Vacancies at Legal Aid South Africa

KEY OUTPUTS

• Provide strong leadership to office staff, fostering a positive and productive work environment.
• Develop and implement strategies to achieve organisational objectives and enhance service delivery.
• Manage and mentor office staff, providing guidance and support to promote professional growth and development.
• Oversee the provision of high-quality legal services to clients, ensuring adherence to legal and ethical standards.
• Monitor and evaluate service delivery processes to identify areas for improvement and implement corrective actions as needed.
• Foster a client-centric approach, prioritising the needs and interests of clients in all aspects of office operations.
• Build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, including clients, Government agencies, community organisations and funders.
• Represent the organisation in meetings, conferences and public events, advocating for the interests of the office and its clients.
• Collaborate with external partners to leverage resources and support initiatives that benefit the community served by the office.
• Oversee the management of the office budget, ensuring responsible allocation of resources to support service delivery objectives.
• Monitor financial performance and compliance with budgetary guidelines, identifying opportunities for cost savings and efficiency improvements.
• Prepare financial reports and forecasts for Senior Management and stakeholders, providing transparent and accurate information on the office’s financial status.
• Ensure compliance with all relevant laws, regulations and organisational policies governing office operations.
• Implement risk management strategies to mitigate potential threats to the organisation’s reputation, financial stability and legal standing.
• Conduct regular audits and assessments to identify compliance gaps and areas of vulnerability, taking proactive measures to address issues and prevent future problems.

COMPETENCIES (SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE AND ATTRIBUTES) REQUIRED

• An LLB degree or any equivalent and related legal qualifications at NQF Level 8.
• Must be admitted as an Attorney or Advocate of the High Court of SA, in good standing.
• At least 10 years of post-admission experience as a legal practitioner in practice, of which five (5) years must be court/legal management experience.
• Extensive experience and knowledge of court processes, such as those of the Magistrate’s Court, High Court, Supreme Court of Appeal, Land Court, Labour Court and the Constitutional Court.
• Demonstrated ability to train Candidate Attorneys.
• Excellent leadership and people development skills with a track record in training Candidate Attorneys and newly appointed legal practitioners.
• Experience in budget preparation and management thereof.
• Advanced computer skills (Excel, Word and Outlook) are an advantage.
• Demonstrated experience in strategic planning, programme management and team leadership.
• Strong understanding of legal principles, ethics and standards of practice relevant to the organisation’s mission.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to engage effectively with diverse stakeholders and represent the organisation professionally.
• Proven ability to manage budgets, allocate resources and make sound financial decisions.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to identify issues, develop solutions and drive results.
• Commitment to social justice, equality and the empowerment of marginalised communities.

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KEY OUTPUTS

• Provide strong leadership to office staff, fostering a positive and productive work environment.
• Develop and implement strategies to achieve organisational objectives and enhance service delivery.
• Manage and mentor office staff, providing guidance and support to promote professional growth and development.
• Oversee the provision of high-quality legal services to clients, ensuring adherence to legal and ethical standards.
• Monitor and evaluate service delivery processes to identify areas for improvement and implement corrective actions as needed.
• Foster a client-centric approach, prioritising the needs and interests of clients in all aspects of office operations.
• Build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, including clients, Government agencies, community organisations and funders.
• Represent the organisation in meetings, conferences and public events, advocating for the interests of the office and its clients.
• Collaborate with external partners to leverage resources and support initiatives that benefit the community served by the office.
• Oversee the management of the office budget, ensuring responsible allocation of resources to support service delivery objectives.
• Monitor financial performance and compliance with budgetary guidelines, identifying opportunities for cost savings and efficiency improvements.
• Prepare financial reports and forecasts for Senior Management and stakeholders, providing transparent and accurate information on the office’s financial status.
• Ensure compliance with all relevant laws, regulations and organisational policies governing office operations.
• Implement risk management strategies to mitigate potential threats to the organisation’s reputation, financial stability and legal standing.
• Conduct regular audits and assessments to identify compliance gaps and areas of vulnerability, taking proactive measures to address issues and prevent future problems.

COMPETENCIES (SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE AND ATTRIBUTES) REQUIRED

• An LLB degree or any equivalent and related legal qualifications at NQF Level 8.
• Must be admitted as an Attorney or Advocate of the High Court of SA, in good standing.
• At least 10 years of post-admission experience as a legal practitioner in practice, of which five (5) years must be court/legal management experience.
• Extensive experience and knowledge of court processes, such as those of the Magistrate’s Court, High Court, Supreme Court of Appeal, Land Court, Labour Court and the Constitutional Court.
• Demonstrated ability to train Candidate Attorneys.
• Excellent leadership and people development skills with a track record in training Candidate Attorneys and newly appointed legal practitioners.
• Experience in budget preparation and management thereof.
• Advanced computer skills (Excel, Word and Outlook) are an advantage.
• Demonstrated experience in strategic planning, programme management and team leadership.
• Strong understanding of legal principles, ethics and standards of practice relevant to the organisation’s mission.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to engage effectively with diverse stakeholders and represent the organisation professionally.
• Proven ability to manage budgets, allocate resources and make sound financial decisions.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to identify issues, develop solutions and drive results.
• Commitment to social justice, equality and the empowerment of marginalised communities.

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KEY OUTPUTS

• Manage the local office processes in respect of finance, human resources, communications and legal administration within a matrix environment.
• Manage administrative functions from a compliance and operational effectiveness approach.
• Management of the local office Manual and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the local office and advise on application.
• Ensure the implementation of new/revised Policies and Procedures and monitor adherence thereof.
• Together with the management team, identify risks facing the office and ensure effective mitigation against such risks.
• Management oversight of Business Intelligence (BI) reports to accurately reflect the status of strategy implementation.
• Management and monitoring of local office contracts to ensure compliance and value for money.
• Management and monitoring of the correct use of petty cash.
• Management of infrastructure and fixed assets.
• Manage procurement and payments (sourcing quotes from suppliers, processing of invoices, orders, et cetera).
• Management of over and under expenditure to ensure budgetary control.
• Efficient vehicle and fleet management.
• Manage a diverse team to ensure efficiencies and accountability.

COMPETENCIES (SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE & ATTRIBUTES) REQUIRED                    

• National Senior/Matric certificate, plus three (3) year Financial Management/Accounting tertiary qualification (NQF 6/National Diploma).
• A Supply Chain Management qualification will be advantageous.
• A valid driver’s licence.
• Five (5) years of administrative experience.
• Two (2) years of relevant management experience.
• Supply Chain Management experience.
• Understanding and application of basic computer software packages.
• Ability to develop and implement operational plans.
• Leadership and problem-solving skills.
• Resource and risk management.
• Business writing and project management skills.
• Ability to compile and interpret reports and statistics.
• Knowledge of the core administration, human resources, communication and financial disciplines and how to implement and leverage these within a matrix business environment, for example: working knowledge of the Constitution, Public Finance Management Act (PFMA), National Treasury Regulations, Legal Aid SA Act and other relevant Statutes.
• Working knowledge of all employment-related Acts and functional ability in utilisation of electronic systems and technologies.

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KEY OUTPUTS

• Train, supervise and guide Candidate Attorneys.
• Co-ordinate legal training at the office.
• Provide individual mentoring for and coaching of Legal Practitioners and Candidate Attorneys.
• Assess the quality of the files and work performed by Candidate Attorneys and Legal Practitioners daily.
• Assist the Head of Office with quality assessments.
• Monitor case flow management of Legal Practitioners, Candidate Attorneys and Judicare practitioners at court.
• Assess the quality of Judicare work.
• Monitor and assess the quality of work performed by Co-operation Partners.
• Legal representation in criminal matters.
• Ensure that the law library at the office is up-to-date and adequate.

COMPETENCIES (SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE & ATTRIBUTES) REQUIRED

• B Proc or LLB degree.
• Admitted Attorney.
• At least seven (7) years of post-admission legal experience.
• Experience as a Senior Legal Practitioner or equivalent is preferable.
• Legal Quality Assurance score of not less than 90%.
• Must be able to mentor and supervise.
• Legal representation and litigation skills.
• Human rights orientation.
• A commitment to professionalism and service excellence.
• A valid code 08 driver’s licence is compulsory.
• Strong negotiation skills.
• Strong research capabilities.
• Good administrative skills.
• Strong training and development skills.