Job Opening
Posting Title:
INTERN - LEGAL - Office of Administration of Justice, I
Job Code Title:
INTERN - LEGAL AFFAIRS
Department/ Office:
Office of Administration of Justice
Duty Station:
NEW YORK
Posting Period:
1 July 2014-1 October 2014
Job Opening number:
14-LEG-OAJ-36267-R-NEW YORK
Special Notice
A complete online application (Cover Note and Personal History Profile) is required.
Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.
The Cover Note must include:
Area of preference of the Office of Administration of Justice (OSLA, UNDT, UNAT, OED);
Title of degree;
Graduation Date (when you will/or have graduate from the programme);
List the IT skills and programmes that you are proficient in;
Explain why you are the best candidate for the Office of Administration;
Explain your interest in the United Nations Internship Programme.
In your Personal History Profile, be sure to include all past work experience, IT skills, and three references.
Due to high volume of applications received, ONLY successful candidates will be contacted.
Org. Setting and Reporting
The Office of Administration of Justice (OAJ) is an independent office responsible for the overall coordination of the formal system of administration of justice at the United Nations. It is headed by an Executive Director appointed by the Secretary-General.
The Office of Staff Legal Assistance (OSLA), the Registries for the United Nations Dispute Tribunal (UNDT) and the United Nations Appeals Tribunal (UNAT) and the Office of the Executive Director (OED) are part of the Office of Administration of Justice. With its headquarters in New York, the Office of Administration of Justice also has a presence — through the UNDT Registries and the branch offices of the Office of Staff Legal Assistance — in Geneva, Nairobi, Addis Ababa, and Beirut.
OSLA is independent from the UN staff unions, management or other actors. OSLA affiliated counsels have a responsibility to act in the interest of the client staff member, former staff member or affected dependant of a staff member. As officers of the court before the UNDT and UNAT, OSLA counsel are required to perform their duties in accordance with established professional, ethical and legal obligations.
UNDT is the first instance tribunal. The Dispute Tribunal hears and decides cases filed by or on behalf of current and former staff members appealing administrative decisions alleged to be in non-compliance with their terms of appointment or contract of employment. The Tribunal conducts hearings, issues orders, and renders binding judgments. Both staff members and the Administration have a right to appeal the judgments of the Dispute Tribunal to the United Nations Appeals Tribunal.
UNAT is an appellate tribunal established to review appeals against judgments rendered by the UNDT. It also hears and passes judgment on appeals from decisions taken by the Standing Committee acting on behalf of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Board (UNJSPB) and by those agencies and entities that have accepted jurisdiction of the UNAT.
The Office of the Executive Director is responsible for the management and administration of OAJ, advises the Secretary-General on systemic issues relating to the administration of internal justice and prepares reports of the Secretary-General to the General Assembly on issues relating to administration of justice.
The internship is for two (2) months with an opportunity for extension, pending on the needs of the team.
The first line of the cover letter should contain the name of the office the applicant is interested to join (OSLA, UNDT, UNAT or OED). Applicants are encouraged to highlight their specific skills and/or experience. They are asked to do so carefully in order to enhance the value of the internship for both themselves and the receiving office.
The internship is UNPAID and full-time.
Interns work five days per week (35 hours) under the supervision of a staff member in the OSLA, UNDT, UNAT or OED.
Responsibilities
Responsibilities may include, but are not limited to:
OSLA
• Assist in conducting legal research on issues relating to international public administrative and employment law required for providing legal advice and representation to OSLA's clients;
• Assist in client and file management including conducting client interviews, planning litigation strategy under the supervision of OSLA legal officers;
• Assist in drafting legal documents and submissions to the UN Dispute and Appeals Tribunals;
• Assist in drafting legal documents including submissions to the UN Dispute and Appeals Tribunals;
• Attend and take notes at interviews, conferences and hearings;
• Work on presentations and/or other information for client outreach and promotion of rule of law in the UN system;
• Undertake other tasks as requested.
UNAT
• Assist in conducting research and compiling legal materials for use in the preparation of legal opinions, for inclusion in studies and reports and for matters before the tribunal;
• Assist in drafting a variety of correspondence and other communications;
• Assist in the organizational and logistical activities of meetings of the Appeals Tribunal;
• Assist in case management and preparation of documents;
• Assist in the intake and follow-up of cases including the compilation of statistics and the preparation of regular monthly reports;
• Assists in the preparation of legal documents for electronic storage, access and circulation/publication, including document scanning and conversion, review of content and extraction of key data and text excerpts for categorization and indexing purposes, etc;
• Undertake other tasks as requested.
UNDT
• Assist in conducting research and compiling legal materials for use in the preparation of legal opinions, for inclusion in studies and reports and for matters before the tribunal;
• Assist in drafting a variety of correspondence and other communications;
• Assist in the organizational and logistical activities of meetings of the Dispute Tribunal;
• Assist in case management and preparation of documents;
• Assist in the intake and follow-up of cases including the compilation of statistics and the preparation of regular monthly reports;
• Assists in the preparation of legal documents for electronic storage, access and circulation/publication, including document scanning and conversion, review of content and extraction of key data and text excerpts for categorization and indexing purposes, etc;
• Undertake other tasks as requested.
OED
• Assist in drafting legal memoranda, reports, correspondence and other documents on matters relating to the Office’s operational activities, including internal reports and report on the administration of justice to intergovernmental bodies, such as the General Assembly and its committees, as appropriate;
• Assist in conducting legal research on assigned matters, including UN regulations and rules; the Statutes, rules of procedure, and jurisprudence of the Tribunals, and other relevant international organizations;
• Assist with the analysis on diverse substantive and procedural questions relating to the administrative, budgetary, financial and human resources policies and procedures of the United Nations and other relevant international organizations, as required, and prepare background materials, summaries of issues, memoranda, correspondence and other relevant documentation;
• Attend meetings and assist in providing advice on emerging issues and questions;
• Assist with the compilation and analysis of statistics on emerging trends in the system of administration of justice; and
• Perform other duties as required.
Competencies
Communication:
-Speaks and writes clearly and effectively
-Listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately
-Asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication
-Tailors language, tone, style and format to match the audience
-Demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed
Teamwork:
-Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals
-Solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others
-Places team agenda before personal agenda
-Supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position
-Shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings
Planning & Organizing:
-Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies
-Identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required
-Allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work
-Foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning
-Monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary
-Uses time efficiently
Education
We are looking for applicants with a background in commercial law, international trade law or private international law or related fields.
(Official Matriculation proof in support of one of the above should be attached to the application).
To qualify for consideration for an internship by the United Nations Headquarters Internship Programme, the following conditions must be met:
(1) Be enrolled in a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher);
(2) Be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum Bachelor’s level or equivalent);
(3) Have graduated with a university degree as defined in (1) and (2) above;
(4) Candidates who are selected, must commence the internship programme either prior to graduation or within one year of graduation from an academic programme as described in (1) and (2).
Be computer literate in standard software applications, including database management, PowerPoint and Excel.
Have a demonstrated keen interest in the work of the United Nations and have a personal commitment to the ideals of the Charter; and,
Have a demonstrated ability to successfully interact with individuals of different cultural backgrounds and beliefs, which include willingness to try and understand and be tolerant of differing opinions and views.
Work Experience
Applicants are not required to have professional work experience for participation in the programme but are encouraged to list al their experiences on the personal history profile (PHP).
Languages
Fluency in one of the working languages of the UN Secretariat, English or French, (both oral and written) is required; knowledge of the other is desirable. Knowledge of another UN official language is an advantage
Assessment Method
Potential candidates will be contacted by the hiring manager directly for further consideration.
United Nations Considerations
The United Nations shall place no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. (Charter of the United Nations - Chapter 3, article 8). The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.
Candidates will be required to meet the requirements of Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter as well as the requirements of the position. The United Nations is committed to the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity for all its human resources, including but not limited to respect for international human rights and humanitarian law. Candidates may be subject to screening against these standards, including but not limited to whether they have committed, or are alleged to have committed criminal offences and/or violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law.