Assistant Legal Officer

Job Details

Justice Defenders, in partnership with the International Development Law Organisation (IDLO), is implementing a two-year project titled "Enhancing access to fair trial and timely justice delivery for inmates at Jinja and Kalangala prisons" under the Community Justice Program Phase II (CJP II), 2025–2030. The Assistant Legal Officer will provide day-to-day operational and administrative legal support to the Jinja-based Legal Officer, focusing on inmate interfacing, file tracking, paralegal network operations, and running preparation clinics for self-representation.

• Duty Station: Jinja District (with regular field visits to project target sites)
• Reports To: Legal Officer (Jinja)
• Contract Duration: 1 Year (Subject to renewal based on performance and funding)
• Employment Type: Contract
• Salary: Not disclosed
• Work Hours: 8

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Directly assist the Legal Officer in preparing case files, drafting preliminary legal documents (bail and other forms of applications, appeals mitigation statements), and scheduling court fixtures/appearances.
• Lead Justice Defenders prison based legal offices and coach inmates on self-representation, guiding them through basic court etiquette, mock trial sessions, and building confidence.
• Serve as the primary, on-ground contact for prison-based paralegal networks (inmates and staff) in Jinja; coordinate their daily logs, handle basic legal queries, and track their performance.
• Conduct field visits to local Jinja police stations, court registries, and state attorneys' offices to trace missing files and locate sureties.
• Organize regular on-site rights awareness sessions inside prisons and distribute simplified legal information materials.
• Maintain up-to-date, accurate, and highly confidential database logs of all inmate files, tracking system responses and identifying delayed cases.
• Assist in organizing structured feedback dialogues and accountability sessions between inmates and local duty bearers.

Qualifications, Skills and Requirements

• Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree from a recognized university. A Post-Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice from LDC is an added advantage but not mandatory.
• Minimum of 1–2 years of relevant experience working in legal aid delivery, within the prison community, paralegal management, or criminal law practice in Uganda.
• Professional mastery of English, alongside high working fluency in Luganda.
• Strong interpersonal skills, passion for social justice, high empathy, and proficiency in basic data management tools (Excel, Word).
• High commitment to safeguarding, confidentiality, professional integrity, and protection of rights and dignity of all persons.