Staff Attorney

Responsibilities:

• Work with JEI’s legal team and community paralegals to provide grassroots legal aid and legal education to urban poor populations in Lagos and Port Harcourt, 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 and Port Harcourt.
  
• 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.
  

Requirements:

•  At least 3-5 years of experience in civil litigation and criminal defense. Please describe the required experience in a short cover letter. Candidates with more than three years of experience are strongly encouraged to apply.
• Minimum academic qualification of a Degree in law and admission (current) to the Nigerian Bar.
  
• Demonstrated ability to use the 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 is a significant plus.
  
• Training and experience in human rights law are a plus.
  
• Training and experience in land law are a plus.
  
• NGO project management experience is a plus.
  
• Experience litigating cases before the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice and/or the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights is a plus.
  
• Experience as an entrepreneur or in a startup environment is a plus.
  
• Fluency in “broken” / Pidgin English required. Fluency in Hausa, Egun, and/or Yoruba language skills is a significant plus.