Galawezh Saeed Legal Fellowship

Galawezh Saeed Legal Fellowship

“Start your career with SEED and become an advocate for human rights”

Join SEED’s Legal Team – Empower Survivors, Defend Rights, and Make a Difference!

Are you a law graduate who is passionate to advance your career in human rights? Apply for a fully paid, one-year legal fellowship today! Put your passion for human rights and legal knowledge into practice, gain new lawyering skills, and directly support clients with SEED’s experienced lawyers. Applicants will compete with other graduates across Kurdistan for one position.

The Galawezh Saeed Legal Fellowship Program is designed to enhance careers in human rights, assist fresh graduates to start their career as lawyers to provide quality legal services and learn new skills, techniques and survivor-centric approach, and to be strong advocates of the protection of rights for the most vulnerable.

SEED offers one highly-motivated fresh graduate of law a one-year fellowship in Kurdistan with an opportunity to gain practical experience with SEED on human rights law, and potentially long term employment for a successful fellow. This opportunity allows new graduates to bring their perspectives and theoretical legal knowledge into the daily practices and improve their experience through capacity-building opportunities and direct work on cases.

 

Roles and Responsibilities

The Legal Fellow is expected to perform her/his tasks and responsibilities according to the prescribed authorities in the ِAttorney Law, SEED policies and procedures, as well as SEED’s Framework of Accountability which includes a Code of Conduct among other policies. The Legal Fellow will perform as a junior lawyer and carries out a variety of tasks and assignments under the direct supervision of the Senior Lawyer including, but not limited to:

• Provide legal information, and counselling services in regard to gender-based violence, human trafficking, and other human rights violations.

• Assist the assigned lawyers in representation cases through interviewing clients and documentation, development of legal action plans, written and oral presentations and accompanying lawyers for court sessions/ hearings.

• Responsible for taking on clients for legal services under close supervision.

• Participate in regular supervision meetings for coaching and capacity building purposes.

• Conduct legal awareness sessions in coordination with the assigned lawyer and help individuals realize and claim their rights.

• Assist the assigned lawyer to advocate on behalf of individual clients with relevant stakeholders including the governmental offices to ensure that rights are upheld and protected.

• Ensure that internal and external referrals are well received, documented, and followed up upon in a timely manner.

• Prepare and proceed all paperwork for legal fees and transportation allowances in line with SEED policies.

• Identify case management and mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) needs of clients and refer them internally and externally. This requires close work with case managers-CMs and psychologists to ensure that clients’ needs are met.

• Adhere to all SEED policies including the policies for the legal services policies and SOPs and human resources, finance, security and procurement and logistic policies and procedures.

• At the request of the legal coordinator, attend SEED meetings and working groups, and ensure a good level of coordination with stakeholders and the communities.

• Maintain electronic and physical archiving of legal cases as per SEED SOPs.

• Provide regular monthly reports on legal activities, cases and challenges to the line manager.

• Identify legal and protection trends and properly document and report them to the legal coordinator.

• Any other relevant task as assigned by the line manager.

 

Job Type and Location

• The legal fellow shall be working full-time (37.5 hours per week Sunday to Thursday).

• The duration of the contract will be one year subject to the availability of funds and strong performance.

• Location: Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq (KRI)

 

Required Qualifications

The legal fellow will be selected through an annual competition process.

• A bachelor degree in law and graduate from classes of 2021 and beyond.

• Membership of Kurdistan Bar Association (Iraqi Bar Association if confirmed s/he is allowed to practice law in KRI).

• Participated in the Jessup Moot Court Competition.

• Language requirements: Kurdish and English (Fluent) and Arabic (Good).

• Basic computer skills.

• Good level of knowledge of the legal system and procedures in the Kurdistan Region.

 

Benefits

The legal fellow will be on a service contract with SEED for up to one year and shall receive a fixed stipend of $800 USD per month, annual leave and health insurance.

 

Application and Selection Process

SEED is an equal-opportunity employer. The Legal Fellow shall be selected through a competitive selection process.

Apply to the Galawezh Saeed Legal Fellowship by submitting your application through the application form. Applications close on August 20, 2026.