The Lisbon Project is a non-profit organization that exists to protect and integrate the lives of migrants and refugees in the city of Lisbon. Legal Clinic Lawyers are experts in a particular field and are available and willing to share their knowledge with the Lisbon Project. They do not represent an organisation or firm, rather they work individually on a pro-bono basis. They support the Lisbon Project team through mentorship or management of a specific project, in this case, the legal clinics.
The work will consist of doing 1:1 legal consultation with our community members regarding any legal matter, providing guidance and support navigating it as well as highlighting the next steps. The role involves studying the clinic cases and doing follow-ups whenever appropriate. We experience a high demand for access to legal representation and we are looking to explore the possibility of doing legal representation of certain case profiles on an ad-hoc basis.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Provide legal support in 1:1 legal clinic at the Lisbon Project Office with our community members
Communicate directly with the Legal Aid Program Manager and Legal Assistant regarding clinic scheduling, case monitoring and necessary next steps
Ability to provide legal representation on an ad-hoc basis upon discussion with the team
Making sure that sufficient case notes a being logged in relevant spreadsheets for case monitoring purposes
Requirements
Must be registered with the Ordem dos Advogados/Portuguese Bar Association to provide legal consultation to our community members
Have a strong knowledge of Portuguese law and the Portuguese legal system. Knowledge of international law is desirable.
Desirable knowledge of immigration law, criminal law, labour law or family law
Linguistic skills are desirable, Fluency of Portuguese and desirable in English (fluency in another language is a bonus)
Willingness to use your own phone and if possible, your own laptop too
6 months minimum commitment
Benefits
Networking opportunities – getting connected to philanthropists, top-level executives and people of all backgrounds
Contribution to social impact – self-fullfilment and personal growth in pursuing a valuable cause
Knowledge growth – learning about immigration related processes, contexts and realities as well as other NGO related topics in Portugal
Multi-tasking – having the flexibility to work with different departments and teams, growing in the knowledge and experience of each as well as developing diverse skills to meet the needs presented
Free tea and coffee (like all day long)!
Participation in a diverse and unique environment
Time Commitment: Be able to host a legal clinic every fortnight at the Lisbon Projects office. Preferably the clinics are held in the evenings, but we are flexible with the timeslots. Besides doing 1:1 legal consultations, time will have to be allocated for preparatory and following-up work prior and after the clinics.
Volunteer reports to: Legal Aid Program Manager
We can’t do it without you! Thank you for being a part of our team.