Legal Fellow, Marshall Weinberg, Asia

Job Title: Legal Fellow, Marshall Weinberg, Asia

Department: Programs - Asia

Center Background: The Center for Reproductive Rights (the Center) is a global human rights organization working to ensure that reproductive rights are protected in law as fundamental human rights around the world. With offices in New York City, New York; Nairobi, Kenya; Bogota, Colombia; Geneva, Switzerland; and Washington, D.C., the Center is a non-profit, non-partisan organization changing law and policy throughout Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the United States. Our 230+ diverse professionals are committed to advancing the Centers human rights mission through game-changing litigation, legal policy, and advocacy work. This has powered the Centers exceptional growth to an operating budget of over $50 million and won the respect of law firms in countries around the world, with an additional $29 million annually of donated legal services, representing the work of countless lawyers from more than 46 countries.

The Centers Strategic Plan sets a high mark for impact: By 2030, half of the worlds population will be living under stronger protections for reproductive rights than they are today. The Center has a track record of success to back up this ambitious goal. Since our founding in 1992, the Center has transformed how reproductive rights are understood and applied by courts, governments, and human rights bodies worldwide on issues including maternal health, abortion, assisted reproduction, and adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). We have won groundbreaking cases before national courts, U.N. Committees, and regional human rights bodies. Additionally, the Center has led the development of historic, proactive legislation advancing robust protections for reproductive rights and has built the legal capacity of womens rights advocates in more than 65 countries and counting.

The Role: The Center has received a generous gift from Marshall Weinberg to support our work to ensure that more women and girls worldwide have access to safe and legal abortion, quality maternal health care, a full range of reproductive health services, information, and reproductive autonomy.

The Marshall Weinberg Global Legal Fellowship Program will help prepare the next generation of social justice lawyers in reproductive health and rights with two-year fellowships within the Centers Program Division. These emerging advocates will work directly with our legal experts and will take on work in areas of the greatest need, opportunity, and impact within our Asia programs.

We are currently recruiting a Legal Fellow to undertake law and policy-related research and support advocacy initiatives on a range of reproductive rights issues in Asia, with a focus on South and Southeast Asia, including abortion, assisted reproduction and surrogacy, adolescents sexual and reproductive health and rights, maternal health, and SRHR in humanitarian settings, among others. Supporting the teams overall legal strategies work, the Fellow will report to the Senior Advocacy Adviser for Asia while working closely with other regional colleagues and partners.

This two-year, full-time fellowship will be based remotely in India, Nepal, or the Philippines. Applicants must be legally permitted to work in the country where they are based.

Primary Responsibilities:

The Legal Fellow, Marshall Weinberg, Asia primary responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Monitor, research, and track developments in laws and policies on reproductive rights issues across Asia, with a particular focus on the countries of programmatic operations, including but not limited to India, Nepal, and the Philippines;
• Conduct legal and policy research on international, regional, and national human rights law and standards regarding a range of reproductive rights issues based on the Asia programs priorities;
• Support the Senior Advocacy Adviser and the Asia Department to develop legal and advocacy positions, programs, and interventions on the thematic areas of reproductive rights issues as may be identified, including adolescents SRHR;
• Support the overall legal strategies work of the Asia Department;
• Contribute to the development of legal positions on a range of reproductive rights;
• Assist in developing, drafting, fact-checking, and finalizing fact sheets, reports, submissions, articles, presentations, and other legal advocacy documents positioning reproductive rights as fundamental human rights;
• Support the Departments legal capacity-building initiatives, designed to increase the use of the law to promote reproductive rights by local partners within the region and across the globe;
• Support the planning, logistics, and implementation of online and offline legal strategies, events, workshops, and meetings by the Asia Department and its partners;
• As appropriate, support the Asia Department in maintaining partnerships with NGOs/CSOs and other stakeholders, including law and policymakers, judiciary, academia, and donors. Specifically, support the creation and maintenance of a partnership database for the Asia Department;
• Work closely with the Senior Legal Adviser and the Regional Adviser to break down and disseminate reproductive rights updates for advocates and partners in the region, develop press releases, draft opinion articles on the legal strategies work of the Department;
• Assist with program administration of the Departments legal strategies work, including monthly programmatic updates, advocacy initiatives, monitoring and evaluation, tracking lobbying and press mentions;
• Other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• A Bachelors or Masters degree in law, human rights, or a related field.
• 2 to 3 years of relevant professional experience in sexual and reproductive health and rights, gender equality, human rights, peace and conflict studies, or related social justice field.
• Excellent English oral and written communication skills.
• Strong legal research and analytical skills, including the capacity to analyze complex legal issues and communicate them clearly and effectively.
• Knowledge of international human rights law, standards, and systems.
• Knowledge of national laws and policies on reproductive rights in Asia is an asset.
• Strong critical thinking skills and creative approach.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work collaboratively.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills, including self-motivation, handling multiple tasks simultaneously, working under pressure, and meeting tight deadlines.
• Capable of receiving and engaging with feedback.
• Strong commitment to the Centers mission, purpose, and values.
• Ability to work in a multicultural, diverse, and performance-driven environment.

Dont meet every single requirement? At the Center, we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so if you are excited about this role but your past experience does not align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

Behavioral Competencies:

• Develop & Manage Self & Others: Takes ownership of individual growth in order to achieve full potential; recognizes the value of team members and helps them develop their full potential while also achieving set objectives.
• Collaboration (People First): Works intra- and/or cross-departmentally to support the goals and overarching strategies of the Center and its strategic plan.
• Feedback (Improve & Innovate): Actively engaged in feedback cycles: Gives and requests feedback to and from peers, supervisors and direct reports about work products, behaviors, values, style, and approaches with a view on how this impacts self, other individuals, and teams.
• Accountability: Follow-through on each commitment made to individual contributors, teams and partners and proactively informs others of any delays that occur along the way.

Work Competencies:

• Project Management: Works effectively on project teams in order to achieve long-term project goal and objectives.
• Problem Solve & Make Decisions: Identifies, analyzes and resolves existing and anticipated problems, using common sense to make timely decisions in order to reach the best solutions for the organization.
• Internal/External Focus: Anticipates internal and external partners needs; assesses requirements and identifies new solutions that align with overall goals and objectives of the organization.
• Communication & Influence: Communicates with and influences others to gain agreement and commitment to the strategic goals of the organization.

Compensation: The Center offers a competitive salary commensurate with experience and a comprehensive benefits program.

Duration of Position: This is a two-year, full-time fellowship starting in mid-2024.

Benefits:

• Health: The Center pays up to 95%* of the premium for a comprehensive health insurance plan with no in-network deductible and best-in-class reproductive healthcare coverage, including infertility. The Center also offers Dental and Vision coverage. (* % may differ in various countries)
• Flexibility: The Center currently operates in a hybrid model, allowing staff to work 3 days in the office and work 2 days from home
• Well-being: The Center offers resources to help prevent and recover from burnout through different programs that enable mental, physical and community well-being. The Center offers generous leave including paid parental leave, personal days, vacation, and sick leave. We are also closed the last week of December to allow staff to spend time with their loved ones.
• Growth: You will be working with and learning from some of the top legal and operational minds, all passionate about the mission of advancing reproductive rights around the world. You will also be eligible for a stipend to use towards professional growth.
• Global: You will get a front-row seat to update on the fight for reproductive rights in the global space. You will also have access to Employee Resource Groups to connect to colleagues that share similar interests/backgrounds/views.
• Investment: After the first year of employment, the Center will contribute 7.5%* of your annual salary to a 401(k) (* only applicable in US and Kenya)

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

The Center is committed to inclusive hiring and dedicated to diversity in our work and staff. We strongly encourage people from all communities to apply. If you are excited about this role and unsure about whether your past experience aligns with the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be the right candidate for this or other roles.

Our hiring processes and our work culture offer support and flexibility for staff with a variety of needs. Should you face an accessibility barrier in the application and interview process please let us know by contacting talent@reprorights.org. We will work with you to provide the accommodation that works best for you.

To learn more about the Centers commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), please visit Diversity, Equity and Inclusion | Center for Reproductive Rights

Learn more about the Center for Reproductive Rights, go to www.reproductiverights.org

How to Apply: Please complete the application below to apply. A cover letter and resume must be included in your application. Please include these application materials as attachments.

Please note that all genuine Center openings must be applied through the Center website. The Center does not charge a fee at any stage in the recruitment process (application, interviews, or selection). Nor does it request any medical examinations or bank account information as part of this process. If someone contacts, you on behalf of the Center requesting payment for your application please notify talent@reprorights.org before taking any further action.

Our hiring processes and our work culture offer support and flexibility for staff with a variety of needs. Should you face an accessibility barrier in the application and interview process please let us know by contacting talent@reprorights.org. We will work with you to provide the accommodation that works best for you.

Deadline for applications: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

Center policy on visa sponsorship for US-based positions: Applicants for employment in the US must have valid work authorization that does not now and/or will not in the future require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the US by The Center for Reproductive Rights.

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