Background

The Malawi Legal Aid Bureau, established under the Legal Aid Act of 2011, is a national public institution mandated to provide legal aid to persons with insufficient means.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Interview and record statements from persons seeking legal aid.
• Draft legal documents such as demand letters, legal opinions, and court documents, among others.
• Provide limited legal advice to persons of insufficient means.
• Provide legal literacy services to the general public.
• Accept service and cause the filing of legal documents in the Courts.
• Compile quarterly returns in Civil and Criminal cases.
• Keep cases organized by creating and organizing files, monitoring calendars, meeting deadlines, documenting actions on files, inputting information into the file database and electronic case management system, and confirming case status with Legal Aid Advocates.
• Assist Legal Aid Advocates to develop and manage cases by maintaining contact with clients and other persons involved in a case, communicating case progress, scheduling depositions, organizing evidence, preparing exhibits, contacting and ensuring that witnesses are ready when needed, taking courtroom notes and generating status reports, among others.
• Supervise Process Servers and advise management on their needs; and
• Attend to any other duties assigned by superiors from time to time.

Qualifications and Experience

Qualifications

• Diploma in Law, Legal Studies or any relevant qualification from a recognised and accredited institution.

Experience

• A minimum of 1-year experience.

• Interview and record statements from persons seeking legal aid.
• Draft legal documents such as demand letters, legal opinions, and court documents, among others.
• Provide limited legal advice to persons of insufficient means.
• Provide legal literacy services to the general public.
• Accept service and cause the filing of legal documents in the Courts.
• Compile quarterly returns in Civil and Criminal cases.
• Keep cases organized by creating and organizing files, monitoring calendars, meeting deadlines, documenting actions on files, inputting information into the file database and electronic case management system, and confirming case status with Legal Aid Advocates.
• Assist Legal Aid Advocates to develop and manage cases by maintaining contact with clients and other persons involved in a case, communicating case progress, scheduling depositions, organizing evidence, preparing exhibits, contacting and ensuring that witnesses are ready when needed, taking courtroom notes and generating status reports, among others.
• Supervise Process Servers and advise management on their needs.
• Attend to any other duties assigned by superiors from time to time.

• Diploma in Law, Legal Studies or any relevant qualification from a recognised and accredited institution.