MINELRES: Justice Initiative: Position Available - Litigation Director

[minelres@lists.microlink.lv]

Original sender: Justice Initiative <info@mail.justiceinitiative.org>


Open Society Justice Initiative  
+1 212�548�0157
info@justiceinitiative.org
www.justiceinitiative.org 
 
LITIGATION DIRECTOR
OPEN SOCIETY JUSTICE INITIATIVE 
BASED IN NEW YORK
OCTOBER 2007

Seeking an individual with substantial litigation experience in domestic
and international fora; exceptional organizational, advocacy and
editorial skills; and extensive professional experience in human rights,
preferably in one or more fields of Justice Initiative engagement.

Start Date: October 2007

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 the following 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.

As one of several core activities, the Justice Initiative engages in
strategic litigation in �impact� cases that have the potential � when
combined with other tools � to foster broader reform of laws and
institutional or systemic practices that extend beyond the interests of
the particular complainants. The Justice Initiative supports and engages
in litigation in three principal ways:
 
1. through providing research and drafting assistance to counsel who
represent  individual or NGO complainants before domestic or
international tribunals; 
2. through submitting third party (amicus curiae) briefs in
international (and occasionally domestic) tribunals; 
3. through representing individual or NGO complainants as counsel
(usually in collaboration with other co-counsel of record) � such
representation generally takes place in regional or international courts
(i.e., the European Court of Human Rights, the Inter-American Court of
Human Rights, the African Commission of Human and Peoples� Rights) or
quasi-judicial mechanisms (the United Nations treaty bodies).  

Throughout its litigation, as with all programming, the Justice
Initiative works closely with the Soros foundations network, cooperating
counsel and many national and international NGOs and academic
institutions.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Under the supervision of the Executive Director, and with the guidance
of a litigation subcommittee of the Justice Initiative Board, the
Litigation Director develops, oversees, and refines as needed the
strategic direction and implementation of all litigation activity by the
Justice Initiative. In carrying out this cross-cutting activity, the
Litigation Director collaborates closely with staff in each of the
thematic and geographic programs of the Justice Initiative. S/he is
responsible for ensuring that Justice Initiative litigation is of the
highest quality and has maximum impact in furthering Justice Initiative
thematic objectives, and for expanding the pool of potential cases by
strengthening links with relevant partners worldwide.  Specific
responsibilities include:

� Develop and implement internal case tracking systems to facilitate
regular monitoring and compliance with all case-related deadlines; 
� Ensure stylistic, substantive and methodological excellence and
consistency of all written legal submissions through rigorous editorial
review;
� Establish and secure compliance with internal system for efficiently
managing all stages of litigation (for example, this would include
developing a method for identifying possible cases for litigation;
refining case selection criteria tailored to the different contexts in
which the Justice Initiative operates; preparing pre-selection case
memoranda outlining facts, issues, satisfaction of criteria, etc.; and
implementing an out-of-court advocacy plan to enhance/minimize public
effect of favorable/unfavorable judgments); 
� Develop and oversee a common, Justice Initiative-wide resource
databank of briefs, jurisprudence and legal research materials;
� Foster the development of networks of cooperating lawyers from
different regions; 
� To the extent valuable and consistent with human resource constraints,
incorporate into litigation activity opportunities for legal capacity
development/training of partners and local counsel;
� As relevant, supervise consultants, interns and lawyers providing pro
bono assistance;
� Travel as required (may be extensive); 
� Where appropriate, disseminate information electronically and in
Justice Initiative publications about legal and policy issues raised in
Justice Initiative litigation;
� Coordinate meetings of the Justice Initiative Board litigation
subcommittee.

QUALIFICATIONS

� Substantial experience litigating cases in domestic and international
fora; 
� Extensive professional experience in the field of human rights,
preferably in one or more fields of Justice Initiative engagement;
� Ability to manage effectively multiple projects in a fast-paced
environment;
� Strong management, oral and written communication, and analytic
skills;
� Extraordinary initiative and creativity;
� Meticulous attention to detail;
� Extensive skills and high comfort level with computer research,
database management and word processing, including Outlook, internet,
Lexis/Nexis, Microsoft Word, Excel, and Access;
� Complete fluency in English;
� 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; and
� Integrity, professional discretion and ability to handle confidential
matters.

SALARY:   Commensurate with experience.  Excellent benefit package.

START DATE:  October 2007

TO APPLY:  Send cover letter and curriculum vitae, together with a list
of publications and an English-language legal writing sample and salary
requirements, no later than July 31, 2007, to:

humanresources@sorosny.org          

Please include Job Code:  LD/OSJI in subject line.

If e-mail is not available you may fax to (646) 557-2494.

No telephone calls, please.  
The Open Society Institute is an equal opportunity employer.

Open Society Institute
400 West 59th Street
New York, New York 10019

___________________ 

The Open Society Justice Initiative, an operational program of the Open
Society Institute , 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 the following 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. 

www.justiceinitiative.org

---------------------------------------------
This message was sent using Endymion MailMan.
http://www.endymion.com/products/mailman/ http://www.microlink.com/