Legal Fellow

About Natural Justice
Natural Justice is an African non-profit organization specializing in environmental justice. As a team of pioneering lawyers and legal experts, we specialize in human rights, climate law and environmental law to pursue social, climate and environmental justice. Natural Justice has been working with communities, NGOs, and government agencies in Kenya since 2009. Natural Justice strives to enhance people’s collective rights and protect the sacred relationships indigenous peoples, and local communities have with nature. Our work is informed by the values, knowledge, and selfdetermination of the communities with whom we stand in solidarity. Through legal empowerment,
research, policy influencing and litigation, and as part of coalitions and campaigns, we support communities to know the law, use the law and shape the law. Natural Justice has three main programs: the Affirming Rights Program, Defending Rights Program and Standing with Communities Program. To learn more about the work of Natural Justice, please refer to www.naturaljustice.org.

What we’re looking for:
Natural Justice seeks a full-time Legal Fellow to primarily support the implementation and further develop the work of the Defending Rights program in the East Africa Hub. The successful candidate will work in collaboration with the Standing With Communities and Affirming Rights Programs.
The successful candidate will be based in Nairobi, with frequent local travel.

Key Roles:
Technical Advice

• Supporting and aiding the Defending Rights team in appraising strategic impact assessments, environmental impact assessments, and other project decision making processes.
• Supporting Community Environmental Legal Officer (CELOs) to advise community organizations and partners on legal processes.
• Provide litigation support to advocates which may include but is not limited to legal research, drafting of pleadings and trial preparations.
• Supporting the tracking of Natural Justice and other legal organization court cases and legal processes within East Africa

Policy and Legal Reform

• Supporting Natural Justice in making submissions before the Kenyan Government, regional bodies or international institutions.
• Support the tracking of various policy and legal reform that revolves around Natural Justices work.
  Supporting Natural Justice’s JETA, ECLA and AED initiatives.

Legal Empowerment

• Develop a deeper understanding of the impact of projects that community members experience by traveling to and spending time with communities, community-based organizations, and community paralegals.
• Learn and support the application of legal empowerment methodologies through supporting the work of the NJ community paralegals.
• Carry out research on projects and legal violations, and train affected individuals.
• Guide and train affected communities in drafting letters and complaints and making submissions.
• Assist in the case management process-case logs and case tracking forms.
• Provide input into the improvement of legal empowerment methodologies and conduct legal empowerment to communities.
• Engage with administrative decision-making institutions and processes in Kenya, including understanding the role of the National Environmental Management Authority, Water Resources Authority, Kenya Wildlife Service, and Kenya Forest Service, etc in addressing legal violations.

Research, Communications and Knowledge Management

• Update database on case laws relevant to NJ work.
• Support CELOs to undertake research on environmental justice issues, such as legal violations, institutions, law applicable, and possible remedies.
• Work with the NJ legal and research teams to analyse the efficacy of national and international environmental and human rights laws.
• Work with the Communications Officer to use media channels to disseminate key information from the research.

Reporting and Project Management

• Attend and contribute actively and constructively at all team and program meetings.

• Provide accurate and timely information on program activities for reporting, compliance and
  fundraising.

• Prepare relevant reports and updates as and when required.

• Regularly communicate and liaise with team members on project and case activities.

• Add relevant information and tasks on the program management tools and upload all
  information related to NJ work on the organization’s SharePoint.

  Finance and Administration

• Keep records of all expenditures and provide to the administration and finance officer as directed
  and in a timely manner.

Qualifications & Experience

• Minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree in Law from a recognized university.
• An Advocate of the High Court of Kenya.
• Knowledge of Kenya’s constitutional and administrative law, including human rights, land& environmental law.
• Minimum of 1 year relevant work experience in any public interest law and passionate about environmental law, indigenous communities and the climate.
• Keen interest in and commitment to advancing marginalized communities’ rights, particularly in their environments.
• Computer literacy- Understanding of data entry, basic computer skills and knowledge of databases.
  Excellent knowledge of spoken and written English and Kiswahili.
• Keen interest in and commitment to advancing the rights of marginalized communities, particularly in relation to their environments.
• Conviction in and commitment to constitutionalism and principles of environmental justice.
• Good legal research skills in law, policy and social issues.
• Experience in conducting fieldwork and working with marginalized communities.
• Experience communicating complex legal issues in an accessible way to communities.
• Experience relating research or project experiences to policy advocacy.
• Experience conducting primary and/or desktop research and preparing clear and analytical
  reports (with proof of published work).
• Experience writing applications and reporting to donors.
• Experience in program management, including budgeting, project planning, contract
  drafting, monitoring and evaluation, and reporting.
• An understanding of and experience in the socio-political environment and civil society work
  in the region.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Citizen of Kenya or have authorization to work in Kenya.

How to apply

Share your applications combining the cover letter and CV as one PDF document to recruit@platinumadvisory.co.ke with ‘Application for the position of Legal Fellow’ as the subject line. Do not attach your testimonials or certificates.

Closing Date for Applications: 30th August 2024.

Safeguarding, Inclusivity and Equality: All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment without regard to ethnicity, gender, race, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, marital status, or any other characteristic that has no bearing on the ability to perform the required job duties.

Data Protection: By submitting your application, you confirm that the submitted information is true and authorize Natural Justice to use your personal data, to further process your engagement for lawful purposes related to the organization’s vision, including conducting background checks.

Due to the high volume of applications, we receive, only shortlisted candidates who qualify for the next recruitment stage will be contacted.

Disclaimer: Please note that NJ does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process.