1.Main Job Purpose
The Paralegal plays a key role in strengthening community-based human rights interventions by providing legal and strategic support to Human Rights Ambassadors/Reactors. The Paralegal is responsible for reviewing and assessing human rights violation cases documented by Ambassadors/Reactors, providing basic legal guidance on appropriate next steps, and ensuring accurate referrals or escalations to NACOSA Legal Officers where further legal review is required.
In addition to case management oversight, the Paralegal actively engages key district stakeholders to strengthen referral networks and advocacy linkages, facilitates sensitisation and human rights training sessions (including where Ambassadors/Reactors are not available to do so), and represents the sub-recipient in relevant district-level forums. The Paralegal oversees and mentors Ambassadors/Reactors in the field, reviews their case documentation and follow-up processes, and drafts referral or recommendation letters to external stakeholders as needed to ensure access to justice and redress.
2. Key Performance Areas
| Network and advocate for the human rights of Adolescent and Young People |
- Develop quarterly advocacy plans for the district and implement it.
- Apply harm reduction principles in all advocacy work.
- Advocate for the rights and needs of adolescent girls and young women and young, key and vulnerable populations.
- Working with the programme team, play a key role in the networking and engagement with communities, district stakeholders such as clinics, Dept Home Affairs, SAPS and DSD.
- Participate in regular meetings with programme team to discuss progress and address challenges to continuously improve engagement, advocacy and ensure seamless implementation.
- Identify gaps of services for AGYW and strategize with the programme team to ensure that they are addressed and the strategies are included in the advocacy plan.
- Working with the programme team, ensure the implementation of the operational plan.
- Engage with and build the capacity of the key population network in the district.
- Build and maintain relationships with local legal aid organisations, SAPS units, social workers, and service providers to strengthen referral networks.
- Represent the programme with integrity at meetings and engagements, and respond to all programme requests from external parties.
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| Sensitisation trainings |
- Along with programme team, identify stakeholders in subdistrict and district to engage in sensitisation workshops.
- Conduct sensitisation workshops to stakeholders per quarter.
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| Legal Information, Advice, and Referral |
- Support and monitor the collection of human rights violations.
- Assist community members to draft and complete affidavits, statements, and complaints (to SAPS, Legal Aid, the Human Rights Commission, etc.).
- Provide advice on possible remedies or next steps (such as referrals to legal aid, mediation, or administrative complaint mechanisms) within the paralegal’s scope of competence.
- Facilitate referrals to appropriate services including Legal Aid South Africa, the Human Rights Commission, Department of Justice, shelters, and psychosocial or health support services.
- Ensure follow up alongside Human Rights Ambassadors/Reactors with clients and service providers to ensure cases are addressed or resolved.
- Identify complex or uncertain cases and refer them to NACOSA Legal Officers for further legal review or intervention.
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| Gender based violence response |
- Where necessary provide WHO LIVES trauma containment counselling
- Ensure that survivors of Gender based violence receive immediate care via the paralegal or an available social worker to refer for immediate medical support for physical injuries and Thuthuzela Care Centres (TCC) within 72 hours of a sexual assault.
- Follow up on receipt of immediate care
- Provide support in developing plans of safety and placement of places of safety where available.
- Support survivor in opening a case at SAPS
- Provide court support where necessary
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| Human rights Ambassador/Reactor support and supervision |
- Responsible for ensuring quality control of all case documentation by Human Rights Ambassadors/Reactors.
- Train Human Rights Ambassadors/Reactors on the human rights violations standard operating procedure (SOP) and data tools.
- Assess all cases submitted by Human Rights Ambassadors/Reactors for accuracy, completeness, and appropriate categorisation (e.g., violation type, severity, jurisdiction).
- Offer technical support to Ambassadors/Reactors on documenting, following up, and closing cases appropriately.
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3. Qualifications and Experience
- Certificate or Diploma in Paralegal Studies, Human Rights, or related legal/social justice field
- Accredited community paralegal training or recognised short courses in human rights, legal rights awareness, or access to justice (strongly preferred).
- Minimum 2 years’ experience in lobbying/advocacy/human rights or programming in the public health or HIV field
- Experience in conducting trainings and workshops.
