Vacancies

Civitas Maxima (CM) coordinates a network of national and international lawyers and investigators who work for the interest of victims of international crimes. CM represents victims of war crimes and crimes against humanity. It operates in situations where no legal action to bring the perpetrators to justice has been successful and works in close partnership with local partners.

CM was registered in September 2012 as an association in Geneva, Switzerland, and is recognized by the Swiss authorities as a not-for-profit organization. CM is an equal opportunity employer.

For more information: http://www.civitas-maxima.org

Position:  Legal Counsel

Contract: Indeterminate contract under Swiss law, full time, 40h per week

Location: Geneva (Switzerland)

Deadline for application: June 22, 2026

Work permit: Authorization to work in Switzerland (EU national, Schengen Visa or Swiss Permit)

Personal attributes:

Respect for other cultures and value systems, flexibility, ability to work independently and take initiative;

Comfortable working with a wide range of personalities, and to interact with tact, diplomacy, and cultural sensitivity;

Ability to work efficiently under time pressure and respond to a dynamic and changing environment, skilled at prioritizing and completing multiple tasks with autonomy, while working as part of a team;

Energetic, resourceful, innovative thinker, and willing and ready to take a hands-on role;

A genuine interest in victims’ rights and comfortable working with victims of human rights abuses;

Ability and willingness to travel occasionally in challenging conditions.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Under the direct supervision of the Director, the Legal Counsel is responsible for the following tasks:

Investigation:

Assist in preparing and conducting investigations, including investigative planning, evidence collection, interviews, reporting, etc.;

Assist in field missions and logistics, as required; and

Assist in conducting open-source investigations.

Legal:

Conduct legal and/or factual research and analysis related to the case assigned;

Assist in drafting and/or draft complaints, legal memoranda, judicial acts, and any other legal documents, as required;

Assist in liaising with prosecuting authorities and/or national lawyers;

Assist in project management; and

Assist in developing litigation strategies.

Analysis:

Identify leads and advise on potential perpetrators, sources of evidence, witnesses (victims, insiders, experts or other), OSINT, documents, etc.; and

Draft analytical synthesis/reports.

Other:

Assist in day-to-day liaising with a variety of stakeholders and/or partner organizations (e.g. NGOs, international organizations, community leaders, etc.) and in establishing new partnerships, as required;

Participate in drafting detailed preparation documents, agendas, minutes, follow-up communications, etc., as required;

Assist on case management and analysis platforms to systematize evidence (current and backlog) related to international crimes, as required; 

Monitor various conflict developments and/or conduct ad-hoc research related to the main investigation and attend various events/conferences, as required;

Assist in supervising interns;

Assist in drafting SOPs, as required; and

Conduct any other tasks, as required, including possibly on other cases and/or with other Legal Counsels.

Qualifications:

Education:

Master’s degree or equivalent advanced university degree in law with a specialization in International Criminal Law, Human Rights Law, or similar;

Admission to the bar is an asset.

Work experience:

5 to 7 years’ experience in International Criminal Law, and/or International Humanitarian Law, and/or Human Rights Law, or equivalent domestic practice;

Experience building international, domestic, and/ or extraterritorial cases;

Experience with corporate accountability and/or business and human rights cases;

Experience with investigative work;

Experience representing and/or working with victims;

Significant field experience is an asset;

Experience practising in a Spanish-speaking jurisdiction is a strong asset.

Languages:

Fluent English and Spanish;

Working knowledge of French is an asset.

Skills and Abilities:

Excellent analysis, research, and drafting skills;

Opensource investigations skills;

High motivation and demonstrated interest in international justice;

Case management and excellent organizational skills;

Good ability to work with computers and proficiency in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint etc.);

Mandatory: Authorization to work in Switzerland (Only EU national, Schengen Visa or Swiss Permit).

How to apply:

To apply, send an email by June 22, 2026 to jobs@civitas-maxima.org with:

“Legal Counsel” in the title of the email;

CV and Cover Letter;

The names and contact details of two (2) references (these will only be contacted after shortlisting);

Please no phone enquiries. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

CM is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to religion or belief, race, national origins, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy, age, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Civitas Maxima (CM) coordinates a network of national and international lawyers and investigators who work for the interest of victims of international crimes. CM represents victims of war crimes and crimes against humanity. It operates in situations where no legal action to bring the perpetrators to justice has been successful and works in close partnership with local partners.

CM was registered in September 2012 as an association in Geneva, Switzerland, and is recognized by the Swiss authorities as a not-for-profit organization. CM is an equal opportunity employer.

For more information: http://www.civitas-maxima.org

Civitas Maxima is launching two Excellence Fellowships in International Criminal Law for graduates who completed a Master’s degree in International Law from a Geneva-based university in 2025 or 2026:

One fellowship is open to graduates from any Geneva-based university with a focus on international criminal law.

One fellowship is specifically reserved for graduates of the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (IHEID).

The selected fellows will join the legal team of Civitas Maxima for a two-year period and gain practical experience in the field of international criminal law.

Position: Junior Legal Fellow

Employement type: full time (40 hours/week)

Location: Geneva

Starting date: September 01, 2026

Application deadline: June 10, 2026

Qualifications:

Completion of a Master’s degree in International Law from a Geneva-based institution in 2025 or 2026 (first Fellowship) or of a diploma from the IHEID (second Fellowship);

Outstanding academic performance throughout university studies;

Demonstrated and sustained interest in international criminal law;

Excellent command of English; knowledge of Spanish, French and/or Arabic is a strong asset;

Authorization to work in Switzerland.

Personal Attributes :

Respect for different cultures, flexibility, diplomacy, and the ability to work independently and take initiative;

Ability to adapt in a dynamic environment with frequently changing priorities and to manage multiple tasks simultaneously;

Readiness to interact with victims of serious human rights abuses;

Willingness and availability to travel occasionally, sometimes in challenging conditions.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Fellows are responsible for the following tasks:

Investigation:

Assist in preparing and conducting investigations, including investigative planning, evidence collection, interviews, reporting, etc.;

Assist in conducting opensource investigations.

Legal:

Conduct legal and/or factual research and analysis related to the case assigned;

Assist in drafting and/or draft complaints, legal memoranda, judicial acts, and any other legal documents, as required.

Analysis:

Assist in identifying leads and advise on potential perpetrators, sources of evidence, witnesses (victims, insiders, experts or other), OSINT, documents, etc.; and

Assist in drafting analytical synthesis/reports.

Other:

Assist in day-to-day liaising with a variety of stakeholders and/or partner organizations (e.g. NGOs, international organizations, community leaders, etc.) and in establishing new partnerships, as required;

Participate in drafting detailed preparation documents, agendas, minutes, follow-up communications, etc., as required;

Assist on case management and analysis platforms to systematize related to international crimes, as required; 

Monitor various conflict developments and/or conduct ad-hoc research related to the main investigation and attend various events/conferences, as required.

What Civitas Maxima offers:

A dynamic environment within one of the leading organizations working on extraterritorial criminal justice for victims of mass crimes;

A unique opportunity to work on concrete cases in the field of international criminal law;

The Swiss minimum monthly salary.

How to apply:

Applications must be sent by email before 10 June 2026 to jobs@civitas-maxima.org with the following documents:

A CV and cover letter;

The names and contact details of three references (who will only be contacted if the candidate is shortlisted for interviews);

A short legal writing sample in English (maximum two pages).

Only complete applications meeting the required qualifications will be considered.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.