundations were established, starting in 1984, to help countries
make the transition from communism.  OSI has expanded the activities of
the Soros foundations network to other areas of the world where the
transition to democracy is of particular concern.  The Soros foundations
network encompasses more than 60 countries, including the United States.

The Open Society Justice Initiative, an operational program of OSI,
pursues law reform activities grounded in the protection of human
rights, and contributes to the development of legal capacity for open
societies worldwide. The Justice Initiative combines litigation, legal
advocacy, technical assistance, and the dissemination of knowledge to
secure advances in five priority areas: national criminal justice,
international justice, freedom of information and expression, equality
and citizenship, and anticorruption. Its offices are in Abuja, Budapest,
and New York.

As part of its anticorruption work, the Justice Initiative is embarking
on a project to work with local advocates in pursuing legal remedies for
resource corruption. This project, which is explicitly designed as a
cross-programmatic undertaking to draw upon all programs within the
Justice Initiative, will run for one year to begin, with possible
extension dependent on evaluation and assessment during the year.
Project work will be focused on selected countries in Africa and
Eurasia, and may also address one or more countries in Latin America.
Activities to be conducted, in close collaboration with local lawyers
and NGOs, include research into resource-extraction-related corruption;
awareness-raising and extra-legal advocacy before relevant bodies;
filing access to information requests globally to gather data that will
expose corruption and form the evidentiary basis for litigation and
advocacy; and exploring legal remedies and initiating litigation in
project countries, in third countries and before international
tribunals. The project will also build national capacity for
investigating and challenging financial crimes and promoting protection
of affected human rights. 

 

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Based in New York or Budapest, the Legal Officer for Anti-Corruption
develops, implements and manages projects involving research, advocacy
and litigation focused on securing legal remedies for natural
resource-related corruption. These projects are carried out in
cooperation with OSI network entities and/or partner NGOs. The Legal
Officer works under the supervision of the Senior Legal Officer for
Freedom of Information and Expression and the Executive Director of the
Justice Initiative with the guidance of an advisory board of
anti-corruption experts. The Legal Officer for Anti-Corruption has the
following principal responsibilities:

- Design, develop, implement, manage and evaluate specific projects and
program activities to secure legal remedies for resource corruption; 
- Ensure the efficient day-to-day conduct of anti-corruption projects,
including by pursuing research, litigation and legal assistance,
advocacy and capacity building; 
- Maintain and develop close working relationships with project partners
in countries of operation and internationally; 
- Identify and pursue advocacy opportunities for activities, including
the development of a dissemination strategy for the Project's written
products; 
- Pursue litigation and advocacy on anti-corruption issues before
national governments, IGOs and other interested parties, including by
drafting legal briefs and submissions; 
- Provide legal advice on comparative and international law, as well as
up-to-date analysis and information on legal remedies for resource
corruption, to project partners; 
- Undertake legal and factual research (via internet, Lexis/Nexis,
foreign source materials, academic studies, oral interviews of experts,
and official and NGO documents); 
- Supervise and direct pro bono lawyers, consultants and interns working
on anti-corruption issues; 
- Prepare and monitor budgets and expenditures on anti-corruption
project work; 
- Provide material for the Justice Initiative website and ensure that
the Justice Initiative files, database and website are up-to-date on
projects for which the Legal Officer is responsible;
- Travel as required (may be extensive).

QUALIFICATIONS:

- Law school graduate 
- Research, advocacy, litigation and/or regulatory experience in one
more relevant fields such as human rights, environmental protection,
corporate finance and/or criminal prosecution of financial crimes,
including in jurisdictions other than the US; 
- Substantial professional experience in anti-corruption work,
particularly related to extractive industries, is desirable; 
- Project management experience;
- Experience generally with public interest litigation; 
- Familiarity with international and regional legal tribunals and
jurisprudence;
- Ability to manage effectively multiple projects in a fast-paced
environment;
- Extensive skills and high comfort level with computer research,
database management and word processing, including Outlook, internet,
Lexis/Nexis, Microsoft Word, Excel, and Access;
- Experience of using freedom of information laws desirable;
- Excellent English language writing, editorial, and oral advocacy
skills;
- Extraordinary creativity and initiative; 
- Capacity to work well in a team;
- Complete fluency in English and another widely used foreign language;
- Familiarity with any of the geographic regions of Open Society Justice
Initiative engagement is a plus.

SALARY: Competitive salary commensurate with experience. Excellent
benefits.

START DATE:  September 2005 for one year.

TO APPLY: Send cover letter and curriculum vitae, together with a list
of publications and an English-language legal writing sample, the names
and addresses of two references and salary requirements, no later than
July 14, 2005, to:

Open Society Institute
Human Resources - Code LO/ACRC/OSJI
400 W. 59th Street
New York, N.Y. 10019
Fax:  +1 (212) 548-4675

No telephone inquiries, please.  The Open Society Institute is an Equal
Opportunity
Employer.

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