Responsibilities
ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT The Senior Legal Protection Officer leads UNRWA's legal aid services in Lebanon, providing strategic direction, programme oversight, and technical guidance to Legal Aid Focal Points who deliver frontline legal awareness, counselling, and referrals for Palestine Refugees in Lebanon (PRL) and Palestine Refugees from Syria (PRS) in Lebanon. The Officer ensures that legal aid services are responsive to protection risks, consistent with applicable laws and procedures, and aligned with UNRWA's strategy in Lebanon. The Officer sets service standards and standard operating procedures for legal aid, ensures compliance with protection principles including confidentiality, informed consent, accountability to affected populations (AAP),and data protection, and embeds quality assurance across all delivery channels. The Senior Legal Protection Officer also provides authoritative advice to senior management on legal trends, risks, and opportunities. The postholder develops and maintains relations with relevant Lebanese authorities and justice sector actors on key legal topics. The incumbent leads engagement with these stakeholders where relevant and advances the interest of Palestine refugees in this engagement. The incumbent ensures that UNRWA's legal aid programme remains aligned with evolving Lebanese laws, administrative practices, and refugee policies affecting PRL and PRS in Lebanon. The Officer works closely with protection monitoring and advocacy functions to ensure consistency and coherence across all protection activities. The incumbent inform decision-making and strategic planning, drawing on data collected within the protection team (including legal aid functions), within UNRWA, and from external sources. II. KEY RESULTS EXPECTED 1. Legal aid services are delivered safely, efficiently, and in line with UNRWA guidelines, addressing priority legal barriers affecting PRL and PRS in Lebanon. 2. Legal representation cases are professionally reviewed and referred to the contracted law firm in a timely and needs-based manner, with documented criteria and due diligence, and outcomes tracked until resolution. 3. UNRWA maintains up-to-date legal and policy and trends analysis to inform programming, advocacy, and risk mitigation strategies, including the preparation of periodic legal briefs for senior management. 4. Effective liaison and constructive relationships exist with relevant Lebanese government institutions and justice sector actors, strengthening protection and service access, with agreed problem-solving channels for priority case types. 5. Communities receive clear, accurate, and accessible information on legal rights, procedures, and available services through multi-channel outreach, including hotlines, clinics, digital platforms, and targeted sessions for specific groups. 6. Staff and partner capacity is strengthened, and programme quality is continuously improved based on evidence and feedback. Ill. MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES 1. MANAGEMENT& LEADERSHIP Oversee legal aid programme management, including planning, implementation, workplan development, financial tracking, budget monitoring, donor reporting, and proposal writing. Manage and supervise Legal Focal Points across UNRWA's area offices; set objectives, review performance, and provide guidance and capacity-building support. Develop, maintain, and implement operational guidelines and tools for legal awareness, counselling, referrals, and documentation, including SOPs for intake, eligibility, prioritization, escalation, and safe referrals. Use data and community feedback to continuously improve the quality and responsiveness of legal aid services and adjust outreach modalities across areas based on needs. 2. TECHNICAL EXPERTISE & SERVICE DELIVERY Provide technical guidance on legal counselling and referral processes to Legal Focal Points and Protection colleagues. Supervise the case management cycle, including intake, screening, eligibility assessment, legal counselling, follow-up, and case closure, using standardized templates, checklists, and documentation requirements. Review cases for referral to UNRWA's contracted legal aid law firm, including complex or precedent-setting cases requiring representation, and monitor progress, court dates, and decisions until closure. Maintain a knowledge base of legal opinions, templates, and relevant case law, and commission targeted legal research on civil documentation, family law, labour, housing, land and property (HLP), and residency, as needed. Lead the production and periodic update of legal information materials (fact sheets, flowcharts, videos, public notices) in Arabic and English that are easy to understand and adapted to different community needs. Design and supervise legal awareness and digital outreach activities, ensuring inclusiveness and accessibility for women, men, youth, persons with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups, including mobile clinics and remote counselling options. 3. CASEWORK QUALITY& HOTLINE MANAGEMENT Ensure safe, timely, and confidential management of legal aid cases, maintaining clear documentation and referral pathways. Ensure the legal hotline is effectively managed, accessible, and integrated with the broader legal aid case management system, with functioning escalation protocols and clear staff responsibilities, including defined response time targets, call scripts, quality monitoring, and after-hours emergency escalation.
