legalAdvisers
About the Legal Advisers Program
Islands First is seeking experienced, intelligent, and hard-working individuals with a strong interest in international environmental policy-making to participate in our Legal Advisers Program. Legal Advisers will work in the UN Mission of a Small Island Developing State and be supervised by the Mission’s Ambassador and the team of international lawyers at Islands First. Legal Advisers will be based in New York, New York and are currently unpaid. Applicants should have their own sources of funding for travel to and from New York and for living expenses during the duration of their time in the Legal Advisers Program. Advisers will be expected to work a minimum of 20 hours per week for a term of at least three months. Preference will be given to those able to work full time and/or commit to a longer duration.
Primary Responsibilities
The primary responsibilities of the Legal Adviser may include:
- Conducting legal and policy analysis on issues related to of environmental governance, climate change, and oceans policy.
- Preparing for, attending, and reporting back on UN conferences and meetings.
- Representing their respective UN Mission at policy briefings, NGO meetings, and international negotiations.
- Reviewing and drafting legal memos, statements, policy papers, and resolutions.
- Participating in committee meetings.
- Reporting on Mission activities to country officials.
Qualifications
The ideal candidate will have the following background and experience:
- A law degree with relevant course work in the areas of environmental law, international law, or the UN system.
- Spoken and written fluency in English.
- Interest in the areas of environmental governance, climate change and oceans policy.
- Experience working for an international organization or government body.
- Intelligent, hard-working and well-organized.
- Independent and able to work well on solo projects.
- Good interpersonal skills and comfort interacting with influential policy makers in formal, diplomatic settings.
Application Process
To apply for a position in the Legal Advisers Program, interested individuals should submit in English their C.V. and a brief cover letter of no more than two pages explaining their interest in the program and how they meet the above qualifications. Applicants should be sure to indicate the following in their application:
- English speaking and writing ability
- Number of hours per week available
- Desired dates of participation in the Legal Adviser Program (3 month minimum)
Applicants best able to demonstrate their qualifications for the position will be contacted by Islands First to schedule an interview. In light of the large number of applications, only those candidates selected for interviews will be contacted. Applications should be sent to jobs@islandsfirst.org. This is a rolling selection process; applications should be submitted around three to six months before the preferred start date.
Successful Applicants will need their own laptop computer. The dress code at the United Nations is business formal.
German applicants: Please indicate in your email if you are applying for a scholarship with the DAAD program and require early notification.