Legal Director and Clinical Supervising Attorney, Gilbert Global Justice & Human Rights Center

The University of Southern California, Gould School of Law seeks a highly motivated Legal Director and Clinical Supervising Attorney to help establish and operate its new Justice & Accountability Initiative, a core pillar of the Gilbert Global Justice & Human Rights Center.

This is a fixed-term position. The initial contract term is one year, renewable for additional one-to-three-year terms full-time, based on funding. The position will report to the Center’s Faculty Director.

Founded in 1896, the Gould School of Law has a distinguished past built on the principles of equity and excellence, and the courage to break new ground. USC first introduced legal education in Southern California. Today, the law school continues to make history through its philosophy of innovation and through its people. USC Gould cultivates analytical ability, ethical values, and a spirit of collegiality that prepare students for meaningful careers benefiting society. It was one of the first law schools to engage students in clinical programs and remains a leader in experiential education.

The Center’s mission is to engage students, scholars, and practitioners in education, research, and projects that promote respect for human rights while strengthening international law and institutions for preventing atrocities, holding perpetrators accountable, protecting refugees, and providing transitional justice for impacted communities in the wake of serious violations of human rights.

Building on USC Gould School of Law’s tradition of innovation, equity, and excellence as a top U.S. law school, the Gilbert Center will serve as the focal point at USC for human rights education, research, and impact, nationally and internationally. The Gilbert Center at USC Gould will:

• Train and expand the next generation of human rights advocates with a deep understanding of how antisemitism, racism, and other forms of hatred lead to violence and atrocity.

• Engage in critical scholarship and thought leadership that strengthens and progressively develops respect for universal human rights through international law and institutions.

• Develop impactful policies and programs that work with victims of human rights abuse and persecution to seek protection, accountability, and transitional justice.

With increased resources, scope, and scale, the Gilbert Center will not only focus on student-facing education and opportunities but also offer a distinctive, university-wide program. It will leverage the substantial engagements and talents of the entire USC campus, including deep partnerships with USC’s Shoah Foundation Institute, USC’s Center for Advanced Genocide Research, and other units. Through collaborations with academic institutions, civil society organizations, the United Nations, and other global stakeholders, the Center will advance justice and promote equality for all.

Two Core Pillars

• The International Human Rights Clinic (IHRC), established in 2011, trains the next generation of human rights lawyers by engaging student attorneys in real-life cases, individual client representation and advocacy to advance global justice for atrocity crimes, refugee rights, and fair trial rights for human rights defenders and journalists. As part of the Gilbert Center, a particular emphasis is on working with impacted communities--defending the rights of victims and refugees targeted by antisemitism, racism, and all forms of xenophobia while seeking reparations for hate crimes and atrocities.

• The Justice & Accountability Initiative (JAI) will prioritize research and projects that focus on atrocity prevention, accountability and transitional justice such as documenting crimes against humanity and genocide (building on lessons from Nuremberg), drafting legal documents and instruments for progressive development of international law to uphold human rights while preventing and punishing atrocities, and engaging in strategic litigation before national and international courts and tribunals as well as human rights mechanisms. The Initiative will harness and mobilize expert legal advocacy, research, and education for holding perpetrators accountable before national, regional and international courts, mechanisms and human rights bodies, while representing and centering the voices of victims and survivors in the pursuit of holistic, transformative justice for impacted communities. The project will also provide tools, training, and resources for expanding the global community of current and next generation advocates in the pursuit of justice and peace for atrocity situations.

The Center supports conferences, symposia, and reasonable travel associated with Center programs such as the Justice & Accountability Initiative. The Center expects to host or sponsor annual events with the goal of bringing together leading academics, practitioners, and policymakers from across the country and around the world to discuss critical problems and challenges that exist within the realm of human rights and international law.

We are seeking a visionary leader who will work with the Center’s Faculty Director to launch its Justice & Accountability Initiative. The ideal candidate possesses the desire to have national and global impact on the critical and urgent conversations surrounding atrocity prevention/accountability, refugee protection, transitional justice and human rights, particularly in contexts of rising authoritarianism. The candidate must possess strong entrepreneurial skills and be self-motivated, well organized and a collaborative leader with management experience. Candidates must possess superb legal research and writing skills; excellent oral and written communication skills; and be willing to engage in external outreach in collaboration with the law school’s communications and development teams. Candidates must also have a passion for educating, mentoring and supervising law students as the next generation of human rights advocates.

Specifically, the Legal Director will, together with the Center’s Faculty Director:

1) lead case-building, legal strategy, investigations or open-source evidence collection work for atrocity prevention and accountability projects;

2) develop key intergovernmental, government and private sector partnerships;

3) manage legal work and supervise students in the Center’s International Human Rights Clinic;

4) mentor students interested in careers in human rights and international criminal justice and help place them in relevant internship/externships;

5) design and teach Executive Education, CLE accredited courses for professionals—judges, prosecutors, journalists and pro bono law firm attorneys;

6) engage in research that advance legislation and policies on accountability, prevention and transitional justice for atrocity situations;

7) lead high-level convenings that advance thought leadership and strategies for advancing justice for atrocity situations; and

8) advance and grow the center through fundraising efforts, including grant-writing and donor relations.

In addition, the Legal Director will assist with both final exam administration and proctoring at the end of the Fall and Spring semesters and commencement each year and perform other related duties as assigned or requested. The university reserves the right to add or change duties at any time.

Preferred qualifications are as follows: J.D from an ABA accredited U.S. school;  an excellent academic record which includes education in international law, specifically international criminal law, and international human rights law and institutions; membership in the California Bar or another U.S. bar certification; at least five to seven years’ experience pursuing litigation for justice and accountability for atrocity crimes or serious human rights abuses including before the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Court or other international criminal justice courts and tribunals, human rights mechanisms and national courts through universal jurisdiction or other domestic statutes; a strong record of collaboration in litigation with local counsel, law firms, or human rights organizations and advocates; experience working with families of victims or survivors of atrocity crimes or serious human rights abuse; at least two years’ experience supervising junior attorneys; demonstrated management and organizational skills; and experience presenting at public events on key legal and policy issues for advancing accountability and justice for atrocities; project development experience; atrocity accountability work experience specifically focused on corporate accountability, justice for crimes of gender-based violence or refugee protection in particular; clinical legal education or teaching experience; advanced degrees from schools in the U.S. or globally in international law and human rights; prior experience working in the university setting; fund-raising experience; legal publications; fluency in languages other than English.

ATTENTION:  Applicants must upload a cover letter and a resume to be considered for this position.

Learn more about our benefits and perks here: https://employees.usc.edu/benefits-perks/

The Gould School of Law (Gould) considers candidates that demonstrate, through ideas, words and actions, a strong commitment to USC’s Unifying Values. Gould holds a unique position in society, and within the university, as every aspect of these principles are influenced by and can be protected through legal rules and institutions.  At Gould, we are proudly committed to maintaining a community in which each person respects the rights of others to live, work, and learn in peace and dignity, to be proud of who and what they are, and to have equal opportunity to realize their full potential as individuals and members of society.

The annual base salary range for this position is $143,193.60 - $180,000.00. When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, federal, state, and local laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, as well as external market and organizational considerations.

Minimum Education: Doctorate, Combined experience/education as substitute for minimum education
Minimum Experience: Over 10 years, Combined education/experience as substitute for minimum experience
Minimum Field of Expertise: Education and experience directly related to field of research. Expert knowledge of field, statistical research, and fundraising.

                                                  

USC is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law or USC policy. USC observes affirmative action obligations consistent with state and federal law. USC will consider for employment all qualified applicants with criminal records in a manner consistent with applicable laws and regulations, including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for employers and the Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, and with due consideration for patient and student safety. Please refer to the Background Screening Policy Appendix D for specific employment screen implications for the position for which you are applying. 

We provide reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. Applicants with questions about access or requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should contact USC Human Resources by phone at (213) 821-8100, or by email at uschr@usc.edu. Inquiries will be treated as confidential to the extent permitted by law.

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