Staff Attorney at Justice & Empowerment Initiatives (JEI) Full Time

Job Title: Staff Attorney

Location: Lagos (with occasional travel)
Employment Type: Full Time
Start Date: Immediate

Job Description

• We are looking for a committed individual with significant civil litigation, criminal defense, and alternative dispute resolution experience to join our team as a Staff Attorney based in Lagos.
• He/she will be an innovative thinker and with strong technical skills, who is committed to using the law as a tool for social change and supporting grassroots legal empowerment and access to justice.
• The Staff Attorney will work with members of JEI staff, community paralegals, and members of grassroots movements we support.

Responsibilities

• Work with JEI’s legal team and community paralegals to provide grassroots legal aid and legal education to urban poor populations in Lagos, with a focus on persons living in slums/informal settlements, persons working in the informal economy, persons living with disabilities, and minorities.
• Train, encourage, and supervise community paralegals in Lagos.
• Draft and file legal processes and make court appearances.
• Conduct legal research in support of strategic litigation and advocacy.
• Participate in project management and other responsibilities beyond paralegal supervision, litigation, and research as part of the JEI team.

Qualifications

• At least 5 years experience in civil litigation and criminal defense. Please describe the required experience in a short cover letter. Candidates with more than three years’ experience are strongly encouraged to apply.
• Degree in Law and admission (current) to the Nigerian Bar.
• Demonstrated ability to use law as a tool for social change.
• Strong legal writing, legal research, and oral advocacy skills.
• Training / teaching skills required.
• Experience working with grassroots movements a significant plus.
• Training and experience in human rights law a plus.
• Training and experience in land law a plus.
• NGO project management experience a plus.
• Experience litigating cases before ECOWAS Community Court of Justice and/or the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights a plus.
• Experience as an entrepreneur or in a startup environment a plus.
• Fluen cy in “broken” / Pidgin English required. Fluency in Hausa, Egun, and/or Yoruba languages skills a significant plus.

Remuneration
A competitive salary and benefits will be commensurate with experience.

Application Closing Date
On a rolling basis.

Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should send their CV, Cover Letter and two Writing samples from relevant work to: [email protected] using “Lagos Staff Attorney” as the subject of the email.

Note: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.