Community Legal Officer (5 positions based in Kohat, Buner, Upper Dir, Haripur, Chitral))
Overview
The Community Legal Officer (CLO) is the program's frontline legal presence, serving as the primary point of contact between the IRC's legal services and vulnerable displaced communities. The CLO delivers legal services including community legal information and outreach, individual legal counselling, and direct legal representation.
Key Responsibilities
- Plan and lead legal awareness sessions in camps on legal rights, civil procedures, and available services.
- Build and maintain relationships with community leaders, local authorities, and community-based organisations.
- Conduct regular legal needs assessments.
- Promote awareness of legal remedies, protection mechanisms, documentation processes, and available services.
- Provide support to the information help desk.
- Provide individual legal counseling on civil status, documentation, family law, eviction and arrest.
- Conduct intake assessments to identify legal needs, explain options clearly, and advise clients.
- Screen clients for eligibility for legal aid and representation.
- Help clients understand legal processes, court procedures, and their rights.
- Uphold client confidentiality, obtain informed consent, and apply ethical standards.
- Ensure counseling services are delivered in a safe, private, and accessible setting.
- Represent and/or accompany clients before administrative bodies, civil courts, and relevant tribunals.
- Prepare and submit legal documents.
- Follow up on case progress and communicate with clients.
- Track active cases, monitor deadlines, and ensure each case moves toward timely resolution.
- Coordinate with the Project Manager and protection caseworkers on shared caseloads.
- Support clients in accessing NADRA, IOM, and other government or UN-affiliated documentation services.
- Maintain accurate, current case files for all clients.
- Record legal information activities.
- Contribute to weekly and monthly reports on caseloads, service delivery, legal outcomes, and protection trends.
- Manage client data in line with IRC data protection policies.
- Input data accurately into the IRC's case management database.
- Apply the IRC information-sharing protocol in all reporting.
- Collaborate with IRC protection, casework, MHPSS, and women's protection teams.
- Support protection caseworkers and community mobilizers in conducting outreach and managing referral pathways.
- Maintain working relationships with courts, legal aid providers, and local administration offices.
- Participate in legal working groups, protection clusters, and coordination forums.
- Represent the IRC in district-level legal and protection coordination meetings.
- Apply gender-sensitive, inclusive approaches across all legal information, counseling, and representation activities.
- Give particular attention to the legal needs of women and girls, unaccompanied minors, persons with disabilities, and older persons.
- Provide reasonable accommodation for clients with disabilities and home-based counseling where mobility is a barrier.
- Comply with IRC’s PSEA, Child Safeguarding, and Anti-workplace harassment policies and report any concern.
Required Experience
Minimum two years of experience in legal aid, access to justice, or protection work — preferably with an international or national humanitarian organization. Direct experience providing legal counselling or representation to migrants, displaced persons, or extremely vulnerable is strongly preferred. Familiarity with Pakistani civil law, family law procedures, NADRA documentation, UNHCR registration, and international protection frameworks. Experience in legal outreach, community education, or running legal help desks is a strong advantage. Experience working with women and girls in protection-sensitive settings is required.
Qualifications
Bachelor of Laws (LLB) or equivalent law degree is required. A license to practice law in Pakistan is required for legal representation work. Additional certification or training in humanitarian protection, human rights, or international humanitarian law is an advantage.
