Deans Message
“World history has proven that failure to promote justice caused and is causing dissatisfaction, frustration, aggression and thereby resulting in conflicts, disputes and wars” By choosing to study law with us you’re contributing a great deal to relieve the distress of many human beings.
Legal education and Legal empowerment have had a positive impact in the circumstances of the Somaliland justice sectors and this college had a lot to do with it where the college of Law prepared its young graduates to be at the pinnacle of competence in the legal sector, the college of law has an important role to play in the administration of justice, in developing jurisprudence in Somaliland and in ensuring that everyone feels assured when they seek legal guidance.
The global economy in Somaliland has created a demand for lawyers who are capable of managing different legal systems, whilst at the same time possessing an in-depth knowledge of international and National of law.
The College Of Law is much more than a place where you will enjoy the opportunity to study, as it is a hub in which you will have the opportunity to share knowledge and time with people from all corners of the globe, both students and lecturers.
You will find our alumni in every state and all over the world, in every job imaginable. Just based on the alumni I know personally, they’re executive directors of non-profits, United Nation Staff ,the general counsels of more than 80 companies, judges, the managing partners of multi-national law firms, or Ministers/directors of major government agencies. Whichever career path you choose, the educational opportunities at the College of Law will help prepare you.
While you’re with us you’ll learn the substance of the law and how to think about it. In doing so, you will sharpen your analytical thinking, and that will prove invaluable wherever your career takes you. You’ll also participate in our clinics and experiential courses our college members are exceptional teachers and nationally-recognized scholars that provide you with the necessary practical experience. Through our innovative curriculum, your legal training at the college of Law will prepare you to hit the ground running as a lawyer.
Our ideal student body are heavily involved in practical training, they’re engaged at every step of shaping their minds, they look for facts and do their own research but most importantly they have a strong desire to help their communities establish fairer legal systems that cater to equality and justice.
Mr. Mohamoud Hussein Farah
Dean Of College Of Law
Email: dean.law@uoh.edu.so
Background
University of Hargeisa(UOH) Legal Clinic was established in 2002 with support of UNDP and it became a partner with UNHCR in December 2006. Legal Clinic comprised of five units, Criminal unit defense, Civil Litigation unit, access to justice and awareness unit, Women and Child unit and Human Rights Unit.
Human Rights Unit which is a partner with UNHCR is the largest Unit of Legal Clinic and provides free legal aid to people in need of legal aid services, particularly to, refugees, asylum seekers, returnees, IDPs and extremely vulnerable members of the host communities in matters relating to criminal cases, civil cases, and customary law, and provides legal counseling and mediations where necessary. Legal Clinic, Human Rights unit also advocates and provides legal training, awareness-raising to the host and refugee communities as well as Somaliland Law enforcement agencies and authorities. In addition to that, the Legal Clinic, Human Rights Unit provides vulnerable refugee and asylums seekers shelter assistance through Conditional cash-based intervention.
UOH Legal Clinic, Human Rights Unit Project for Free Legal Aid Services and Awareness Campaigns for Refugees and Asylum Seekers (POCs) is aimed at improving access to national justice system for persons of concern (PoCs) to UNHCR. As per the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF) approach, this project is also aimed at improving access to the national justice for extremely vulnerable members of host communities who can’t afford to hire a lawyer.
The purpose of this position is to ensure the proper and immediate implementation of the free legal aid Project and facilitate PoCs’ access to justice.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The Junior Paralegal under the direct supervision of the Project Coordinator will;
- Interview clients
- Provide legal counseling and legal assistance
- Mediate between parties whenever it is necessary
- Assist lawyers for trail Preparations including drafting legal documents; gathering evidence; conducting legal research, and interviewing clients and witnesses;
- Follow up with prosecutors and judges to set trial dates, ensure case files are transfers and any other task required to speed up for processing of cases;
- Documenting all received cases and filing documents in court and Maintaining all other case files
- Monitoring and intervene in cases of refoulement, expulsion and other urgent protection related issues;
- Undertake police stations/detention centers and prisons monitoring in in Sahil, Togdheer, Sanaag and Sool regions of Somaliland to update the human rights situations of the refugees, asylum seekers returnees and IDPs.;
- Referring cases for lawyers to represent in court when necessary;
- Minimize the negative and discriminatory attitudes from local populations through advocacy
- Sensitize refugee groups and public authorities on refugee rights through awareness
- Contributing to the capacity building and awareness-raising activities
- Work with community committees by providing guidance on their rights and obligations
- Approach authorities on matters of documentation
- provide refugees and asylum seekers with information regarding their asylum application and their refugee status,
- Offer advice on their cases, making referrals and following up on cases. Advocate for the release of arrested refugees, asylum seekers and other PoCs at police stations, prisons and places of detention,
- Accompany refugees on visits to organizations and institutions to seek assistance on various social issues (for example, to police stations in order to report crimes).
- Prepare detailed daily, weekly and monthly reports and legal cases updates
- Any other tasks assigned by the manager
Reports to: Project Coordinator
Position: Junior Paralegal based in Berbera (Reception Centre) and frequently travel to Togdheer, Sool and Sanaag regions.
QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCES
- A minimum in LLB or BA
- Knowledge of Somaliland Legal System and international Refugee Legal Frameworks
- Experience in working with refugees, IDPs, Returnees and other vulnerable populations
- 2 years of practical working experience in paralegal, social worker.
- Desire and demonstrated passion to assist Somaliland’s Poor and extremely vulnerable communities.
- Computer literate with ability to use Microsoft word, excel, Powerpoints etc.
- Native Somali speaker and proficiency in English
- Speaking Amharic and Arabic is an advantage
COMPETENCIES AND BEHAVIOURS
- Delivers timely and appropriate results
- Plans prioritize and perform tasks well without needing direct supervision
- Understands the link between his/her work and the organization’s objectives
- Gathers the right information and uses critical thinking to make effective and timely decisions
- Knows when to involve others in a decision
- Simplifies processes and procedures wherever possible
- Delivers work that reflects a good knowledge and application of technical and professional standards
- Keeps up to date with trends in their work area
- Maintains ethical and professional behavior
- DURATION OF CONTRACT
- This position is project-based and the assignment is one year with possibilities of extension depends available of funds and personal performance.
APPLICATION PROCEDURE
Qualified and interested applicants are encouraged to submit curriculum vitae, testimonials and a letter of interest stating suitability for the position to Hargeisa University Human Resource Office or director.hr@uoh.edu.so with the subject heading “Junior Paralegal ” before 17 January 2020.
College of Law
Year 1 (Freshman) Semester – I
| S# | Course Code | Course Title | Credit Hrs | Pre-Req |
| 1 | CLLB 111 | Introduction to Law | 3 | |
| 2 | CLLB 112 | Islamic Personal Law | 3 | |
| 3 | ENGL 111 | Freshman English I | 3 | |
| 4 | ARB101 | Arabic( legal terminology) | 3 | |
| 5 | CLLB 114 | Contract Law I | 3 | |
| 6 | ISLS 121 | Islamic Studies | 3 | |
| Total Credit: | 18 | |||
Semester – II
| S# | Course Code | Course Title | Credit Hrs | Pre-Req |
| 1 | CLLB 121 | Constitutional law I | 3 | |
| 2 | COMP 111 | Computer Application | 3 | |
| 3 | ENGL 121 | Freshman English II | 3 | Freshman English I |
| 4 | CLLB 122 | Criminology and punishment | 3 | |
| 5 | CLLB 123 | Criminal Law I | 3 | |
| 6 | SOML 121 | Somali Literature | 2 | |
| Total Credit: | 17 | |||
Year 2 (sophomore) Semester – I
| S# | Course Code | Course Title | Credit Hrs | Pre-Req |
| 1 | CLLB 211 | Constitutional Law II | 3 | Constitutional law I |
| 2 | CLLB 212 | Criminal Law II | 3 | Criminal Law I |
| 3 | CLLB 213 | Contract Law II | 3 | Contract Law I |
| 4 | CLLB 214 | Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence | 3 | |
| 5 | ENGL 215 | Sophomore English I | 3 | |
| 6 | CLLB 216 | Islamic law of tort | 3 | |
| Total Credit: | 18 | |||
Semester – II
| S# | Course Code | Course Title | Credit Hrs. | Pre-Req |
| 1 | CLLB-221 | Commercial Law I | 3 | |
| 2 | CLLB-222 | Criminal Procedure | 3 | |
| 3 | CLLB-223 | Islamic Law of Succession | 3 | |
| 4 | ENGL 221 | Sophomore English II | 3 | |
| 5 | CLLB 224 | Civil procedure I | 3 | |
| 6 | CLLB 225 | Law of Evidence | 3 | |
| Total Credit: | 18 | |||
Year 3 (Junior) Semester – I
| S# | Course Code | Course Title | Credit Hrs | Pre-Req |
| 1 | CLL 311 | Civil Procedure II | 3 | Civil Procedure I |
| 2 | CLLB 312 | Research Methods | 3 | |
| 3 | CLLB 313 | Jurisprudence | 3 | |
| 4 | CLLB 314 | Property Law | 3 | |
| 5 | CLLB 315 | Commercial Law II | 3 | Commercial Law I |
| 6 | CLLB 316 | Islamic criminal law | 3 | |
| Total Credit: | 18 | |||
Semester – II
| S# | Course Code | Course Title | Credit Hrs | Pre-Req |
| 1 | CLLB 321 | Land Law | 3 | Property LawI |
| 2 | CLLB 322 | Advocacy and trial Techniques / Legal Clinic | 3 | |
| 3 | CLLB 323 | Public International Law I | 3 | |
| 4 | CLLB 324 | Labour Law | 3 | |
| 5 | CLLBL 325 | Company law | 3 | |
| 6 | MGMT 311 | Entrepreneurship | 2 | |
| Total Credit: | 17 | |||
Year 4 (senior) Semester- I
| S# | Course Code | Course Title | Credit Hrs | Pre-Req |
| 1 | CLLB 411 | Taxation law | 3 | |
| 2 | CLLB 412 | Environmental Law | 3 | |
| 3 | CLLB 413 | Islamic Judiciary (History & Practice) | 3 | |
| 4 | CLLB 414 | Public International Law II | 3 | Public International Law I |
| 5 | CLLB 415 | Private international law | 3 | |
| 6 | CLLB 416 | Administrative law | 3 | |
| Total Credit: | 18 | |||
Semester- II
| S# | Course Code | Course Title | Credit Hrs | Pre-Req |
| 1 | CLLB 421 | International Trade Law | 3 | |
| 2 | CLLB 422 | Maritime law | 3 | |
| 3 | CLLB 423 | Professional Responsibility(Legal Ethic) | 3 | |
| 4 | CLLB 424 | International Human Rights Law | 3 | |
| 5 | CLLB 425 | Legal Drafting | 3 | |
| 6 | CLLB 426 | Project Paper (Thesis) | 3 | |
| Total Credit: | 18 | |||
Admission Deadlines
Admission Starts: September 16 of every year.
Admission Ends: October 19 of every year.
Admission Exam Day: October 23 of every year.
Extensions to the admission period due to public holidays, governmental elections or some other factors will be notified to the public.
Admission Procedure
All students interested in applying and sitting for the entrance exam of The University of Hargeisa are required to submit their high-school transcripts and certificate both in original format and in copies along with four head-shots with the admission fee of $25 to admission staff at entrance of the University Of Hargeisa, the admission staff once the students arrives at the university will be more then happy to assist them queries and concerns.
Admission Requirements