About CEHRO 

The Consortium of Ethiopian Human Rights Organizations (CEHRO) is a Consortium of 32 Civil Society organizations (CSOs) working on human rights, democracy, and peace-building in Ethiopia. Over the past seven years, CEHRO has been actively engaged in the advancement of human rights protection and promotion in Ethiopia by creating a common platform for human rights CSOs to articulate their voices structurally and engage in evidence-based advocacy to broaden the civic space in the country. More information about CEHRO is available at www.cehro.org.

About the Job

CEHRO is currently looking for a dedicated Legal Officer, ) with a commendable understanding of Ethiopia’s substantive and procedural laws and with excellent communication, analytical, and organizational skills. This individual will be responsible for overseeing the daily activities of a legal aid project currently under implementation. 

The Legal Officer will be responsible for assessing the needs of clients to determine the nature and urgency of their legal problem and their eligibility for legal aid services; assisting clients in document preparation such as completing and filing necessary forms; and providing legal information and advice to help them understand the legal processes and what to expect during their case. The Legal Officer will also be responsible for fully managing clients' cases, such as organizing case files, monitoring appointments and deadlines with the court, and following up to keep the clients updated. The Legal Officer will play the role of legal representation, assisting lawyers in representing clients during hearings, mediation sessions, or other legal proceedings, and engage in community outreach and legal education campaigns. In addition, the Legal Officer could be deployed to mobile legal aid clinics to provide free legal support for communities in remote rural areas. 

Reports to: Project Coordinator

Based in Addis Ababa with field travels

Hours: 40 hours per week, one-year contract with the possibility of extension.

Salary: Negotiable.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Assessing the needs of clients to determine the nature and urgency of their legal problem and their eligibility for legal aid services;

• Assisting clients in document preparation, such as completing and filing necessary forms;

• Providing clients with legal information and advice to help them understand the legal processes;

• Managing clients' cases such as organizing case files, monitoring appointments and deadlines with the court, and following up to keep the clients updated;

• Assisting lawyers in representing clients during hearings, mediation sessions, or other legal proceedings;

• Engaging in community outreach and legal education campaigns;

• Travelling to mobile legal aid clinics to provide free legal support for communities in remote rural areas;

• Perform other related duties as required.

Job Requirements:

• Education: Master's or Bachelor's Degree in Law or in a related field of study

• Expereince: Minimum of 5 years of proven experience in the judiciary, prosecutor's offices, law offices, and other related organizations

• Applicants with an advocacy license will be preferred 

• Excellent grasp of Ethiopian substantive and procedural laws, with a particular focus on the criminal justice system

• Experience in working at courts, justice offices, law offices, and other related institutions.

• Knowledge of the civil society context and human rights situation in Ethiopia. 

• Experience in working with relevant projects from the governmental and non-governmental institutions involved in civil society, democratization, and human rights issues at the national level.

• Able to use computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel etc)

• Fluency in Amharic & English is required (both spoken and written)

How to Apply:

• All qualified individuals are invited to apply for the advertised position. Please attach your CV and cover letter electronically through the following email address. humanresources@cehro.org

• Only candidates who are short-listed will be contacted for exams.

• CEHRO is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive positive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, or disability. Qualified Women and Persons With disabilities are encouraged to apply.