Legal Assistant

Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is located in the Codification Division, Office of Legal Affairs. The incumbent will report to the Principal Legal Officer.

Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of a Principal Legal Officer of the Codification Division, the Team Assistant is responsible for the following duties: Provide a combination of legal, meeting servicing, desktop publishing, electronic dissemination through websites, general office and other administrative support within the Division. Depending on assignment, the Team Assistant may: • Research and compile legal materials for use in the preparation of studies and reports. • Handle, or refer to the appropriate officer as appropriate, a variety of verbal and written inquiries from internal and external parties, including providing information on processes and procedures related to specific legal activities, meetings, publications, documents, websites, etc. • Under supervision, edit and conduct final check for accuracy of a variety of specialized legal documentation, reports, publications and related correspondence. • Assist in the preparation of legal documents for electronic storage, access, circulation/publication and archiving (electronic and hard copy), including document scanning and conversion. • Coordinate administrative services (e.g. translation of legal publications,) including preparing and monitoring requests, liaising with relevant units, and maintaining related statistics for reporting purposes as required. • Produce camera-ready documents for reproduction by formatting documents in desktop publishing layout, this includes photocopying, scanning and OCR. Incorporate changes as marked by author, ensuring that the final version of the document conforms to the original manuscript, in accordance with existing editorial guidelines. • Perform proof-reading functions ensuring that the text conforms to the original legal documents (e.g. judicial decisions, arbitral awards or treaties) and the changes have been incorporated as marked in the draft copy. • Assist with the servicing of various committees and other meetings including assisting in the preparation of pre-, in- and post-session documents, preparation of draft of Journal and summaries, notes for the Chairman, setting up log for documents and assigning document symbols relevant to the particular meeting, coordination with Meeting Services and Documents Control, preparation of the programme of work, list of delegations and list of documents. • Perform a variety of administrative duties (e.g. leave recording, request for office supplies and equipment, schedule meetings and maintain calendar, etc.). • Perform other duties as assigned.

Competencies

• Professionalism: Knowledge of the UN system, procedures, etc. and familiarity with substantive matters within the purview of the work unit; knowledge of relevant internal policies, processes and procedures generally and in particular those related to legal and associated activities and processes; familiarity with standard research sources and ability to research and compile relevant legal materials/information; tact and discretion in dealing with confidential matters and materials; demonstrated ability to apply good judgment in the context of assignments given; good communication (spoken and written) skills, including drafting and editing skills. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work. • Teamwork: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others' ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings. • Technological Awareness: Keeps abreast of available technology; understands applicability and limitations of technology to the work of the office; actively seeks to apply technology to appropriate tasks; shows willingness to learn new technology.

Education

High school diploma or equivalent is required.

Job - Specific Qualification

Paralegal certification is desirable.

Work Experience

A minimum of 3 years experience in paralegal work, legal research, general office support or meeting servicing or related area is required. The minimum years of relevant experience is reduced to one year for candidates who possess a first-level university degree or higher. Experience in electronic research of documents and legal materials is required. Experience working with enterprise resource planning (ERP) Systems such as SAP (Umoja) or equivalent is desirable. Experience using Microsoft applications, such as MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint and SharePoint is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this position, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of French is desirable. Knowledge of another official UN language is an advantage.

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.

Special Notice

This position is subject to local recruitment pursuant to staff rule 4.4 of the United Nations Staff Rules. Applicants for positions in the General Service and related categories must be authorized to work for the United Nations in the duty station where the position is located. Eligible applicants selected from outside the duty station are responsible for any expenses in connection with their relocation to the duty station. Staff members subject to local recruitment are not eligible for allowances or benefits exclusively applicable to international recruitment. At the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the recruitment and employment of staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity, with due regard to geographic diversity. All employment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications and organizational needs. The United Nations is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The United Nations recruits and employs staff regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds or disabilities.

United Nations Considerations

According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment. Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. By accepting a letter of appointment, staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). Further, staff members in the Professional and higher category up to and including the D-2 level and the Field Service category are normally required to move periodically to discharge functions in different duty stations under conditions established in ST/AI/2023/3 on Mobility, as may be amended or revised. This condition of service applies to all position specific job openings and does not apply to temporary positions. Applicants are urged to carefully follow all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira, and to refer to the Applicant Guide by clicking on “Manuals” in the “Help” tile of the inspira account-holder homepage. The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application. Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.