Legal Officer - LatAm

The Organization and Role

About Access Now

Access Now is a growing international human rights organization dedicated to defending and extending the digital rights of users at risk around the world, including issues of privacy, security, freedom of expression, and transparency. Our policy, advocacy, technology, and operations teams have staff presences in Europe, Latin America, the Middle East/North Africa (MENA), North America, and South/Southeast Asia, to provide global support to our mission.

About this role

The Legal Officer - LatAm assists and facilitates our legal compliance and operations in Latin America and the Caribbean, with a focus on key legal matters, including contracting, international business and sanctions law, employment law, legal risk management, data protection, compliance, and intellectual property.  The Legal Officer - LatAm supports the mission of Access Now by ensuring success in programs and goals specific to the Latin America and Caribbean region.

The Legal Officer - LatAm sits within the Legal Arm, working closely with and reporting through the Associate General Counsel.

What you will do

• Draft and negotiate legal documents for use by Access Now’s Operations, Finance, Grants, Advocacy, and RightsCon teams, in alignment with Legal team workflows
• Research and evaluate different legal risk factors relating to the Organization’s Latin America Region operations and regulatory compliance
• Prepare and review key contractual policies and procedures, including on nonprofit compliance, employment/ labor, non-disclosure and confidentiality, intellectual property, defamation, and other operational topics
• Monitor legal threats to civic space, including human rights defenders and NGOs, and advise on countermeasures and best practices to prevent and mitigate risks, in the Latin America Region
• Identify opportunities for legal advocacy, including the use of litigation to advance our programmatic agenda in the region, in coordination with the regional Advocacy Team leaders
• Research, write, and edit briefs, publications, and legal memoranda
• Work with and manage outside counsel in the Region
• Assist in global implementation of the annual RightsCon summit series
• Perform other duties as assigned

Skills, education, and mindset you will bring

• 2-4 years experience in legal practice, ideally with in-house legal context
• License to practice law in one or more Latin American or Caribbean countries
• Excellent spoken, expository, and persuasive legal research and writing skills, in English
• Excellent spoken, expository, and persuasive legal research and writing skills, in Spanish
• An affinity for contracts, compliance, and international legal work
• Precise attention to detail
• Appropriate education and work preparation for the role, with Juris Doctor (JD) or equivalent degree in law

The Details

Location

This is a full-time position focused on the Latin America Region. While preference is for an individual to work in and around San José, Costa Rica, there is openness to various locations across the Latin America Region or the US. The successful candidate must possess the right to work in the location in which they will be based. At this time most Access Now Team Members are working through hybrid office arrangements, combining remote at-home work with intermittent use of co-working spaces. Primary work hours will align to the Latin America Region.

Remuneration

Access Now offers competitive compensation and benefits packages that align with location and regional markets, in line with skills, preparation, and depth of experience. As example, if the role is filled in San José, Costa Rica, anticipated, initial placement within the salary range is around $4,600 USD gross monthly - depending on depth of experience.

Benefits for this specific role are tied to the location, and will vary. Regardless of location, all Team Members benefit from a strong global culture aligned around:

• Work-life balance...including a generous paid time-off program between 36 and 40 days annually

• Access to supplemental health care insurance policies

• Professional development and growth opportunities

• Extensive workplace flexibility

• Organizational resilience and support for all team members, including paid family leave and employee assistance programs

• Connection to a diverse, global team of passionate, principled professionals

• Opportunities to recharge (including one month of paid refresher leave after 4 years)

How to Apply

You will be prompted to submit the following documents:

• Résumé/CV (removing all personally identifying information such as age, gender, marital status, address, and photo)
• Thoughtful cover letter outlining your suitability for our role, with particular attention to your experience aligning to the core functions
• Two (2) writing samples, no more than ten (10) pages each

Our hiring teams review applications submitted through our Career Openings page; email submissions are not accepted. Please note that if you are applying via a link in a 3rd party system (examples: Indeed, Glassdoor, LinkedIn, Snaphunt, Zip Recruiter), be sure that you are going through the application link in BambooHR so that you are properly uploading a distinct Cover Letter and a separate CV/Resume.

In order for us to communicate with you on the status of your application, please add apps.bamboohr.com to your contacts list, and check spam or junk folders so that you do not miss updates from us.

We are a global human rights organization committed to inclusivity and equity, and seek the most talented team members who bring their true selves, with diverse backgrounds, cultures, perspectives, and experiences. We are interested in receiving applications from people who consider themselves as under-represented in their talent communities. As an equal opportunity employer, we value and encourage diversity and consider applicants for all positions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other legally protected status. Our commitment applies with regard to all aspects of one’s employment, including hiring, transfer, promotion, compensation, eligibility for benefits, and termination.

Published 2022-08-24