Democracy Plus (D+) is an independent, not-for-profit organization, founded by a group of activists who strongly believe in democratic values and in a democratic Kosovo. The organization’s primary objective is to promote democratic values and practices in the scope of good governance, rule of law, elections and political parties, social issues, and human rights.

Democracy Plus (D+), as part of the project “Promoting right and just administrative procedures for citizens and businesses”, funded by the EU Office in Kosovo, is seeking to recruit three legal officers with experience in civil/administrative matters. These officials shall provide gratuitous legal counsel within the public institution, the Free Legal Aid Agency (FLAA), concerning administrative cases initiated by natural persons seeking redress in the courts for damages incurred as a result of actions or inactions of public authorities.

The engaged officials will provide free legal assistance to the FLAA in three municipalities at the regional offices:

• Prishtina (1)

• Mitrovica (1)

• Gjakova (1)

Core values:

• Integrity

• Respect

• Professionalism

Main responsibilities:

The provision of legal aid services, specifically legal counsel in civil and administrative matters, is made available to citizens who seek to assert their rights in instances where they have suffered damages at the hands of public authorities. The legal aid will encompass the following:

• Within the framework of the Regional Office, free legal assistance is offered to qualified applicants in the fields of civil and administrative law. This assistance is provided through a variety of avenues, including legal advice, complication of appendices and documents, acceptance of complaints against decisions to refuse free legal assistance, and submission of these complaints to the Complaints Commission.
• Engages lawyers from the list provided by the KBA, and simultaneously monitors the progress of the case.
• Makes decisions regarding whether to approve or reject requests for free legal aid,
• Engages with relevant institutions to facilitate the provision of free legal aid.
• Conducts research and analysis on the providers and beneficiaries of free legal aid, with the objective of presenting recommendations from research findings,
• Ensures adherence to all legal deadlines by the legislation currently in force in the Republic of Kosovo.
• Maintains records, stores, and archives the cases of beneficiaries of free legal aid,
• Compiles regular reports for the direct supervisor, in addition to the performance of other duties by the legal mandate.

Duration: 

To achieve these objectives, D+ will appoint three legal professionals on a contract basis, with an initial term of up to eight months from the date of signing the contract.

General criteria

• Be a citizen of the Republic of Kosovo;

• Have no convictions of committing a criminal offense intentionally.

Qualifications:

• Diploma of the Faculty of Law;
• One year of work experience in public institutions or civil society;

• Comprehensive knowledge of the current legislation on the right to compensation in instances of damage caused by public authorities in Kosovo;

• Ability to work effectively and under time pressure;

• A background in civil-administrative cases is viewed as a valuable asset;

• Experience in civil society will be considered an additional advantage.

Application form:

Please send the following documents:

• CV
• A copy of your ID
• A copy of your diploma
• Documents attesting to the completion of a work experience placements, issued by the relevant employment institution, which specify the nature of the work undertaken and the duration of the placement.
• Documents attesting to the fulfillment of the conditions for application as outlined in the recruitment announcement and stated in the application must be provided.

• A maximum of two contact references from previous employment must be provided to [email protected]  no later than September 2nd, 2024, at 5 PM. The subject of the email should be: “Legal officer application”. Those candidates who are selected for an interview will be informed via email.

Democracy Plus is an equal opportunity employer, dedicated to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. The organization is committed to supporting the employment of women and members of non-majority communities.

D+ guarantees the complete confidentiality of all applications.

Disclaimer:

This job vacancy is realized with the financial support of the European Union. The content of this vacancy is the sole responsibility of Democracy Plus (D+) and does not represent the views of the European Union. Project “Promoting Right and Just Administrative Procedures for Citizens and Businesses” is funded by the EU and implemented by Democracy Plus (D+).