Law Researcher at Office of the Chief Justice South Africa

REQUIREMENTS :

• Applicants should be in possession of an LLB Degree at (NQF level 8) as recognised by SAQA. A minimum of three (3) years’ legal research experience. Superior court or litigation experience/A valid driver’s license will be an added advantage.
• Knowledge and skills: Knowledge of Basic Conditions of Employment Act and related labour laws & Departmental policies, knowledge of the Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995, Labour and Labour Appeal Court Rules and Practice Manual, Employment Equity Act, Practise Manual of the Court, sound understanding of South African law and judicial system, Interpretation and application of the law and Batho Pele Principles.
• Skilled in communication (verbal & written), problem solving, decision-making, excellent research and analytical skills, report writing and editing, financial management, strategic, presentation, planning and organising, computer literacy (Word, PowerPoint and Excel), applied strategic thinking, budgeting and financial management, communication and information management, customer focus and responsiveness, diversity management, impact and Influence, managing of interpersonal conflict, networking and building bonds, project management and team leadership. 

DUTIES :

• Provide support with legal research on various legal issues, statutes, rules, regulations and case law.
• Analyse and apply complex legal principles and provide summaries to the judges, provide research support to judges in the preparation of hearings and trials, carry out research and retrieve all material from all sources in both hard copy and electronic formats on legal issues as requested by a Judge, provide analysis through studying all the relevant material, study all the relevant material and provide a thorough analysis thereof,
• provide support to the judges with legal arguments analysis submitted by litigants, evaluate merits of each argument, research supporting and opposing case law (precedent) and provide recommendations to the judges, review legal issues, arguments and relevant case law in the form of legal memos, prepare a comprehensive memorandum on the outcome of the legal research,
• provide support to judges in reviewing and proofreading draft judgment(s) to ensure clarity and accuracy, proofread all judgments, articles, speeches and conference papers with respect to spelling and grammar, quality assure all references and footnotes in all judgments and legal articles against the original text to ensure correctness and accuracy, correct mistakes (typos) with the help of track changes so that judges can accept or decline any proposed changes.
• quality assure the maintenance of knowledge of recent legal developments, new legislation, and relevant case law, provide support to the monitoring of legal journals, ensure that judges have access to the latest legal information, keep up breast with recent developments in relevant areas of law, such as legislative changes, new precedents, and emerging legal trends.