National Visiting Professional - Chambers , Leidschendam

VACANCY REF: NL-CHA-NVP-02

The National Visiting Professionals Programme was established in 2010 to afford Lebanese legal practitioners (lawyers’ judges, law professors and other legal practitioners) the opportunity to contribute to the work of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) whilst simultaneously enhancing their professional development. The programme is intended to enable all organs of the STL to benefit from the additional capacity offered by experienced Lebanese legal professionals, while at the same time enabling those participating in the programme to gain experience working in an international tribunal and raise awareness of the role of the STL in Lebanon. The programme seeks to attract talented professionals with demonstrated potential and qualifications to make a substantial contribution to their respective fields in Lebanon during the course of their careers.
The STL now seeks an NVP to work for a period of three months in Chambers, at the STL’s headquarters in Leidschendam. Limited funding is available in the form of grants/stipends amounting to 1600 Euros per month to support NVPs. In addition, the Tribunal will arrange and cover the cost of travel (economy class) from and to Lebanon, at the beginning and end of the contract period. NVPs will be responsible for providing proof of third party liability insurance in the Netherlands and for the costs of any additional health insurance coverage they may wish to procure.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Assist the Judges and Legal Officers in planning, organizing and coordinating activities within Chambers. Provide specialized legal, judicial and administrative support. Duties include: legal research, particularly on Lebanese criminal law; preparation of draft memoranda, court decisions and judgments; legal analysis of evidence and judgments; assessing appeal briefs and authorities submitted by parties; maintaining files on Tribunal practice and development; monitoring relevant developments in international law. Perform other duties as required.

COMPETENCIES:

• Professionalism – Knowledge of procedural and substantive law at either the national or international level; experience in applying legal expertise to a diverse range of complex legal issues; analytical skills and ability to conduct comprehensive legal research; proficiency in legal drafting and ability to prepare legal memoranda and opinions under pressure and subject to short deadlines; ability to balance a number of cases and to work in an efficient and directed manner; discretion and sound judgment in applying legal expertise to sensitive, complex legal issues; ability to work to tight deadlines and to handle multiple concurrent projects/cases.

• Communication – Strong interpersonal and communication skills.

• Teamwork – Ability to establish and maintain effective working relations with people of different national and cultural backgrounds with respect for diversity.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Nationality: All applicants must be Lebanese nationals residing in Lebanon.

• Education: All applicants must have at least a first level university degree in law and a strong academic record. Applicants must be members of the judiciary, bar associations, or the faculty of a university. Applications are especially welcome from those individuals specializing in one or more of the following disciplines: national and international criminal law, public international law, human rights law, comparative law and criminology.

• Work Experience: National Visiting Professionals should have between two to seven years of work experience (which may include teaching and researching international and Lebanese law).

• Languages: Arabic, English and French are the Tribunal’s official languages. For this placement, proficiency in oral and written Arabic and French or English is required. Knowledge of the other language is an asset.

• Other: Proven ability to conduct comprehensive yet rapid analysis. Adaptability to a multicultural and multilingual working environment. Ability to work effectively in a team, as well as independently and a good level of technical proficiency (especially with Microsoft computer applications). Other important qualities are discretion, reliability, intellectual rigour, precision, perseverance, creativity and integrity.

How to apply:

1. All applicants to the programme are required to submit a completed application form and supporting documents as detailed below. Applications that are not submitted in accordance with these requirements shall not be considered for the programme. Applications will be considered on a competitive basis.
2. A completed Personal History Profile available at the website: http://www.stl-tsl.org
3. A concise written statement presenting the candidate's reasons for seeking a NVPP placement explaining how their interests and experience (academic and professional) meet the requirements of the STL and stating their expectations and the perceived benefits of the placement to their current or future career (maximum 400 words);
4. Two (2) written references/letters of recommendation from referees familiar with the candidate's academic background, achievements and work;
5. Copies of university degrees and/or diplomas in their original language; Note that selected applicants will be asked to provide a written statement by their employer agreeing to the participation of the candidate in the NVPP, should the candidate be selected.
6. ALL APPLICATIONS shall be submitted via email to: stl-internship@un.org. Only applicants who are under serious consideration will be contacted. The Tribunal is not in a position to respond to queries regarding information on the status of vacancies or unsolicited open applications.