Legal Advisor on Law No. 20

Position Title: Legal Advisor on Law No. 20 Compensating the Victims of Military Operations, Military Mistakes and Terrorist Actions

Position Type:  Full Time         

Reports To: Project Manager

Location: Erbil

About Heartland Alliance International

Heartland Alliance International (HAI) is dedicated to securing the rights and well-being of marginalized individuals and communities. HAI envisions a world where those whose rights have been violated are safe, empowered, and actively engaged in their communities, leading efforts for social change. In Iraq, HAI offers comprehensive services, including psychosocial support, legal aid, violence prevention, livelihoods strengthening, and social cohesion, targeting diverse vulnerable populations.

Position Summary

Reporting to the Project Manager and with support from HAI’s Country Director (technical), the Legal Advisor on Law No. 20 Compensating the Victims of Military Operations, Military Mistakes and Terrorist Actions (Law 20) is responsible for providing technical support to HAI’s subgrantee partner organizations to deliver legal services to individuals who qualify for compensation under Law 20. The Legal Advisor will ensure that HAI’s standards and protocols for access to justice are incorporated throughout the legal service delivery process.The Law 20 Legal Advisor is responsible and accountable for: (i) providing training and technical support to NGO subgrantees to prepare high-quality applications on behalf of applicants under Law 20; (ii) ensuring NGO subgrantees understand and implement survivor-centered, trauma-informed, and do-no-harm approaches in their legal service delivery; and (iv) supporting the ethical documentation of applicants’ experiences in accessing compensation under Law 20.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Main duties and responsibilities of the Law 20 Legal Advisor include the following:

Training and capacity building 

·         Collaborate in training lawyers from three partner organizations on effectively applying for compensation under Law 20.

·         Collaborate in training three partners on informed consent, survivor-centered, trauma-informed, and do-no-harm approaches.

·         Collaborate in training partners on a model of legal representation and advocacy that incorporates HAI’s standards while ensuring partners apply them effectively.

Technical guidance on cases

·         Work closely with the lawyers of partner organizations to ensure they understand how to support applicants throughout the legal process, including accompanying them to criminal investigations, interviews, hearings, and interactions with government actors and the Compensation Committee and Court.

·         Strengthen the quality of legal representation by supporting NGOs to draft persuasive, detailed written submissions to the Committee and the Compensation Court to promote effective representation of applicants.

·         Follow up with ongoing technical support through regular confidential case review meetings to discuss complex cases, discussing legal strategies, and resolving issues faced by applicants.

·         When appropriate, accompany partner lawyers to hearings, interviews, and other legal procedures to observe and assess the process, identifying where additional support may be required.

Policy compliance and safeguarding 

·         Ensure partner organizations understand and adhere to HAI’s and donor policies on prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse, fraud, and corruption. Monitor and report any concerns or suspicions related to policy violations.

Reporting and success stories 

·         Contribute to quarterly reporting to donors. Support partners in obtaining informed consent and documenting success stories in a way that prioritizes survivor safety and ethical considerations. Gather success stories when appropriate and safe to share.

Monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) 

·         Collaborate with the MEL team to evaluate the implementation of legal services and assess project progress against the work plan and deliverables. While the Project Manager leads overall project evaluation, the LAW 20 Legal Advisor will provide inputs and support in monitoring efforts related to partners and legal service delivery.

Supervisory Responsibility (If applicable):

The Legal Advisor does not have staff supervisory responsibilities, however as detailed above this position requires significant oversight of NGO partner organizations and their implementing legal staff. It also requires strong coordination with the Legal Advisor on the Yazidi [Female] Applicants’ Law.

Languages

English Proficiency Level Required: Advanced

Arabic Proficiency Level Required: Advanced

Qualifications and Education (required):

·         Law degree from a recognized Iraqi law school and ability to practice law in Iraq.

·         Minimum 5 years of legal practice experience handling cases involving human rights violations; at least 1 year of experience handling youth sentencing law (LAW 20) cases, including affirmative cases and appeals.

·         Extensive knowledge of federal Iraq civil and criminal procedural and evidentiary requirements in Law 20 cases.

·         Proven experience working with international and local NGOs, courts, and government entities.

·         Demonstrated understanding of protection principles, informed consent, survivor-centered approaches, and do-no-harm frameworks, with proven application in the delivery of legal services.

·         Experience delivering trainings and building capacity of partner-affiliated lawyers.

·         Strong organizational and time management skills with the ability to calmly and professionally manage multiple priorities.

·         Experience in handling sensitive cases involving marginalized or vulnerable communities.

·         Ability to reside in Mosul or Erbil and travel frequently throughout Ninewa Governorate.

Interpersonal skills

·         Strong communication skills with the ability to convey complex legal information clearly to diverse audiences, including applicants, legal professionals, and government actors.

·         Empathy and active listening skills, particularly when working with vulnerable populations.

·         Effective negotiation and conflict resolution abilities, fostering collaborative relationships with NGOs, courts, and government entities.

·         Ability to work both independently and as part of a team, showing adaptability in high-pressure and sensitive environments.

·         Emotional resilience and professionalism when handling difficult cases or managing multiple priorities under tight deadlines.

Technical skills:

·         Ability to develop and deliver legal trainings to build capacity in local and partner organizations.

·         Strong analytical skills to assess strategies for complex compensation’ cases.

·         Competence in drafting legal documents, reports, and briefs that adhere to both Iraqi and international legal standards.

·         Advanced knowledge of the Windows platform, including the use of Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel for reporting, documentation, and presentations.

Work conditions

Physical Demands:

The physical demands outlined here reflect the requirements necessary to perform the essential duties of this role, including frequent travel. Reasonable accommodations can be made for individuals with disabilities to perform these duties.

·         The role requires frequent verbal communication and active listening, particularly in meetings with NGO partners, compensation committee and court, and government offices.

·         While much of the work involves sitting at a desk for computer-based tasks, the role also requires frequent travel, which may include walking, standing, and carrying materials between different locations.

·         The employee may need to lift or move items weighing up to 20 pounds, though this will occur infrequently during travel and trainings.

Work Environment:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.

• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
• The employee may be required to travel frequently to insecure and limited-resource environments.

Sometimes the candidate may be required to work for extra hours to deliver emerging unprecedented priorities.

Heartland Alliance is committed to fair and equitable treatment in all aspects of employment and program operation. We make hiring and employment decisions, and deliver all programs, services, and functions, without regard to race, color, age, marital or parental status, religion, ancestry, national origin, physical or mental disability, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable laws and regulations.