2015 The Legal Associates Programme at African Union

CALL FOR APPLICATION THE LEGAL ASSOCIATES PROGRAMME

Background/General Description

• The African Union Commission (AUC) invites applications for the maiden edition of its Legal Associates Programme (LAP). The programme is a highly competitive capacity development initiative of the Office of the Legal Counsel. The Legal Associates will be part of the Office of the Legal Counsel of the AUC for one (1) year from July 2015 in this maiden edition.
• The essence of the LAP is to provide and inculcate professional legal expertise in young African lawyers in the area of African integration law as represented by the ideals and programmes and activities of the AUC, other Organs, Specialised Agencies and Institutions of the African Union. The overarching aim of the LAP is to emphasize the role of law in development and to raise the next crop of African legal armies that are equipped to understand common African legal positions and provide professional service in that regard to both the AUC, the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and the various Member States.
• The Legal Associates will be expected to offer professional legal advice, undertake legal research, comparative legal analysis, drafting of legal documents and legal support to ongoing projects and programs within the AUC, other Organs, Specialised Agencies and Institutions of the African Union in the various areas of law that are implicated in the work of the Union.
• The Legal Associates will comprise of exceptional Ten (10) young women and men in equal gender representation. Two (2) Legal Associates will be selected from each of the five(5) regions of the African Union.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants wishing to apply for the Legal Associates Program MUST meet the following requirements

• Have a Master's Degree in Law: Applicants must have already obtained a Master's Degree in Law from a recognised University anywhere in the world.
• Have a minimum of one year relevant legal experience. iii. Be nationals of a member state of the African Union.
• Be between the ages of 25 and 30.
• Be fluent in at least one (1) of the African Union working languages.
• Passion to learn about and think African integration in within the vision and mission of the African Union
• A strong value and preference will be placed on professional admission/enrolment to practice law in any Member State of the African Union.

Competencies

Applicants wishing to apply for the Legal Associates Programe must satisfactorily demonstrate a strong passion for Africa's development. In addition, each Applicant must have the following competencies

• Knowledge of the African Union's legal framework, policies and procedure and must be able to correctly and consistently apply them.
• Exhibit sufficient professional independence and maturity. Applicants must be able to perform their duties as Associate Legal Officers in an objective manner, with the discretion and sensitivity required for operating in a multi-cultural setting.
• Demonstrate strong legal knowledge with an ability to carry out extensive research and draft legal documents with limited supervision.
• Ability to critically analyze legal problems or situations and provide concrete solutions with limited supervision.
• Ability to work in teams and contribute productively to the overall work or output of the Office of the Legal Counsel.
• Possess strong communication skills and the ability to present information in a clear and concise manner.
• Stipend & other expenses

The Legal Associates will receive a reasonable stipend that will account for living expenses, housing and health insurance in Addis Ababa.

The Legal Associates will also receive a return economy flight ticket.

How to apply

Applications must be made through the AUC E-recruitment Website http://www.aucareers.org .

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

Deadline for receipt of applications

The deadline for submission of applications is 24 May 2015.

Applications received after midnight (AUC Headquarters' time) on the deadline dates SHALL NOT be considered.

Interviews/Notification of decision 12 Interviews for selection will be both written and oral.

Oral interviews will be conducted by Skype, teleconference or videoconference and only successful candidates will be notified.