CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: LEGAL FELLOW, FAIR TRIAL FELLOWSHIP
Position: The National Law University, Delhi (“University”) is seeking to engage on a contractual basis, Legal Fellows for Nagpur (2 positions) for the Fair Trial Fellowship programme of Project39A supported by a grant from the Azim Premji Philanthropic Initiatives.
The Legal Fellow will be assigned to work on cases of undertrial prisoners being represented by DLSA panel lawyers and will be in charge of providing assistance in court hearings, legal research, drafting and prison visits (for client interviews) to the legal aid lawyer leading the case. The maximum period of engagement will be for three years and the contract will be renewed on an annual basis.
About the programme: The Fair Trial Fellowship (“the Fellowship”) is an opportunity for young lawyers and social workers to work for providing quality legal representation to undertrial prisoners. The Fellowship will train and mentor a group of young professionals to work in collaboration with the State Legal Services Authority towards ensuring fair trial for undertrial prisoners at both pre-trial and trial stages. The Fellowship is being currently rolled out for work in Nagpur and Pune Central prisons. The twin goals of the programme are to reduce the under trial population in prisons in Pune and Nagpur and to work towards strengthening the legal aid system in Maharashtra. The programme has its offices in Pune and Nagpur.
Responsibilities:
This is a full time paid position based in Nagpur. Selected candidates will be expected to reside within the municipal limits of the city of their selection but may be required to travel frequently to other districts as per programme needs.
The responsibilities of the Legal Fellows will include:
A. Visiting prison with the duty counsels of the DLSA and providing legal counseling to inmates requiring legal aid.
B. Coordinating with DLSA and authorities from the Prison Department to ensure allocation of DLSA Panel Lawyer for under trials who do not have any legal representation.
C. Briefing and assisting panel lawyer of the DLSA assigned on a case during court hearings at both pre-trial and trial stage.
D. Regular Prison visits to seek instructions from an undertrial client on behalf of the DLSA Panel Lawyers.
E. Reviewing documents brought on record in a case, providing research inputs and devising legal strategy in consultation with the DLSA Panel Lawyer concerned.
F. Assisting the DLSA panel lawyer in drafting legal documents to be submitted at both pre-trial and trial stage.
G. Following-up ongoing cases in court and updating the client (undertrial) and/or the family members concerned
H. Regularly communicating with prison authorities to obtain case specific information and documents.
I. Preparation for recording evidence and cross examination.
J. Preparing written arguments based on the evidence for the final submissions before the court K. Travelling as required to meet and communicate with family members of undertrial prisoners and other persons who may have oral and documentary information relevant to the case procedure.
L. Organising and conducting training workshops and conferences.
M. Documentation and Reporting as per programmatic needs.
N. Any other work that may be necessary to further the aims of the Fellowship Programme.
Qualifications:
A. Minimum of three year experience of criminal law practice at trial court level
B. Registration as a practicing advocate (Sanad) with Bar Council of any state in India C. Proficiency in reading, writing and speaking Marathi
D. Ability to read, write and speak English
E. Familiarity with the use of MS-Office, emails and the internet
F. Prior work experience in work with the District Legal Services Authority is desirable.
The above qualifications may be relaxed in exceptional circumstances
Compensation: Fellows will be paid a fellowship amount of INR 30,000 per month.
Application Process: Interested persons may send their resume and a statement of purpose, explaining their interest in working on this programme. The statement of purpose must not exceed 700 words. The interviews will be held in an online or offline mode. Shortlisted candidates will be called for the selection process which may be held in Pune and Nagpur (if held in offline mode). Intimation regarding dates, venue and selection rounds will be given to the shortlisted candidates by email.
Email: Interested persons must send their resume and Statement of Purpose to [email protected] and the subject of the email should be “Fair Trial Fellowship – Application for Legal Fellows-Nagpur”.
Applicants are also required to fill in their details in the google form via the link given below-https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1mP9SZ8mNsiNNACjdYEfHxexBioVxlKqCu794fJR- spg/edit
Deadline: Applications received after midnight of 25 February, 2022 will not be considered. The shortlisted candidates shall be informed about the next round in the selection process via email.
For More Details Click HERE