Legal Research Consultant
Legal Department
Amman, Jordan
About IRAP
The International Refugee Assistance Project (“IRAP”) is a dynamic and growing legal and policy advocacy organization that works to develop and enforce a system of legal and human rights for refugees and displaced people worldwide. We are the leading organization providing free and comprehensive legal services to people in need of a safe place to live and a safe way to get there.
IRAP operates offices in the U.S. (New York City, Washington, D.C.), Jordan (Amman), Lebanon (Beirut), and Europe (Berlin). Our legal and advocacy teams work closely with a corps of pro bono lawyers from leading law firms and multinational corporations and law students who have created IRAP chapters across the United States and Canada. Through this work, we aim to assist refugees and other displaced people in finding safe passage and transform the landscape of refugee rights. IRAP has over 100 full-time staff members. We are a nimble organization staffed by an innovative and collaborative team committed to high standards of quality and close partnerships with our clients, peers, and colleagues.
IRAP believes that diversity is critical to fostering a strong workplace and serving our clients well. We strongly encourage applications from people with lived experiences in the communities that we serve, members of other marginalized communities, and individuals whose identities are underrepresented in the legal profession.
Location: This is a full-time, 40 hours a week, role, and the chosen candidate will be required to work at least 4 hours a day in tandem with the IRAP office in Amman, Jordan. Regular office hours at the IRAP Jordan office are from 9:00 am - 6:00 pm (GMT +3), Sunday - Thursday.
About the Jordan Legal Services Department
IRAP Jordan, a team of eleven operational and program staff, provides legal aid to displaced people in Jordan. The team provides legal assistance to individuals navigating refugee resettlement, humanitarian protection pathways, and family reunification processes through in-house representation, legal information, and the mentorship of pro bono attorneys, students, and interns.
Opportunity
IRAP is seeking to better understand resettlement and relocation pathway options for refugees and displaced persons in Jordan and other countries across the Middle East. To that end, IRAP is looking to hire a consultant to lead an assessment and mapping of the existing and potential legal pathways for resettlement and relocation, and referral networks that are available to refugees and displaced persons trying to access resettlement and/or relocation.
Objectives and Output
The objective of this assessment and mapping is to research and analyze:
Existing resettlement, relocation, and complementary pathways for refugees and displaced persons, including humanitarian visas, humanitarian admission programs, family reunification, and community sponsorships.
Legal frameworks, requirements, procedures, and legal remedies for each pathway in target countries.
Relevant case law, practical implications, and best practices associated with each pathway.
Policymakers, institutions, and other stakeholders relevant to resettlement, relocation, and complementary pathways in target countries.
Scope of Work:
Phase 1: Inception (2 weeks)
Develop a detailed work plan and timeline
Identify specific humanitarian admissions programs and target countries with specified legal frameworks, including legal regulations and/or specific practices for humanitarian visas, humanitarian admissions, and/or other complementary pathways.
Identify potential resources for research.
Expected Deliverables for Phase 1
Specific work plan determining detailed work steps during the consultancy and a clear timeline for each step.
Draft Report identifying specific potential target admissions programs and target countries with specified legal frameworks and/or specific practices regarding humanitarian visas, humanitarian admissions, and/other complementary pathways together with potential resources for research, including clarification of the methodology of the research and general approach.
Phase 2: Research (4 weeks)
Mapping of specific humanitarian admissions programs and target countries with legal regulations and/or specific practices for humanitarian visas, humanitarian admissions, and/or other complementary pathways.
Conduct research on legal requirements and legal practices on each submission's program and target country.
Conduct research on relevant case law, practical implications, and best practices associated with each pathway.
Conduct research on EU policy on humanitarian visas, humanitarian admissions, and/or other complementary pathways.
Mapping of relevant policymakers, institutions, and other humanitarian organizations involved in humanitarian visa programs, humanitarian admissions programs, and/or other complementary pathways.
Desk review and analysis of research in collaboration with IRAP staff.
Preliminary reports identifying existing pathways regarding humanitarian visas, humanitarian admissions programs, and/or other complementary pathways.
Preliminary reports analyzing relevant policy
Expected Deliverables for Phase 2:
Detailed report outlining findings on humanitarian admissions programs and countries with legal regulations and/or specific practices for humanitarian visas, humanitarian admissions, and/or other complementary pathways. The report has to include findings on legal requirements, timelines, best practices, legal remedies, relevant application/submission procedures, relevant statistics, and relevant case law.
A detailed report outlining findings on relevant policy on the EU level, national/ country level, relevant policymakers, institutions, and other organizations associated with each identified admissions program, visa program in target countries, and other complementary pathways.
Phase 3: Outputs (3 weeks)
Develop the final outputs.
Expected Deliverables for Phase 3:
Final report after consultation with IRAP staff, mapping identified humanitarian admissions programs and countries with legal regulations and/or specific practices for humanitarian visas, humanitarian admissions, and/or other complementary pathways. The report has to include a high-level legal analysis of the findings regarding legal regulations and/or practices, relevant case law, and legal remedies in light of IRAP Jordan’s legal work.
Final report after consultation with IRAP staff, analyzing relevant policy on the EU level or national/ country level associated with each identified admissions program, visa program in target countries, and other complementary pathways in light of IRAP Jordan’s legal work.
Set of recommendations regarding basic requirements for implementation of any new pathway in IRAP Jordan’s legal work.
Methodology
Desk review of existing legal pathways and resources.
Consultation with IRAP staff in other IRAP offices.
Weekly status update meeting with the Senior Staff Attorney.
Timeline
The consultant will produce all products, including the final report, by May 25, 2025.
Desired Skills/Experience/Qualifications:
Advanced degree in law or other related field required;
Proven experience in resettlement, relocation, and complementary pathways for refugees and displaced persons;
Deep familiarity with the humanitarian/protection sectors in the MENA region and Europe;
Experience working with refugees and displaced persons in the European context;
Excellent research, writing, and analytical skills;
Fluency in oral and written English required;
Strong interpersonal and communication skills;
Initiative to see projects through and ability to multitask;
Compensation/Payment Schedule
The consultant is expected to submit a financial offer to account for all the work needed to complete the consultancy. IRAP will assess financial offers based on the level of experience and qualifications, and the prevailing rates for similar consultancies.
Payment will be contingent on approval by the Senior Staff Attorney and will be made as indicated in the following table. No advance payment is to be made. Payments will be made against each deliverable and only upon IRAP’s acceptance of the work performed. Payment will be made upon the receipt of a financial claim/invoice and acceptance of work within two weeks via bank transfer.
Deliverable
Duration
Payment Percentage
Phase 1:
Specific work plan determining detailed work steps during the consultancy and a clear timeline for each step.
Draft Report identifying specific potential target admissions programs and target countries with specified legal frameworks and/or specific practices regarding humanitarian visas, humanitarian admissions, and/other complementary pathways together with potential resources for research, including clarification of the methodology of the research and general approach.
2 weeks
20%
Phase 2:
Detailed report outlining findings on humanitarian admissions programs and countries with legal regulations and/or specific practices for humanitarian visas, humanitarian admissions, and/or other complementary pathways. The report has to include findings on legal requirements, timelines, best practices, legal remedies, relevant application/submission procedures, relevant statistics, and relevant case law.
A detailed report outlining findings on relevant policy on the EU level, national country level, relevant policymakers, institutions, and other organizations associated with each identified admissions program, visa program in target countries, and other complementary pathways.
4 weeks
30%
Phase 3:
Final report after consultation with IRAP staff, mapping identified humanitarian admissions programs and countries with legal regulations and/or specific practices for humanitarian visas, humanitarian admissions, and/or other complementary pathways. The report has to include a high level legal analysis of the findings in regard to legal regulations and/or practices, relevant case law, and legal remedies in light of IRAP Jordan’s legal work.
Final report after consultation with IRAP staff, analyzing relevant policy on the EU level or national country level associated with each identified admissions program, visa program in target countries, and other complementary pathways in light of IRAP Jordan’s legal work.
Set of recommendations regarding basic requirements for implementation of any new pathway in IRAP Jordan’s legal work.
3 weeks
50%
IRAP is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, or any other basis prohibited by law.
Consultancy Management
The consultant will work under the supervision of the Senior Staff Attorney. Acceptance of deliverables will be assessed based on quality, timeliness, and relevance.
Application
Applicants shall prepare a proposal as an overall response to the Terms of Reference, ensuring that the purpose, objectives, and deliverables of the assignments are addressed.
The proposal shall include:
A brief cover letter and understanding of the assignment. addressing the purpose, objectives, scope, criteria, and deliverables of the project.
Updated profile/ CV listing similar experiences/assignments
Experience / Survey / Study – similar work with References / Recommendation letters
Three references from a previous employer.
Financial Offer with a breakdown of all costs based on deliverables.
IRAP believes that diversity is critical to fostering a strong workplace and serving our clients well. We strongly encourage applications from people with lived experiences in the communities that we serve, members of other marginalized communities, and individuals whose identities are underrepresented in the legal profession.
Advanced degree in law or other related field required;
Proven experience in resettlement, relocation, and complementary pathways for refugees and displaced persons;
Deep familiarity with the humanitarian/protection sectors in the MENA region and Europe;
Experience working with refugees and displaced persons in the European context;
Excellent research, writing, and analytical skills;
Fluency in oral and written English required;
Strong interpersonal and communication skills;
Initiative to see projects through and ability to multitask;
Applicants shall prepare a proposal as an overall response to the Terms of Reference, ensuring that the purpose, objectives, and deliverables of the assignments are addressed.
The proposal shall include:
A brief cover letter and understanding of the assignment. addressing the purpose, objectives, scope, criteria, and deliverables of the project.
Updated profile/ CV listing similar experiences/assignments
Experience / Survey / Study – similar work with References / Recommendation letters
Three references from a previous employer.
Financial Offer with a breakdown of all costs based on deliverables.
