The International Programs Division of the National Center for State Courts is seeking to hire on a short-term basis a qualified expert in judicial or attorney bar regulation to perform a three-week assignment in April/May 2015 in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH).  Interested persons are encouraged to send an expression of interest and a resume to Timothy Hughes at thughes@ncsc.org.

In collaboration with Project staff, the expert will assist with the following activities:  (1) review disciplinary actions by Office of Disciplinary Counsel (ODC) and decisions made by High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council (HJPC) in disciplinary matters, including sanctions, (2) develop guidelines for determining and issuing appropriate disciplinary sanctions, and (3) develop an outline of contents of a benchbook for use by HJPC disciplinary committees and a handbook for ODC disciplinary counsel in processing disciplinary matters.  With Project staff assistance, the expert will review BiH regulations governing the disciplinary process and analyze disciplinary cases.  As a main deliverable, the expert will assist in developing sanctioning guidelines for use by the HJPC and ODC in the disposition of disciplinary matters.  As a secondary deliverable, the expert will assist in developing outlines of the benchbook and handbook.  The Project will provide technical support and translation assistance.  The expert should have 10 years of relevant experience in the professional regulation of judges/lawyers and in processing disciplinary cases.  Experience working abroad on international rule of law assignment is preferred, especially in BiH or similar country setting.

NCSC is implementing a five-year Justice Project in BiH, funded by the United States Agency for International Development in association with Government of BiH.  An overarching purpose of the Project is to help BiH justice sector institutions better ensure the integrity of public institutions.  The HJPC and ODC are mandated by law to oversee the professional regulation of judges and prosecutors.  The Project collaborates closely with the HJPC and ODC to strengthen the disciplinary process for judges and prosecutors with the aim of ensuring fairness and transparency, deterring misconduct through disciplinary measures, and promoting preventive educational training on ethics.