Call for Applications: Project 39-A, NLU Delhi’s Fair Trial Fellowship [Pune & Nagpur]

Project 39-A at NLU Delhi (earlier known as the Centre on the Death Penalty) has rolled out a fellowship programme for young lawyers and social workers in Pune and Nagpur.

The Fair Trial Fellowship is an opportunity for young lawyers and social workers to assist in providing quality legal representation to under-trial prisoners. The fellowship will train and mentor a group of young professionals to work in collaboration with the State Legal Services Authority towards ensuring fair trial for undertrial prisoners at both pre-trial and trial stages. The fellowship is being currently rolled out for work in Nagpur and Pune Central prisons.

The fellowship is based on the core understanding that the existing legal aid system implemented through the NALSA and its subsidiary bodies has the greatest outreach amongst persons requiring free legal aid in custody. Thus, providing assistance, in terms of qualified personnel and technical resources to the existing system, is a much needed step towards providing the best possible legal representation to the undertrial prisoners.

How the fellowship works:

• The fellowship proposes to identify, train, mentor and sustain a group of 10 Legal Fellows and 5 Social Work Fellows in each location (i.e., Pune and Nagpur) who in turn will assist panel lawyers of the DLSA towards providing effective and competent legal representation to undertrial prisoners.


• The work of the fellows will be focussed on ensuring that the legal aid machinery under the DLSA reaches every undertrial prisoner and that the quality of the representation provided by the DLSA in all cases is of expected standard.


• Before being deployed on the field, fellows will undergo a comprehensive training for four months which will include residential training in classroom teaching mode as well as on-field mentoring by practicing advocates. The work of the fellows in each location will be anchored by a legal strategy co-ordinator, who would mentor and supervise the work of the fellows throughout the duration of the fellowship. The fellows will also have access to a panel of local lawyers as experts from whom guidance may be sought in specific cases.

Eligibility Criteria:

• Minimum of one-year experience of practicing at trial court level


• Registration as a practicing advocate (Sanad) with Bar Council of any state in India


• Proficiency in reading, writing and speaking Marathi is essential


• Ability to read, write and speak English


• Familiarity with the use of MS-Office, emails and the internet


• Prior work experience in criminal litigation and/or work with the District Legal Services Authority is desirable

Remuneration: The fellows will be engaged on a full-time basis, and paid Rs. 30,000 per month. The fellowship will be for three years and fellows will not be permitted to undertake work outside of the fellowship.

Application Procedure: All interested candidates are required to send a copy of their résumé and a statement of purpose by email to p39a@nludelhi.ac.in.The Statement of Purpose should not exceed 700 words. The subject of the e-mail should indicate the category of fellowship applied for as - “Fair Trial Fellowship - Application for Legal Fellowship” or “Fair Trial Fellowship - Application for Social Work Fellowship” depending on the choice and eligibility of the candidate.

The selection procedure will be conducted in two stages:

• Round One will comprise a written test to assess knowledge and application of law/ principles of social work intervention of the applicants.


• Round Two will involve a personal interview of candidates shortlisted from Round One.

Timeline:

• Applications open for fellowship: May 5, 2018


• Last Date for submission of applications: May 31, 2018


• Start Date for fellowship: July 1, 2018

Queries can be addressed to +91 11 2803 2533 or p39a@nludelhi.ac.in.

For further details, click here.