The Open Society Justice Initiative, a program of the Open Society Foundations, is pleased to invite applications for its 2020-2021 Aryeh Neier Fellowship Program.

Moreover, the Open Society Foundations works to build vibrant and tolerant democracies whose governments are accountable to their citizens. The Justice Initiative, an operational program of Open Society, uses litigation and other forms of legal advocacy to empower people, defend the rule of law, ad well as advance human rights.

About Fellowship

The Aryeh Neier Justice Initiative Fellowship is a full-time, two-year program that offers lawyers and other advocates the opportunity to gain practical experience in international human rights advocacy across a broad range of thematic areas and geographies, embedding them as an integral part of the global Justice Initiative team.

Furthermore, fellows work across the Justice Initiative’s core thematic areas including Accountability, Liberty and Transparency, Criminal Justice, Equality & Inclusion, and Rule of Law as well as cross-cutting initiatives as carried out by their Advocacy and Legal Empowerment teams.

In addition, fellows can expect to conduct research on a broad range of justice-related issues; draft reports, legal briefs, advocacy memos, blogs and other written products; monitor developments at trials and other legal proceedings, and engage legal, jurisprudential, legislative and governance developments worldwide; liaise with civil society and other justice advocates to promote Justice Initiative objectives; and help to develop and executive evidence-based advocacy strategies.

Benefits

The Justice Initiative provides a competitive financial award and benefits package for the duration of the fellowship.

Eligibility

Selected Fellows will demonstrate a strong commitment to human rights and the rule of law in general, and a particular interest in their four core thematic areas. Moreover, additional requirements include:

• A university degree in Law or an LL.M or M.A. in Human Rights; graduate degrees in related fields (e.g. economics, politics and statistics) may be considered sufficient in exceptional circumstances, provided the applicant can demonstrate substantial human rights advocacy experience and a demonstrated capacity to work on legal issues.
• Also, A maximum of five years practical experience in the human rights field.
• A demonstrated record of accomplishment in legal analysis, legal research and writing, litigation, and/or relevant advocacy.
• Also, A high degree of English proficiency (speaking, writing and reading).