Paralegal Officer

VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT

Position: Para-Legal Officer

Number of position: 1 Paralegal Officer for each district

Based in: Biratnagar and Nepalgunj

Reports to: Advocate of respective districts

Coordinates with: Attorney-In-Charge & District Director/Advocate

Contract type: 1 year (renewable upon availability of funds and performance)

The Public Defender Society of Nepal (PDS-Nepal), an organization spun off from PDS-Nepal, a project of The International Legal Foundation, is a not-for-profit, non governmental organization that upholds the human right to a fair trial and life and liberty, by defending poor, marginalized and vulnerable persons accused of criminal offenses, regardless of age, gender and ethnicity. It also works with the government to build its capacity to meet its legal obligation to provide criminal defense services to poor persons who cannot afford to hire private lawyers, so that all accused have equal access to competent defense lawyers. The primary mission of the organization is to ensure fair and effective access to justice, to develop a public defender system in Nepal and to work to develop the efficiency and sustainability of a Nepal public defender system. It focuses on the need for quality and meaningful legal representation for indigent accused in judicial and quasi-judicial tribunals. 

Duties and Responsibilities:

During the Employment Term, the Paralegal will serve as an advocate of the Employer. In such capacity, the Paralegal will be responsible for assisting advocates to provide criminal defense services for indigent clients before judicial and quasi-judicial bodies.The Paralegal will perform such duties, services and responsibilities on behalf of the Employer consistent with the terms of reference outlined below and as maybe reasonably assigned to the Paralegal from time to time.

During the Employment Term, the Paralegal will devote his/her full business time, attention and skill to the performance of such duties, services and responsibilities, and will use his best efforts to promote the interests of the Employer, and the Paralegal will not engage in any other business activity without the approval of his or her direct supervisor.

The successful candidate shall:

Assist and provide a wide range of legal support and administration to advocates related to the representation of criminally accused persons before judicial and quasi-judicial bodies.

Specific Paralegal duties include, but are not limited to:

• Go to the detention center to intake and initial interviews for new clients.
• Able to contact or intake new clients.
• Assisting with preparation of and filing applications;
• Well informed of current legal trends andto do research on legal issues as requested.
• Organizing documents and assisting advocates in preparation for hearings and trial;
• Visit court on a regular basis to wait for or meet and intake clients, and to obtain copies of witness testimony and decisions of the court, court files, orders, etc.;
• Keep track of court dates and making sure that advocates are informed about court dates;
• Gathering information from advocates and the court to enhance and maintain the current motions bank by filing and organizing applications and court orders by legal issue or subject.

In fulfilling [his/her]duties, the Paralegal agrees:

• To abide by the Nepali rules of ethical conduct for lawyers;
• Attend CLE seminar sregularly and other activities PDS-Nepal seems necessary and important;
• Not to use PDS-Nepal offices for political activities or on behalf of a political candidate;
• To limit use of e-mail for personal reasons and not to abuse the internet for non-PDS-Nepal matters;
• That he or she will not engage in any private practice of law other than to the extent authorized to assist PDS-Nepal advocates, whether for compensation or on a volunteer basis or other employment without prior permission from the PDS-Nepal Executive Director;
• Not to accept any kind of gifts or money or other in-kind exchanges for services rendered to clients; willing to travel to other district offices as and when required

QUALIFICATIONS

Required:

• Law degree and advocate’s license required. More than 1 year experience is essential. 
• Knowledge about Court process. Have knowledge of handling criminal cases as defense prospective.
• Commitment to the idea of free legal assistance for any poor person accused of any crime required.
• Commitment to providing meaningful defense in practice from the moment of arrest required.
• Good Computer skillwith fluent in English and Nepali Typing.
• Knowledge of local language Essential.

Salary: NRs. 25,000/per month before taxes 

Benefits: Monthly communication allowance and travel allowance as per PDS-Nepal's policies. After successful completion of probation period, the candidate will be provided with medical, accidental & life insurance, 12 days annual leave, 10 days sick leave and one Friday off every month

How to Apply

Interested candidates are requested to send their CV (including contact telephone number) and cover letter to the email below before December 25, 2017.

HR Department

PDS-Nepal

Surya Marg, House # 19

Babarmahal, Kathmandu

Email: vacancy@pds-n.org

1. No telephone inquiries please. Only candidates short-listed for further exam and an interview will be contacted.
2. Any Phone calls/canvasing would be disqualification of candidature. 
3. Successful candidates will be expected to start working on first week of January 2018

Note: Please mention 'Application for Paralegal Officer- Nepalgunj' for candidates applying for Nepalgunj and 'Application for Paralegal Officer- Biratnagar' for candidates applying for Biratnagar officein the subject line.

Women and people from disadvantaged and minority groups are especially encouraged to apply. PDS-Nepal is an equal opportunity employer, and does not discriminate on the basis of race, caste, gender, ethnicity, or any other basis.