Responsibilities

The Legal Officer is responsible for the following duties:

• Handles disciplinary matters from field operations, particularly MONUSCO, and a range of issues related to international, public, national, administrative law, including the interpretation and application of in that area of concentration, in consultation with senior Legal Officers.
• Conducts extensive legal research and analysis and prepare legal opinions, studies, briefs, reports and correspondence.
• Undertakes basic or extensive review of legal documents, instruments, or other material; identifies important issues, similarities, and inconsistencies, etc.
• Prepares or assists in the preparation of drafts of background papers, studies, reports, legislative texts and commentaries on those texts, teaching materials in the field of international trade law and private international law, etc.
• Prepares or assists in the preparation of legal submissions/motions as necessary in the course of investigations and prosecutions.
• Assesses evidence for relevance and admissibility.
• Prepares and assesses briefs of evidence.
• Services or assists senior colleagues in servicing diplomatic conferences, commissions, committees, task forces, expert groups and other bodies, including preparation of background materials, summaries of issues and views of delegations, meeting reports, etc.
• Represents or assists in representing the Organization before arbitral and other tribunals or administrative proceedings, including disciplinary cases.
• Provides legal advice on human resources matters, reviews administrative matters.
• Provides guidance to more junior staff.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Education

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in law is required.
• A first-level university degree (Bachelor’s degree or equivalent) in combination with two additional years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Work Experience

• A minimum of five years of progressively responsible legal experience is required. Of the five years, two years of experience in litigation at the national or international level and first-hand experience appearing and leading evidence of witnesses before a court, tribunal, or equivalent administrative boards or bodies is required.
• Experience in handling disciplinary matters in national or international entities is desirable.
• Experience with staff regulations and rules, policies, procedures and operations of the United Nations or other similar international organization is desirable.