About the Project

Project 39A (hereinafter ‘P39A’) draws inspiration from Article 39-A in the Indian Constitution on
equal justice and signals the broadening of our work on the criminal justice system in India. We
undertake litigation, research and outreach relating to forensics, torture, legal aid, mental health
and criminal justice, and death penalty

About the Job Opportunity

The National Law University, Delhi through Project 39A (P39A) is seeking to engage, on a contractual basis, one Associate-Research (Legal Aid) at its campus in Dwarka, New Delhi.

The contract will be for one year initially and can be extended on an annual basis at the discretion of the University. The Associate will be responsible for working on research related to legal aid carried out by P39A.

The Role

About the role: Access to effective legal aid is an integral element of securing procedural guarantees for individuals within the criminal justice system and protecting vulnerable communities from the excesses of the system. However, the quality of legal representation and support to persons in custody in the current system of state-sponsored legal aid leaves much to be desired.

The legal aid team at Project 39A seeks to combine in-depth empirical research with on-ground interventions to strengthen access to and quality of legal aid as an element of the right to a fair trial.

Interventions are grounded in a rigorous empirical analysis of the functioning of the system, with a regular assessment to ensure their continued efficacy. The team also engages in training and capacity building of lawyers and paralegal volunteers towards securing widespread and effective reform of the system.

Towards this goal the Associate will be expected to undertake the following responsibilities:

Responsibilities

• Contribute to developing and implementing research projects that align with P39A’s strategic goals;
• Undertake fieldwork for the purposes of the project, including interviewing prisoners, police personnel and functionaries in various State and District Legal Services Authorities;
• Collate, analyse and publish findings of the fieldwork and interventions;
• Contributing to assessments of on ground interventions towards evaluating their efficacy and engaging with the quantitative and qualitative data emerging from such interventions;
• Undertake high quality academic writing on relevant themes;
• Designing and implementing training curriculum for various stakeholders;
• Engaging with functionaries of state legal aid institutions on strategic reform efforts;
• Present the work of P39A at appropriate forums;
• Participate in and contribute to the overall research efforts at P39A;
• Undertake administrative or any other work that may be necessary to further the aims of P39A.

Qualifications

• Graduate with an LLB degree.
• Candidates with an LL.M and a demonstrable interest in access to justice issues will be preferred.
• Basic knowledge about the Indian criminal justice system would be desirable.
• This is a full-time position based in Delhi.

Compensation

The compensation will be commensurate with experience and qualifications.

How to Apply?

• Interested persons may send their resume and a statement of purpose, explaining their interest in working on issues of legal aid in the criminal justice system and the contribution that they see themselves making through this position.
• The statement of purpose must not exceed 750 words.
• The resume and statement of purpose has to be sent by filling out the form in the link given at the end of this post and attaching the relevant documents.

Application Deadline

Applications must reach us no later than March 31, 2022, after which the applications will not be accepted.

Shortlisted candidates will be informed latest by 8 April 2022. Dates for the further rounds of shortlisting and interviews will be announced subsequently.

Nature of Job and Location

Full-time position in Delhi

Click here for the official information.

Click here to apply for the job role at NLUD.