Protection Officer (Legal Aid)

The Protection Officer (Legal Aid) provides direct legal assistance, counseling, and information to individuals and communities in need. The role supports legal aid activities, contributes to legal analysis, ensures quality legal services, and upholds protection standards in Syria.

Responsibilities

• Stay up to date with legislative, administrative and policy developments in Syria related to legal status and identity, civil documentation, family law, HLP rights, labour law, and other relevant topics.
• Monitor the legal environment to identify recurring legal protection challenges or violations of rights and report findings to management and Legal Specialist.
• Provide legal information to crisis-affected people about their rights and responsibilities through individual and group sessions.
• Support individuals in understanding legal processes and procedures, particularly for accessing civil documentation.
• Assist clients in obtaining necessary legal documentation and provide administrative support or accompaniment.
• Ensure clients receive fair treatment without discrimination and access justice in compliance with relevant laws.
• Analyze potential violations of rights within legal and administrative processes and advocate for mitigation of barriers to justice.
• Advocate for rights of highly at-risk individuals and groups facing systemic risks of discrimination or denial of rights.
• Support training of DRC protection staff and relevant stakeholders on legal issues, human rights, and protection standards.
• Assist in development of legal information and awareness materials tailored to affected communities.
• Promote peaceful coexistence through legal mediation and alternative dispute resolution mechanisms.
• Support implementation of legal aid Standard Operating Procedures for case identification, referral, and response.
• Initiate linkages with other legal aid service providers for referrals requiring additional support.
• Ensure confidentiality and ethics are upheld throughout program implementation, applying legal standards regarding data protection and client privacy.

Requirements

• Minimum 3 years of proven professional experience in Syria providing legal services, ideally specializing in services provided to at-risk clients and refugees.
• Excellent understanding of the national legal, policy and administrative frameworks and their practical application and challenges related to internally displaced persons and refugees, civil status, family law, criminal law, employment law, and Housing Land and Property (HLP) rights.
• Experience with NGO Legal Aid Programming (including in the provision of legal representation, legal counseling, and legal awareness raising).
• Experience interacting with judicial, security, and administrative authorities.
• Good understanding of humanitarian and do no harm principles.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct trainings on legal matters.
• Experience in internal and external representation.
• Demonstrated intercultural sensitivity and motivation.
• Excellent inter-personal and communication skills.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to quickly develop good insight and understanding of the conflict, the human rights situation, and the political environment of the program country.
• Experience working in partnership with national/local NGOs and civil society organizations is essential.
• University degree in Syrian Law.
• Specialization in international human rights law and/or international refugee law (desirable).
• Fluent in English and native in Arabic.

Skills

• Legal Services Provision
• Legal Aid Programming
• Legal Representation
• Legal Counseling
• Legal Awareness Raising
• National Legal Framework
• Civil Status Law
• Family Law
• Criminal Law
• Employment Law
• Housing Land Property Law
• Judicial Authority Interaction
• Security Authority Interaction
• Administrative Authority Interaction
• Humanitarian Principles
• Do No Harm Principle
• Legal Training Development
• Internal Representation
• External Representation
• Intercultural sensitivity
• Partnership Building with NGOs
• International Human Rights Law
• International Refugee Law

Languages

English, Arabic