Pro Bono Volunteer, Asia/Africa

Pro Bono Volunteer, Asia/Africa
(Short Term Assignment)
Must be willing to relocate

Brief Description:
International Bridges to Justice (IBJ) is a non-governmental, apolitical, non-profit organization dedicated to protecting the basic legal rights of ordinary citizens in developing countries. Every day, millions of people around the world are arbitrarily detained, tortured, and denied access to counsel. IBJ seeks to solve this problem within our lifetimes through the systemic provision of early access to competent legal representation for those arrested and accused of a crime. Early engagement with competent counsel ensures that individuals will be protected against investigative torture, prolonged detention, and other due process violations. In recognition of the UN SDG 16, IBJ champions access to justice as the ultimate means to stable and fair judicial processes, healthier economies, and more secure societies. To this end, IBJ seeks professionals with significant experience successfully managing, monitoring, and evaluating Rule of Law programs in countries with developing sociocultural and economic systems, as well as substantial experience practicing criminal defense law.

As the Pro Bono Volunteer, you will be responsible for IBJ’s Asia/Africa program; you will play an integral role in implementing a program designed to prevent human rights abuses and advocate for the protection of due process rights for the criminally abused resulting in greater access to justice for all.

About IBJ:
International Bridges to Justice (IBJ) is a non-governmental, apolitical and independent non-profit organization based in Geneva, Switzerland. Every day, millions of people around the world are arbitrarily detained, tortured, and denied access to counsel. IBJ seeks to solve this problem within our lifetimes through the systemic provision of early access to competent legal representation for those arrested and accused of a crime. IBJ works bottom-up to support defenders and improve standards, and top-down to shift mind-sets of legal stakeholders and produce lasting policy change. Early engagement with competent counsel ensures that individuals will be protected against investigative torture, prolonged detention, and other due process violations. In recognition of the UN SDG 16, IBJ champions access to justice as the ultimate means leading to stable and fair judicial processes, healthier economies, and more secure societies.
We operate 8 country programs in Burundi, Cambodia, China, D.R.C., India, Myanmar, Rwanda and Zimbabwe and have 69 JusticeMakers fellows in 42 countries, spread across six continents.

IBJ Asia/Africa Pro Bono Volunteer Position:
IBJ has a longstanding commitment to fostering sustainable change in the legal systems of Asia/ Africa. However, the need for qualified defense lawyers remains, as the poor and indigent in the region continue to suffer systematic human rights and due process abuses.
IBJ is recruiting a Pro Bono Volunteer to help expand the reach of these operations. The Pro Bono Volunteer will work on a short-term basis to assist in implementing the Asia/Africa program designed to prevent human rights abuses and advocate for the protection of due process rights for the criminally accused. Applicants should be fierce advocates with demonstrated commitment to protecting basic legal rights for the poor and indigent. IBJ seeks professionals with experience in Rule of Law programs in countries with developing sociocultural and economic systems, as well as experience practicing criminal defense law.
The Pro Bono Volunteer will assist in Asia/Africa-wide program implementation, and project reporting of all IBJ Asia/Africa programming and training activities. In coordination with Geneva HQ, the Pro Bono Volunteer will assist in setting the annual Asia/Africa programming/training plan and budget. This role will act as an external representative of IBJ in communication and programming matters, and motivates IBJ lawyers, interns, and other volunteers to accomplish objectives.

Program activities will seek to:
1. Improve access to justice and legal aid for the poor and vulnerable; and
2. Develop legal capacity of justice sector professionals in Asia/Africa.
The focus of this position is on Asia/Africa and will require frequent travel throughout the region.

Responsibilities:
〈 Provide ongoing coordination and management support to ensure smooth and effective implementation of all project activities.
〈 Draft and evaluate capacity-building materials.
〈 Assist in developing monitoring and evaluation tools to track the progress of project implementation, assess needs, and design programs for improvement.
〈 Assist in enhancing standards, principles, forms, and internal procedures common to criminal defense clinics, as well as effective data collection and analysis.
〈 Assist in developing financial management, administrative procedures and reporting to the Program Director recommendations for implementation of changes/improvements in procedures.
〈 Identify issues and risks related to program implementation in a timely manner, and suggest appropriate program adjustments.
〈 Assist in the development of, and on-going support to, Defender Resource Centers providing legal aid.
〈 Develop/review legal aid training modules for justice sector actors, particularly criminal defense modules.
〈 Where appropriate, provide technical assistance to local civil society and private sector efforts to expand access to justice through legal aid and public outreach and awareness-raising.
〈 Act as liaison between Defender Resource Centers and Satellite Offices to facilitate training of criminal defense lawyers and justice sector actors.
〈 Collaborate with justice sector actors on program activities, including government representatives, judges, prison officials, police officers, prosecutors, public defenders, and civil society organization members.
〈 Identify fundraising opportunities in the Rule of Law sector of Asia/Africa.