Legal Response International

Hiring: Communications and Project Support Officer

7 March 2023

The impacts of climate change are becoming ever more serious, while international climate law is becoming ever more complex and demanding. Countries such as Least Developed Countries (LDC) are disproportionately impacted yet with limited capacity to respond in comparison with major emitters. Legal Response International (LRI) is a London based charity, working to provide free legal support to low income developing states and civil society at the UN climate change negotiations, capacity building and assistance with national implementation.

LRI has a small team, coordinating a network of over 170 legal experts from law firms, universities and barristers’ chambers who provide advice and assistance on a pro bono basis. Over the last 10 years, LRI has become a highly respected source of knowledge and support in the field.

Job title: Communications and Project Support Officer

Job type: 3 days per week, with flexibility

Work location: hybrid – city of London and remote working, expected to be able to come to the office one day per week

Role and responsibilities

The role involves supporting the Director and team with communications, event organisation and administration.

Main responsibilities:

Communications support

Contribute to the development of the organisation’s communications strategy, and then help implement it.
Collaborate with team to ensure effective engagement with LRI’s existing stakeholders, beneficiaries and supporters, and outreach to new audiences.
Content creation and management for traditional and digital channels, including websites, social media, publications, videos and news articles.
Deliver comprehensive multi-channel communication campaigns.
Help prepare engaging online and in person training material.
Use of analytics to evaluate and improve campaign delivery.

Project, event, and administrative support

Preparation for international negotiation meetings (inc. logistical arrangements, liaising with volunteers) and any other meetings (inc. taking minutes at board meetings).
Organisation of workshops and other events in the UK or abroad, including logistical aspects (accommodation, flights etc).
Maintaining our knowledge management system, website, contact lists, etc.

The ideal candidate should meet the following requirements:

A degree or relevant professional training;
At least three years of relevant professional experience in project management or communications;
Excellent communication skills in oral and in written English;
Excellent organisation and interpersonal skills;
Ability to efficiently manage own time and prioritise workflow;
Interest in environment, climate change, or social justice issues;
Being a self-starter;
Readiness to learn;
Right to live and work in the UK; and
A high level of IT and social media literacy.

In addition, it would be an advantage to have:

Experience of using WordPress or another content management system;
Experience in using YouTube and video editing;
A command of French and/or Spanish;
Experience of working in a non-profit organisation; and/or
Experience of working in the legal field.

Remuneration: £30,000 – £35,000 per annum pro-rata

Application process

Please email a CV and cover letter (each no more than two pages) setting out your motivations for applying for the position and how you meet the above requirements to: enquiries@legalresponse.org. Please also provide details of two referees whom we may contact in the event that we would like to offer you the position.

The deadline for applications is 22 March 2023. Selected applicants will be called for an interview during the week commencing 27 March.

LRI is an equal opportunities employer. We encourage applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status, or pregnancy and maternity.

Welcome to our new trustees

6 March 2023

LRI’s first board meeting of the year 2023 took place with its three new trustees at the table: Dr. Alina Averchenkova (LSE/Grantham Research Inst.), Birsha Ohdedar (SOAS) and Jannis Bille (Herbert Smith Freehills). If you are curious to see what they look like and read their short bios head to our Who We Are page.

LRI continues to provide legal support and assistance in and around the international climate change negotiations. At the same time, it is broadening its focus to mirror the work under the Paris Agreement, which is shifting towards national implementation. As part of this strategic shift, the organisation will continue working with climate vulnerable developing countries, in particular the Least Developing Countries, to strengthen their capacity to respond to the climate challenge and support them in their efforts in law and policy making at the national level.

Announcement

4 January 2023

We would like to let you know that Christoph Schwarte will be leaving LRI in January 2023.

We are grateful to Christoph for all his hard work and the significant expertise he contributed to the work of LRI over the last 10 years, helping the organisation to become the highly respected source of knowledge and support in efforts to level the playing field for LDCs and other low-income developing country parties in the international climate negotiations under the UNFCCC.

As the international rule making is now substantially complete and work under the Paris Agreement shifting towards national implementation, LRI will in the future increasingly broaden its focus to include helping climate vulnerable developing countries, in particular the LDCs, with capacity-building and law and policy making at the national level. Christoph has decided to take on new challenges outside the LRI, but will be continuing to work towards climate justice. We wish him well.

The LRI board

Trustees wanted to support expansion of LRI assistance

8 December 2022

The impacts of climate change are becoming ever more serious, while international climate law is becoming ever more complex and demanding. Low income developing countries are disproportionately impacted, but with limited capacity to respond in comparison with major emitters.

We are a London based charity, working with low income developing countries and civil society by providing high quality free legal advice in connection with UN climate change meetings.

LRI has a team of 3 staff, coordinating a network of over 170 legal experts from law firms, universities and barristers’ chambers who provide advice and assistance on a pro bono basis. Over the last 10 years, LRI has become a highly respected source of knowledge and support in working with low income developing countries and other vulnerable parties in the international climate negotiations under the UNFCCC.

As international rule making is now substantially complete and work under the Paris Agreement is shifting towards national implementation, LRI seeks to increasingly broaden its focus to include working with climate vulnerable developing countries, in particular the LDCs, to strengthen their capacity to respond to the climate challenge and support them in their efforts in law and policy making at the national level.

We are seeking 2-3 new trustees, with relevant expertise, enthusiasm and time to help guide this strategic shift in our work.

Experience in any of the following areas will be useful:

• Climate-related law and policy making;
• Developing relevant networks, including by identifying potential partners, or providers of legal and policy making advice, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa; and/or
• Capacity building, professional education and remote learning.

We welcome applications from outside the UK, but it will be useful if you are able to attend online meetings in the afternoon or evening, GMT. We are an equal opportunities organisation.

Time Commitment: We hold 4-6 meetings per year, usually on Zoom and welcome assistance as appropriate outside of these meetings.

Salary: None, but expenses available
Term of appointment: 3-4 years
How to apply and when: Please send your CV and covering letter to Pascale Bird (pbird@legalresponse.org) by 9 January 2023
To find out more: Please contact pbird@legalresponse.org or the board’s co-chair Anne Miller anne@annemiller.uk

LRI side event at COP27

17 November 2022

On Saturday 12 November at 6pm local time, LRI held a side event entitled “Implementation of the Paris Agreement: carbon markets and the enhanced transparency framework” at the Francophonie Pavilion at the COP. Despite the unfavourable timeslot, an audience of around 20 delegates from African and Caribbean countries and civil society attended the event.

In her presentation, Olivia Tattarletti provided an overview of the agreement reached in Glasgow to implement market approaches under the Paris Agreement, and how their implementation is linked to the new enhanced transparency framework of the Paris Agreement. Pascale Bird then provided a comprehensive introduction to this transparency framework by looking at the framework set out in Article 13 of the Agreement, comparing this with the existing MRV system and explaining the relevant latest developments from Glasgow.

Both speakers also talked about the implications and relevant considerations of these elements for countries at their national level. The engaged audience responded to the call for an exchange of experiences on the ground. A senior LDC negotiator commented that it had been “a very insightful presentation on two extremely important topics that need to be properly understood and implemented at the domestic level”.

A recording of the event (in French) can be viewed on YouTube here and the presentation slides are available upon request (email enquiries[@]legalresponse.org).