Call for Applications: HK Legal Fellowship: 2019 – 2020 Academic Year

Justice Without Borders (JWB) is welcoming applications for the Legal Fellowship Programme for the 2019-2020 academic year in our Hong Kong office. Legal Fellows will engage in projects on behalf of migrant workers who have been victims of labour exploitation, financial exploitation, and/or abuse. As a Legal Fellow, you will take on an active role in our projects, which may include preparing cases for potential litigation, conducting strategic legal research to support future litigation, and preparing for and participating in training workshops.

As our work involves the practice and enforcement of employment law, Legal Fellows may have the opportunity to attend and prepare for hearings at the Labour Tribunal, Small Claims Tribunal, and/or District Court. Fellows will also have opportunities to liaise with pro bono lawyers from our law firm partners in preparing cases for litigation. Fellows will also coordinate with JWB staff and volunteers in Indonesia and the Philippines while assisting in cases for clients who have already returned to their countries of origin.

Please note that the Legal Fellowship is a professional engagement, and students will be treated as junior staff in the organization. Experience with migrant worker issues is a plus, but is not required. We are looking for students who are interested in our area of work, self-motivated, can work in a team, and are not afraid to take on new challenges outside of their comfort zone.

About Justice Without Borders

JWB is a regional non-profit organisation that supports migrant workers who have been victims of labour exploitation or human trafficking to seek fair compensation, even after they return home. With offices in Hong Kong, Singapore and Indonesia, we connect clients with pro bono lawyers, and facilitate cross-border legal support to ensure access to justice for vulnerable migrant workers, wherever they are.

In Hong Kong, with our pro bono lawyers’ support, we have recently secured a groundbreaking court decision allowing our client to attend Labour Tribunal proceedings through video conferencing facilities from abroad. The decision sets a precedent for migrant workers to access Hong Kong’s courts remotely from their home countries, making access to justice more readily available to them. We are continuing to develop strategic litigation that will enable more migrant workers to pursue cross-border legal claims from Indonesia and the Philippines.

Candidate Qualifications

Time commitment
The Legal Fellowship spans the 2019-2020 academic year, commencing in September 2019. The time commitments required of Legal Fellows for the duration of the Fellowship are as follows (all Fellowship work must be conducted at our JWB office in Sai Ying Pun). Priority will be given to those who can commit to the optional summer fellowship period:

• September 2019 to December 2019 (Fall semester) [Mandatory]:
➢ Part-time
➢ 10 hours per week
➢ Fellows are not expected to commit during exam period
• December 2019 to January 2020 (Winter) [Mandatory]:
➢ Full-time
➢ 8 hours per day; Monday to Friday
• January 2020 to May 2020 (Spring semester) [Mandatory]:
➢ Part-time
➢ 10 hours per week
➢ Fellows are not expected to commit during exam period
• May 2020 to August 2020 (Summer) [Optional]:
➢ Full-time
➢ 8 hours per day; Monday to Friday

If you have a time conflict but would still like to be considered for the Legal Fellowship, please indicate your available dates and time commitment in your application.

Required:
• Fluency in English with strong writing and oral communication skills;
• Strong legal research skills;
• Ability to work well in a team and co-ordinate the division of work with other Fellows;
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple tasks with different deadlines;
• Good time management skills;
• Willing to take initiative and actively address issues that come up in the flow of work;
• Have their own laptop with Microsoft Office, and ability to communicate via web applications (email, calendar) throughout the day; and
• Professionalism: JWB treats its Fellows as professionals who are entrusted with high levels of responsibility.

Desirable but not required:
• Speaking, reading and writing ability in Bahasa Indonesia, Malay, or Tagalog;
• Graphic design and layout skills;
• Photography skills;
• Knowledge of website and social media tools, including WordPress, Twitter, and Facebook.

How to Apply:

Please submit a 250-word statement of interest, a CV, and a writing sample of no more than 10 pages to Ms. Justine Lam at justine@forjusticewithoutborders.org and Ms. Nanor Wong at nanor@forjusticewithoutborders.org. In your application, please indicate your available time period for the Fellowship.