ThaiNGO

International Legal Specialist

Organization: Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) under the Rights for Justice Foundation

Reports to: International Advocacy Lead

Location: Bangkok

Type: Full-time

Application deadline: 6 - 30 October 2026

About TLHR

Thai Lawyers for Human Rights has represented people prosecuted for exercising their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly since 2014. We appear for defendants in political cases from police station to appeal, document the violations we encounter, and maintain the public record of political prosecution in Thailand that journalists, international organizations, and United Nations bodies rely on.

We are a lawyers’ organization. What we know, we know because we were in the courtroom.

TLHR’s international advocacy is entering a new phase. We are building a capability that systematically integrates transnational lawyering into our work: bringing international and comparative human rights law into the cases we litigate at home, and ensuring that the international mechanisms and diplomatic missions following Thailand are accurately informed by the evidence those cases produce.

This is the first appointment to that work, and the person who takes it will help shape what it becomes. We are looking for someone to pioneer it with us.

Responsibilities

Legal research

• Research comparative jurisprudence—the European Court of Human Rights, the Inter-American system, and constitutional and apex courts in other jurisdictions—on questions arising in TLHR’s cases, e.g., criminal defamation, lèse-majesté, detention, restrictions on peaceful assembly, judicial independence.
• Research international human rights law standards and their application: treaty text, general comments, treaty body jurisprudence, and the opinions of Special Procedures and the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.
• Produce legal memoranda based on the above research.
• Support the preparation of petitions to UN Special Procedures and the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, and of submissions to UN treaty bodies.

International advocacy

• Follow human rights and political developments in Thailand closely, together with relevant developments in international human rights law and practice, so that TLHR’s advocacy and reporting remain current.
• Prepare periodic reporting to international consortia and partners, to deadline.
• Draft briefing papers and case updates for diplomatic missions and international organizations.
• Deliver oral briefings to diplomatic missions and international organizations, in person and online.
• Coordinate with international partner organizations and academic institutions, and with Thai civil society organizations where joint international submissions or statements are involved, on joint work including joint petitions and submissions, trial observation, and collaborative research projects.
• Maintain the English-language presentation of TLHR’s case data for international audiences.
• Support engagement with UN mechanisms, including coordination of submissions and follow-up.
• Prepare narrative reports on international advocacy activities and outcomes for program and donor reporting.

Working relationships

• Reports to the International Advocacy Lead.
• Works regularly with TLHR lawyers on research questions arising in live cases, documentation officers on case data and figures, and the program team on planning and reporting.
• Represents TLHR to diplomatic missions, international organizations, and UN human rights mechanisms.
• Works with international partner organizations and academic institutions, and with Thai civil society organizations where joint international submissions or statements are involved.

Who we are looking for

Essential

• A law degree, and demonstrated ability in legal research and analysis.
• At least 3 years of relevant professional experience, or 2 years with demonstrated experience representing an organization before external audiences.
• Familiarity with UN human rights mechanisms—treaty bodies, Special Procedures, the Universal Periodic Review.
• Excellent written English and excellent written Thai, and the ability to work between them: to read judgments, treaty materials, and scholarship in English, and to produce written work that Thai lawyers can use.
• Confident spoken English, with demonstrated experience presenting to or representing an organization before external audiences. This role will deliver briefings to diplomatic missions, international organizations, and UN mechanisms.
• The ability to manage several workstreams at once. Research requests, recurring reporting, submissions, and advocacy meetings run on different timelines and for different audiences. You will be expected to plan and sequence your own work rather than be managed task by task.
• The ability to work effectively with colleagues across the organization.
• Reliability against fixed deadlines. A significant part of this role is recurring reporting that must be delivered on time, every time.
• Discretion and sound judgment. This role handles client information, case details, and confidential communications with partners and diplomatic missions, and speaks on TLHR’s behalf—which requires care about what can be shared, with whom, and when, and about staying within TLHR’s agreed positions.
• Initiative. You will be given priorities rather than instructions. This role is expected to identify what needs doing and act on it—proposing research, spotting openings at international mechanisms, raising problems early, and bringing ideas rather than waiting for them.
• Commitment to human rights, and comfort working on politically sensitive cases.

Desirable

• A postgraduate qualification in international human rights law, public international law, or comparative constitutional law.
• Prior experience in litigation, legal aid, or a human rights organization.
• Experience preparing material for diplomatic or international audiences.

How to apply

Send a CV, a short covering letter, and one writing sample of no more than 1,500 words demonstrating legal research and analysis, to click or https://forms.gle/SyhWqbGkPTCm8hGGA  by 31 October 2026.

Shortlisted candidates will be asked to complete a short research exercise, and to give a five-minute oral briefing followed by questions at interview.

For further inquiries, please contact Recruitment@tlhr2014.com