Consultant (Non-Profit) to Advance Racial Equity

NYC Bar Association • Other • Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa • $200 - $300 / year • 2w ago

Consultant - Mobilizing the Legal Profession to Advance Racial Equity
Overview:
The Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice seeks to retain a consultant to support a project to mobilize the legal profession in advancing racial equity in South Africa.

Time Frame: 18 months (average 25- 30 hours/week)
Location: South Africa
Start Date: January 2025
Fee: $2000/month
Introduction:
The Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice advances global justice by engaging lawyers across borders to support civil society and an ethically active legal profession. The Vance Center is a unique collaboration of international lawyers catalyzing public interest innovation. A non-profit program of the New York City Bar Association, we bring together leading law firms and other partners worldwide to pioneer international justice initiatives and provide pro bono legal representation to social justice NGOs.
The South African Legal Fellows Alumni Network (SALFN) includes 49 former participants in the Vance Centers African Legal Fellows Program, founded in 2002 as the South African Visiting Lawyers Program. The African Legal Fellows Program, over the past 20 years, has selected annually two or three lawyers of color, initially from South Africa and now also from other African countries, to work for one year in an international law firm or corporate legal department in New York City.

Background:
With a grant from the U.S. Mission to South Africa, the Vance Center has worked with the South African Legal Fellows Alumni Network for the past two years to address the gender gap in legal leadership positions. The project, entitled Advancing Women in the Workforce, included a mentorship program, a survey of gender diversity and inclusion in law firms and corporate legal departments, and other activities. The project developed a network of more than 80 mentees, mentors, and mentor support committee members who explored barriers and opportunities for women in law through quarterly trainings on leadership development skills, “fireside chats” with senior female legal practitioners in South Africa, and many other activities. The Vance Center has launched a new project to work closely with AWW members to mobilize the legal profession in advancing racial equity in South Africa.
Our new project will also leverage the experience and expertise of the Vance Center’s Women in the Profession (WIP) program and the experiences of some of the WIP chapters in Africa, including AWW- WIP South Africa, to develop a gender diversity toolkit, promote equity and inclusion in the legal profession, and improve legal access for marginalized communities in South Africa.
The Consultant/Administrator will report to the Vance Center Africa Program Director. The person will also liaise with the SALFN and the AWW- WIP Steering Committee members.
Scope of Work:

Support the implementation and administration of the project on mobilizing the legal profession to advance racial and gender equity in South Africa.

Advise on the project, including identifying and working with key stakeholders, the AWW team, and other partners.

Develop equity and inclusion toolkits and other project materials.

Organize focus groups, workshops, and meetings, including preparing minutes and press releases and coordinating follow-ups for virtual and in-person events.

Implement communications and outreach strategies to raise awareness, populate the project webpage, and build relationships with key stakeholders.

Develop pro bono projects on employment policies and assessments.

Map communities and organize information sessions in marginalized communities in different provinces.

Plan and execute activities to launch the toolkit and other project events.

Other project work as agreed upon by the Consultant and Vance Center.

Qualifications and Experience:

A degree in social science, law, political science, or another related field. Any additional education on gender or racial equity a plus.

At least three years of experience working on gender issues and/or racial equity, equality, or diversity and inclusion programs.

At least two years of relevant professional experience involving conducting research including surveys and quantitative and qualitative data analysis in a related field.

Experience and deep understanding of South Africa’s legal market.

Active relationships with lawyers, bar associations, legal regulatory and government institutions, journalists, and other stakeholders.

Experience in relationship building, coordinating, scheduling, and planning meetings with participants from different locations.

Experience in writing in-depth reports and legal material.

Candidate must be based in and have the right to work in South Africa.

Competencies:

Excellent research, writing, and communication skills and the ability to present information in a variety of formats and styles for different audiences.

Excellent prioritization and time management.

Strong digital technology knowledge and skills

Demonstrated ability to deliver quality work under tight timeframes.

Terms of retention: The Consultant will serve as an independent contractor of the Vance Center and be responsible for benefits and taxes related to payments received based on an independent contractor agreement. The position will not afford any rights of employment in South Africa or the United States.
Application instructions: Applications for this consultant position will be considered on a rolling basis until a consultant is selected. Please submit a cover letter, resume or CV, and two references. No phone calls.

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