Legal Counselor

Job Summary Conduct community mapping, legal needs assessments, and vulnerability assessments using participatory approaches to identify legal protection concerns and barriers to accessing justice. Organize and actively participate in community meetings, outreach activities, and awareness campaigns in accordance with project work plans and supervisor guidance. Plan and facilitate legal awareness sessions on civil documentation, legal identity, family law, Housing, Land and Property (HLP) rights, inheritance, women's rights, child protection, and other relevant legal topics. Provide accurate legal counseling and legal information to beneficiaries on civil, family, administrative, and protection-related legal matters. Assess beneficiaries' legal needs and determine eligibility for legal assistance, ensuring services are delivered in a professional, confidential, impartial, and rights-based manner. Prepare, manage, and maintain legal case files, ensuring timely documentation, follow-up, and closure in accordance with case management standards and organizational procedures. Facilitate referrals to courts, government institutions, legal service providers, and specialized protection actors through established referral pathways. Assist beneficiaries in obtaining civil and legal documentation, including Tazkira, Birth Certificates, Marriage Certificates, Death Certificates, Passports, and Housing, Land, and Property (HLP) documentation where applicable. Coordinate closely with government authorities, justice institutions, humanitarian partners, community leaders, and other stakeholders to facilitate beneficiaries' access to legal services. Maintain accurate case records, databases, and legal documentation while ensuring confidentiality and compliance with data protection standards. Prepare regular activity reports, case summaries, legal updates, and other documentation as required by the Legal Officer and project management. Document success stories, lessons learned, challenges, and best practices to support project learning and donor reporting. Represent the project in coordination meetings, legal working groups, and external forums as delegated by the Legal Officer or Project Manager. Contribute to project monitoring, accountability mechanisms, and continuous improvement of legal assistance services. Perform any other duties assigned by the Legal Officer or Project Manager in support of project objectives. Job Requirements Education: Bachelor's Degree in Law, Sharia, or a closely related field from a recognized university. A valid license to practice law issued by the Afghanistan Bar Association (AIBA) or the relevant legal authority is an added advantage. Professional Experience: Minimum of 3 years of progressively responsible experience in legal aid, legal counseling, legal awareness, case management, or protection programming, preferably within humanitarian or development settings. Technical Knowledge: Sound knowledge of Afghan civil, family, and administrative law, civil documentation procedures, legal aid mechanisms, Housing, Land and Property (HLP) rights, and access to justice services. Relevant Experience: Previous experience working with refugees, returnees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), asylum seekers, or other vulnerable and marginalized communities is highly desirable. Experience with UN agencies, international NGOs, or humanitarian organizations is considered a strong asset. Professional Competencies: Demonstrated ability to provide legal counseling, conduct legal assessments, manage legal cases, prepare legal documentation, facilitate referrals, and deliver community legal awareness sessions while adhering to humanitarian principles and ethical standards. Core Skills: Excellent legal research, analytical thinking, problem-solving, negotiation, mediation, communication, facilitation, report writing, community mobilization, and case management skills. Ability to work effectively under pressure, prioritize multiple tasks, and meet deadlines. Interpersonal Skills: Strong coordination, teamwork, stakeholder engagement, conflict resolution, and community facilitation skills, with a high level of professionalism, integrity, confidentiality, cultural sensitivity, and accountability. Computer Skills: Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook). Experience with legal case management systems or humanitarian information management platforms is an asset. Languages: Fluency in Dari and Pashto (both written and spoken) is required. Good working knowledge of English is highly desirable and considered a strong asset.