Legal Affairs Officer

Required Qualifications

• Education: A degree in Law from a recognized institution.
  
• Must be an advocate of the High Court of Kenya, with a practicing certificate and in good standing.
  
• A minimum of 5 years of related experience, preferably in the NGO sector.
  
• A solid understanding of and deep commitment to human rights discourse and its application in the promotion of democracy and the rule of law.
  
• A solid understanding of and engagement with national, regional, and international human rights mechanisms.
  
• Ability to network with or develop a broad array of partnerships with both state and non-state actors.
  
• Proven track record in public interest litigation and human rights advocacy.
  
• Experience engaging with national, regional, and international human rights instruments and reporting mechanisms.
  
• Demonstrated experience in project management and resource mobilization.
  

Legal Affairs & Actions – 40%

• Strengthen and oversee the KHRC Legal Affairs department and team.
  
• Design and implement KHRC’s interventions on legal affairs and access to justice.
  
• Lead and oversee implementation of the KHRC public interest litigation strategy
  
• Receive, compile, and address complaints and human rights violations through KHRC channels.
  
• Act as the principal representative for KHRC in judicial and quasi-judicial mechanisms, as wellas oversee all cases assigned to external advocates.
  
• Develop and disseminate legal briefs, case digests, and summaries for knowledge sharing and public engagement.
  
• Follow up on recovery of bail funds from various courts and ensure proper financial accountability.
  
• Represent KHRC in key networks, including the National Council on the Administration of Justice (NCAJ).
  

Legal Research & Documentation – 40%

• Provide legal reviews, opinions, and advisories to KHRC reports, and draft petitions and statements.
  
• Maintain and update the case tracker on all cases where KHRC is involved.
  
• Lead legal research and drafting of briefs, opinions, and petitions for litigation.
  
• Contribute to the annual state of the administration of justice report prepared by the NCAJ.
  
• Lead in the documentation of the violations received under the legal office and contribute to the periodic State of Human Rights Report.
  
• Monitor and report on legal, judicial, policy, and regulatory actions affecting KHRC’s mandate.
  
• Work with the Urgent Action Team to organize and coordinate all urgent legal responses to emerging violations.
  

Administration & Partnerships – 20%

• Engage in effective resource mobilization and utilization for your plans and interventions.
  
• Work closely with the relevant programme leads and members to synchronize legal affairs & engagements.
  
• Ensure timely reporting in line with KHRC and donors’ schedules and policies.
  
• Participate in the internal committees and overall activities/ affairs of the organization.
  
• Represent KHRC in national, regional, and international advocacy networks and forums.
  
• Supervise researchers, interns, consultants and other staff or human resources assigned to this project.
  
• Ensure compliance with KHRC policies, practices, and values.
  
• Undertake other tasks as may be assigned by the supervisor or management.