Legal Officer

Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is located in the Nairobi office of the Appeals and Accountability Section of the Administrative Law Division (ALD), Office of Human Resources in the Department of Management Strategy, Policy and Compliance. The Legal Officer reports to the Chief of Section. The Division is in charge of the implementation of the United Nations (UN) standards of conduct for all categories of personnel across the UN Secretariat. ALD provides strategic and legal advice on internal justice matters and represent the Secretary-General before the United Nations Dispute Tribunal. ALD handles disciplinary matters relating to Secretariat staff members, oversees and coordinates efforts and actions to prevent and respond to unsatisfactory conduct, and works to empower and support UN Secretariat managers in the exercise of their responsibilities to address conduct and discipline matters.

Responsibilities

Under the overall supervision of the Chief of Section, the Legal Officer represents the Secretary-General in written and oral proceedings before the United Nations Dispute Tribunal (UNDT) and may be responsible for the following duties:

• Handles a range of issues related to international, public, private and administrative law, including the interpretation and application of constitutive, legislative and other instruments governing United Nations activities and operations.
• Conducts extensive legal research and analysis and prepare studies, comparative studies, briefs, reports and correspondence.
• Undertakes basic or extensive review of legal documents, instruments, or other material; identifies important issues, similarities, and inconsistencies, etc.
• Prepares or assists in the preparation of drafts of background papers, studies, reports, legislative texts and commentaries on those texts.
• Prepares or assists in the preparation of legal opinions/advice on a wide range of international public or private law issues, including the United Nations Charter, General Assembly resolutions and decisions involving constitutional and administrative law of the Organization.
• Prepares or assists in the preparation of agreements and the negotiation and settlement of claims and disputes in the context of the administration of justice matters.
• Assesses evidence for relevance and admissibility.
• Prepares and assesses briefs of evidence.
• Provides legal advice on human resources matters; reviews administrative matters.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Competencies

Professionalism: Knowledge of law (preferably administrative and employment or labour law), coupled with the ability to apply legal principles, concepts and policies in the context of litigation of a range of legal issues; Knowledge of the jurisprudence of the UN Dispute Tribunal, the UN Appeals Tribunal, the UN Administrative Tribunal and/or a comparable ...