Vacancy Notice N° e1/2010
Assistant Lawyer – Czech Republic (Grade B3)
Registry of the European Court of Human Rights


Closing date: 15 February 2010
Location : Strasbourg

Job mission

Fixed-term Contract[1]

Notice is hereby given of the above vacancy which will be filled by competitive examination based on qualifications open to nationals of Council of Europe member states.

The Assistant Lawyers’ Scheme

The Assistant Lawyers’ Scheme opens the doors of the European Court of Human Rights to legal professionals at the start of their career, giving them an opportunity to gain experience working within this European institution. They will benefit from regular working contact with experienced case lawyers, senior managers and the judges themselves. While dealing with individual applications originating from their own legal system and assisting senior colleagues in handling more complex applications, assistant lawyers benefit from the Registry’s in-house training programme and deepen their knowledge of the functioning of the European Court of Human Rights and the Convention case-law.

The Scheme serves the twofold objective of bringing new talent to the Registry and contributing to greater awareness and understanding of the Convention in the legal profession throughout Europe as assistant lawyers advance in their careers elsewhere. Employment under the scheme is therefore of limited duration.

Job mission

The principal duties of an assistant lawyer consist of assisting more senior members of staff in the preparation of correspondence with applicants and draft decisions in standard form cases.

[1] The total length of employment under fixed-term contracts at the European Court of Human Rights will not exceed four years.

Key activities

Under the authority of the Registrar of the European Court of Human Rights and of a Head of a Division, the post-holder performs legal duties and is responsible for the following:
-          examining and dealing with applications in prima facie inadmissible cases and in cases which can be dealt with in a standard manner;
-          drafting decisions, minutes, reports, notes and other documents;
-          advising applicants, in correspondence or, if necessary, in interviews, on the conditions of admissibility of applications;
-          attending the Court’s sessions and presenting applications;
-          assisting one or more experienced case-lawyers, where necessary, in the preparation of Chamber cases for examination by the Court.

Eligibility Requirements

Employee Core Values

Competencies

§         Professional and technical competencies:
-          University degree in Czech law;
-          some professional experience acquired in the legal field (preferably in the judicial service) in the Czech Republic would be an advantage;
-          thorough knowledge of the Czech legal system and ability to handle cases arising in other jurisdictions;
-          knowledge of constitutional and of international law;
-          ICT skills: ability to use current ICT tools;
-          planning and work organisation.
§         Communication and linguistic skills:
-          very good knowledge of one of the two official languages of the Council of Europe (English or French) and ability to draft legal texts therein clearly and precisely; basic knowledge of the other official language;
-          excellent knowledge of Czech (mother tongue level).
§         Interpersonal skills: team work and co-operation.
§         Personal attitudes: initiative, sense of responsibility, concern for quality, efficiency and accuracy. 
§         Personal values: integrity, loyalty and conscience; discretion; independence and confidence; respect for diversity; commitment to the judicial independence of the Court.

Additional information

The Organisation
The Council of Europe is a political organisation founded in 1949 in order to promote greater unity between its members. It now numbers 47 member States.  The Organisation’s main aims are to promote democracy, human rights and the rule of law, and to develop common responses to political, social, cultural and legal challenges in its member States.  Since 1989 it has integrated most of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and supported them in their efforts to implement and consolidate their reforms. The Council of Europe has its permanent headquarters in Strasbourg (France).  By Statute, it has two constituent organs: the Committee of Ministers, composed of the member States’ Ministers for Foreign Affairs, and the Parliamentary Assembly, comprising delegations from the national parliaments.  The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe represents the entities of local and regional self-government within the member States.
The European Court of Human Rights is the judicial body competent to adjudicate complaints brought against a state by individuals, associations or other contracting states on grounds of violation of the European Convention on Human Rights.
Applications
Applications must be made in English or French using the Council of Europe on-line application system.  By connecting to our website http://www.coe-recruitment.com you can create and submit your on-line application.  Applications must be submitted by 15 February 2010 (midnight Central European Time) at the latest.
Additional Information
The recruitment procedure consists of three stages: preliminary selection, if necessary job-related tests, and an interview.
Depending on the number of applicants, the length of the required professional experience may be increased.
Successful candidates will be appointed on an initial one-year contract. The total length of employment under fixed-term contracts at the European Court of Human Rights will not exceed four years. Appointments will be made at grade B3. The first year of employment will constitute a probationary period. Staff members so recruited shall not be eligible for any subsequent internal competition, promotion or transfer to a post, nor for secondment. The compulsory retirement age is 65.
Following this competition, a list of eligible candidates, in order of merit, for posts or positions, with identical duties and qualification requirements, within the Assistant Lawyers’ Scheme (including assistance in the fields of research and case-law information) may be drawn up. It will be notified to the applicants concerned. This list will be valid for two years with the possibility of extending it to a maximum of four years. During the period of validity of the list, candidates on the list may be offered employment of fixed-term duration, should a permanent post or a fixed-term position identical become vacant. It should be noted that placement on this list does not give candidates the right to an appointment within the Council of Europe. Moreover, the choice of candidates from the list is not made solely according to the order of merit.
Details on conditions of employment including salaries, allowances, pension scheme and social insurance can be consulted on our recruitment website.
Under its equal opportunities policy, the Council of Europe is aiming to achieve parity in the number of women and men employed in each category and grade. In the event of equal merit, preference will therefore be given to the applicant belonging to the under-represented sex (male candidates in the present case).
The Council of Europe welcomes applications from all suitably qualified candidates, irrespective of gender, disability, marital or parental status, racial, ethnic or social origin, colour, religion, belief or sexual orientation.
During the different stages of the recruitment procedure, specific measures may be taken to ensure equal opportunities for candidates with disabilities.