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Associate Research Scholar, Columbia Law School

Employer
Columbia Creative, Columbia University - Columbia University
Location
New York City, New York
Salary
Not specified
Date posted
Aug 4, 2022

View more

Position Type
Faculty Positions, Professional Fields, Law & Legal Studies
Employment Level
Non-Tenured Track
Employment Type
Full Time

Associate Research Scholar

The Columbia Law School Human Rights Institute and Clinic (“HRI” and “the Clinic”) are seeking a full-time Associate Research Scholar to direct the TrialWatch Project, Columbia Law School’s collaboration with the Clooney Foundation for Justice. The duration of the appointment is for a period of two years, which may be renewable for a third year based on performance and funding.

HRI and the Clinic work in partnership with civil society to advance human rights around the world and train the next generation of strategic advocates. The Clooney Foundation for Justice (CFJ) advocates for justice through accountability for human rights abuses around the world.

TrialWatch’s mission is to expose injustice, help free those unjustly detained, and promote the rule of law. TrialWatch monitors criminal trials globally against those who are most vulnerable—including journalists, protesters, women, LGBTQ+ persons, and minorities—and advocates for the rights of the unfairly convicted. Over time, TrialWatch will use the data it gathers to publish a Global Justice Ranking exposing countries’ performance and use it to support advocacy for systemic change.

The candidate would be taking up the role at an exciting time. TrialWatch is now active in over 35 countries, bringing the eyes and ears of the world to courtrooms where a defendant’s life is on the line, and providing free legal representation to those who are unjustly detained before domestic courts, regional bodies, and the UN. The position would also collaborate on trials involving women and girls as part of CFJ’s newest initiative, Waging Justice for Women. This exciting new program has been set up with support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and aims to fight injustice against women through strategic litigation to reform discriminatory laws, initially focusing on Africa.

HRI and the Clinic have been an integral part of such work to date, monitoring proceedings in numerous jurisdictions, driving key thematic research, and fostering collaborations with other universities around the world. Exercising significant independent judgment, the Associate Research Scholar would be expected to help conceptualize and lead the further development—and expansion—of the Project, in coordination with, and with the approval of, CFJ’s TrialWatch team. In particular, the incumbent will expand and lead a first-of-its-kind network of law clinic collaborations around the world focused on human rights, with Columbia Law School as its hub.

The candidate would:

  • Manage a clinical project within the Clinic as part of TrialWatch, working with students to monitor, report on, and engage with trials across TrialWatch’s priority areas (cases against journalists and women and girls)
  • Work with student teams from clinics around the world and grow the TrialWatch university network, with the goal of robust clinical collaborations in every region of the world, with Columbia Law School as a hub
  • Serve as a core thought-partner and liaison between HRI and the Clooney Foundation for Justice, focused on work that advances the rights of journalists and women and girls, leading data-driven research on thematic topics, and helping to develop impactful strategies to challenge unfair laws in key jurisdictions
  • Organize conferences and workshops, including working with Columbia’s Global Centers, to publicize the work, build the trial monitoring community worldwide, and consult affected communities regarding leveraging the evidence from trial monitoring most effectively
  • Contribute to scholarly research and writing

 

Some international travel may be required.

 

Qualifications

Applicants must have a law degree from any country and at least five years of relevant experience.

Applicants must be admitted (or eligible to be admitted) to the bar of any state in the United States or country in which they received their legal training.

There is a strong preference for candidates with a background in advocacy, including, in particular, experience in litigation at the domestic, regional, or international level. Preference may also be given to candidates who demonstrate the following:

  • Background in international fair trial standards and/or criminal procedure or strategic litigation
  • A deep commitment to mentoring new generations of advocates and a passion for education and professional development of law students
  • Interest and/or background in mixed methods research (i.e., qualitative and quantitative methods)
  • Demonstrated commitment to strategic, creative, and self-reflective human rights work
  • Prior experience engaging with the UN and regional human rights systems
  • Project development and management experience, ability to work in teams, time management skills, flexibility, and strong organizational and interpersonal skills
  • Experience engaging with the general public and the media, writing press releases, conducting interviews, drafting reports and blog posts, and designing convenings
  • Strong interest and ability in challenging existing norms and methods in the human rights field, and an interest in pursuing new interdisciplinary and critical research and scholarship
  • A strong education in and awareness of critiques of human rights, and a commitment to integrating those critiques into human rights practice
  • Strong interest and commitment to fostering an inclusive, welcoming, and supportive environment within the Clinic, as well as to empowering others to bring their full identities, backgrounds, and perspectives to seminars and projects

 

To apply for this position:

For more information about this position and in order to apply, please visit:

http://apply.interfolio.com/110625

 

Columbia University is an equal opportunity employer / disability / veteran.

 

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