Human Dignity Trust (Hybrid, London) – Paralegal
Human Dignity Trust are looking for an effective and dynamic paralegal who will use their knowledge, experience and passion within an influential international human rights organisation to bring change to the lives of LGBT people globally through strategic litigation and legislative reform.
You will be an organised, driven and efficient paralegal with education or experience in human rights and a common law legal system, as well as a problem solver and a legal researcher with a keen eye for detail.
Job title: Paralegal
Type: Permanent full-time (part-time or job-share applications will be considered)
Salary: In the region of £35,000 FTE p/a
Location: Currently hybrid – remote working with 1-2 days per week in our central London office
Reports to: Head of Legal
Application deadline: 08:00 GMT on 24 April 2023
Interviews: 27 April 2023
Ideal start date: 1 June, or as soon as possible after
Organisation Overview
The Human Dignity Trust (the Trust) is a legal charity based in London, UK that supports local lawyers and human rights defenders to uphold human rights and constitutional law in countries where private, consensual sexual conduct between adults of the same sex is criminalised. At present, 67 jurisdictions worldwide maintain these criminal laws, a figure that is gradually decreasing due to a combination of litigation and legislative reform. Legal provisions that criminalise lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people put them beyond the protection of the law, fostering a climate of fear, stigma and violence. These provisions violate constitutional and international human rights law, including a person’s right to dignity, equality, non-discrimination and privacy. HDT provides pro bono technical legal assistance at the request of, and in collaboration with, local human rights defenders, their lawyers and other partners who wish to use the courts to challenge these discriminatory laws. We also provide technical legal assistance on request to governments seeking to proactively reform their sexual offence laws and to enact protective legislation, impacting not only LGBT people but also women, children and persons with disabilities. Since our inception in 2011, we have supported strategic litigation or law reform with local partners in over 25 countries in all regions of the world. The vast majority of our work is in common law jurisdictions, though we work globally including within other legal traditions. We have secured multiple court victories in domestic, regional and international courts and tribunals on issues ranging from decriminalisation to freedom of association, and have drafted human rights compliant Bills for several governments on sexual offences, hate crimes and equal opportunities. Our work has won prestigious awards and is highly respected globally.
This work is highly sensitive and is often conducted entirely in confidence and not made public, in order to protect the best interests of our local partners and the wider LGBT community in countries where we work. We understand the sensitivities and complexities of litigation and legislative reform as a tool for change and work holistically across legal, media, communications and security strategies, with our local partners always in the driver’s seat.
The role
This is an exciting opportunity for an outstanding and passionate individual, who will support the Legal Team to deliver the Trust’s litigation and legislative reform programmes.
You will have experience of working in a legal role in a common law jurisdiction, with a
demonstrated talent for legal research and analysis, and education or experience in human rights. You will be self-motivated and organised, with the ability to solve problems and maintain momentum in your work. You will have the confidence and skills to support the rest of the Legal Team to bring rigour and excellence to HDT’s complex technical legal assistance to activists, lawyers and governments. You will work well under supervision, communicating clearly and collaborating effectively with the rest of the team. You will bring the same level of enthusiasm and excellence to your administrative and logistical tasks as you will to your legal research and partner engagement. There may also be the opportunity to travel to work with LGBT activists,
lawyers, government representatives and other stakeholders around the world including to attend court hearings and plan and deliver workshops to key stakeholders.
Regrettably, as a consequence of the nature of HDT’s work, anyone in this role will be exposed to distressing critiques of LGBT people and the successful candidate will have to tolerate this with resilience, tact and professionalism.
Full details of the post can be found on our website here: https://hdt.bamboohr.com/jobs/.
To apply
Closing date for applications: 08:00 GMT on 24 April 2023
Interviews to be held: 27 April 2023
To apply, please visit our current openings page and upload a CV of no more than two pages along with a covering letter of no more than two pages, using the person specification as a guide, explaining why you are an ideal candidate for this role.
If you meet the essential criteria, have a disability and would prefer to apply in a different format or would like us to make reasonable adjustments to enable you to apply, attend any interview and complete any tests, please let us know by email to administrator@humandignitytrust.org.
Please note that due to the volume of applications we receive we are only able to contact those candidates who are shortlisted for an interview.
The successful applicant will be asked to provide a basic DBS security check.
This role is based in London and the successful candidate will therefore need to have, or obtain, the right to work in the UK. Sponsorship may be available, provided the candidate meets the relevant minimum requirements.
Equal Opportunities
The Human Dignity Trust is an equal opportunity employer and we are committed to diversity and inclusion. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons. Our aim is to create a safe and secure working environment where a commitment to diversity, opportunity, quality and excellence is part of our guiding values.
Our employees and any job applicants will receive equal treatment regardless of age, disability (including HIV status), gender identity and expression, intersex status, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.