Who We Are
For over 25 years, International Justice Mission (IJM) has pioneered work to protect vulnerable people from violence through a strengthened Justice System response. The Ghana office works with local government to rescue victims of trafficking, bring perpetrators to justice, restore survivors to safety and strength, and supports law enforcement in building a safe future that lasts.
The Need
As we grow to expand our global impact to protect 500 million people from violence by 2030, we are seeking an Attorney – Capacity Building (“the Attorney”) who will be responsible for working with the casework and program teams to analyse gaps in the public justice system (PJS) and then develop strategies to build the PJS capacity to address those gaps. The Attorney would work to develop curriculum, create training modules, and execute trainings for the legal government partners. The Attorney may also be required to carry a caseload of criminal prosecutions. Once assigned a specific case, the Attorney builds a strategy around the case and works with government partners to drive convictions on IJM sponsored arrests. The Attorney engages in external legal training for government partners such as prosecutors, police officers, Department of Social Welfare (DSW) workers, court staff and/or judges, and internal trainings for IJM staff. This is a fulltime on-site position with occasional travels to other locations in the country.
This position is based in Tamale, Ghana and reports to the Senior Manager, Tamale Projects.
Responsibilities
- Engage the criminal justice system through IJM cases and working with partners to execute IJM’s theory of change;
- Attend court and successfully advocate on all assigned IJM cases;
- Research applicable laws and update the legal team as necessary;
- Assist police investigators in case analysis and necessary follow-ups;
- Assist the Attorney General’s Office with appellate arguments and briefs on assigned cases;
- Provide legal input on rescue operations as assigned;
- Draft necessary memorandums, briefings, and charge sheets for court in collaboration with police investigators and State Attorneys;
- Develop and maintain relationships with the relevant strategic development partners;
- Build strategic relationships with prosecutors, judges, court staff, and other PJS partners to effectuate IJM’s theory of change;
- Successfully engage in IJM’s rhythms and core values;
- Adhere to IJM’s staff health and safety policies;
- Develop curriculum and other training materials aimed at building the capacity of the PJS to address identified gaps;
- Conduct both external legal trainings for partners and internal legal trainings for IJM staff;
- Providing legal advice to IJM partners;
- Report results to grants, programmes and relevant casework teams;
- Regularly update internal data systems with legal events, activities, and case progression;
- Account for logistical execution of the internal and external training events; and
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Requirements
- Graduate degree in law or bachelor’s degree and relevant work experience.
- Minimum of two (2) years of successful legal practice.
- Professional Certificate in Law and a member of the Ghana Bar Association in good standing.
- A good working knowledge of the Ghanaian legal system
- Proven ability to train and build the capacity of partner agencies.
- Proven ability to lead cross-culturally to achieve significant outcomes and impact.
- Effective networker with proven track record of engaging key stakeholders needed to accomplish significant objectives.
Critical Qualities
- Eager commitment to IJM’s Core Values: Christian, Professional and Bridge-Building.
- Excellent writing skills.
- Excellent public speaking skills.
- Strong knowledge of government/partner custom and etiquette.
- Strong legal knowledge of anti-human trafficking and child protection laws.
- Decision-making abilities.
- Rigorously result oriented.
- Proficient in relationship management.
- Skilled in conflict and stress management.
- High emotional intelligence.
- Effective judgement and problem-solving skills.
- Excellent time management abilities.
Application Process
Please submit Resume/CV, Cover Letter, and Statement of Faith* in one document to ghanarecruiting@ijm.org by close of day on 17th June 2024. The subject line should read Attorney – Capacity Building (Tamale). Your cover letter should address all the requirements outlined in the job advert. Applicants must have legal right to work in Ghana. Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
- What is a statement of faith?
A statement of faith should describe your Christian faith and how you see it as relevant to your involvement with IJM. The statement can either be incorporated into the cover letter or submitted as a separate document which should not more than a page, and should include, at a minimum, a description of your spiritual disciplines (prayer, study, etc.) and your current fellowship or place of worship.
What does IJM have to offer?
IJM offers competitive salary within industry standard, as well as other benefits such as medical insurance and a staff care package.
IJM holds strict safeguarding principles and a zero tolerance to violations of the Safeguarding Policy, Protection against Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment Policy and Code of Conduct. Parallel to technical competence, recruitment, selection and hiring decisions will give due emphasis to assessing the candidates value congruence and thorough background, police clearance and reference check processes.
