Legal Representation Grants - grants guideline

07 November 2001

The European Roma Rights Center awards Legal Representation Grants and Scholarships for Romani students of law and public administration, and provides internships and externships to Romani activists on a selective basis. Applications should be sent to: Executive Director, ERRC, 1386 Budapest 62, P.O. Box 906/93, Hungary

The Legal Representation Grants

Legal Representation Grants Scheme of the ERRC provides funding to
attorneys to cover expenses incurred in the course of litigation in concrete cases involving violation of the rights of Roma. Covered expenses can include attorneys’ fees, attorneys’ travel expenses, court costs and other expenditures essential to litigation. In awarding legal representation grants, the ERRC acknowledges that the interest of the client is paramount. The ERRC will not interfere with the attorney-client relationship, and will not disclose confidential information about the case provided to ERRC by the attorney, except for information which is already public (e.g. court decisions).

Eligibility

The recipient of a legal representation grant must be an attorney who has initiated or is initiating legal action on behalf of, or in defence of, Romani clients.
Attorneys may apply for a legal representation grant directly or through an
organisation with which they are affiliated. Grant funds may not be used to pay
fees for work undertaken, or reimburse costs incurred, before an application is
received by ERRC.

Application materials 

Application materials must include, for each case:

1. A description in English of the facts and the legal status of the case, and a concise outline of the attorney’s proposed course of action;
2. Any relevant court documents (i.e. complaint, indictment or other charging instrument, court judgment, sentence, etc.);
3. A document proving that the attorney applying for the grant has been authorised by the client to act on his or her behalf;
4. A budget of projected expenses with a detailed itemisation.

 

Criteria

In evaluating grant applications, the ERRC takes into consideration a
number of factors, including:

1. whether the case raises an issue of public interest with respect to the protection of the rights of Roma;
2. whether the case constitutes a particularly grave violation of human rights;
3. the quality of legal representation to be afforded and the viability of the legal strategy proposed;
4. the potential for publicity about the case to serve a wider educational purpose.

Scholarships for Romani Students of Law or Public Administration

The European Roma Rights Center offers scholarships to eligible Romani students of law or public administration. Scholarships normally cover tuition at accredited schools, books and fees, and miscellaneous expenses related to higher education. In exceptional cases, the ERRC will also cover accommodation. Criteria for selection include academic promise, financial need and a demonstrated intention of working in the field of human rights. Recipients of scholarships are required to submit a report at the end of each semester to the ERRC indicating their academic progress. Scholarships are awarded for one year. Successful recipients are not guaranteed scholarships for the following years of study; they must  re-apply to the ERRC.

Application procedure

Each candidate for ERRC legal scholarship should submit the following:

1. A written request;
2. A certificate from an accredited higher education institution: a) confirming that the applicant is enrolled for the current academic year; b) specifying the size of tuition and exam fees for the current academic year (if applicable); and c) the applicant’s grades from the previous academic year (if applicable);
3. An itemised annual budget showing law school expenses (tuition, books, fees, etc.);
4. Name, title, and contact number/ address of at least one person who can recommend the applicant. This may include secondary school teachers, university professors, local community leaders, or others.

At some point during the scholarship period, recipients of ERRC legal scholarships are expected to perform:

a) human rights outreach work in Romani communities; or b) a human rights
internship arranged by or in co-operation with the ERRC; c) participation in ERRC summer universities. Scholarship applications will be considered once per year. Payment of scholarship fees will be transferred in two installments, the second one following certification of enrollment for the second semester.

The deadline for application for the 2001-2002 academic year has passed. The deadline for the 2002-2003 academic year is October 20, 2002. 

Note: there is no application form; please follow the guidelines above.

 

Internship programme

The ERRC offers internships to Romani persons interested in human rights
research and/or human rights law. The primary goal of this program is to train
Romani individuals in human rights work. There are two types of internships:

1. Internships at the ERRC in Budapest: Interns work on a specific project in the ERRC office supervised by ERRC staff. Since the working language at the ERRC is English, Budapest-based interns must have a sufficient command of English;
2. Internships at partner NGOs arranged and sponsored by the ERRC.

The duration of the internships will normally be between one and three months.

A final written report will be expected from the intern upon completion of the
internship.

Application forms can be obtained from the ERRC office:

Nyár u.12,
H-1072
Budapest,
Hungary

or printed from the ERRC website: (http://errc.org).

Informacia Andai Stipendia
(Grant Guidelines in Romani)

Savi aplikacia trubul bishaldi po adreso: Executive Director, European Roma Rights Center, 1386 Budapest 62, P.O. Box 906/93, Hungary

Stipendia (pokin) anda legalno representancia katar o ERRC

O ERRC pokinel avokaturenge ando gadzhikano kris, save keren zhuristichno buki pel konkretno kasurea le romenca ande shaipe vor mardipe. O ERRC pokinel
advokaturenge, pokinel o drom kana advokato musaj te zhal ando aver than, taxa
ando kriso, pokinela aver variso so si vazhno pi gadaja buki. Gadaja informacia
kaj kam lel O ERRC katar o advokato ni kam zhal maj dur andi aver organizacija vor zhurnalurea. Shaj numa kana kam kamel o Rom thai o lesko advokato. Ame xataras, so del duma o Rom le advokatosa sile numa lengi traba.

Sae kasurea, shaj te pokinel o ERRC:

Dashtisaren te len stipendia/love anda Legalno Representacia numa o avokaturea kai pitarde or keren juridikani buki ande gadzhkane Kris save marenpe andal hakaja/chachipe Romenge. O avokatura dashtisaren te bishalen aplikacia (lil, kai mangen love/stipendia) direktno kai o ERRC, vor jekh Asociacia dashtisarel te tradel anda-o avokaturengo anav. O ERRC nashtil te pokinel pala juristikani buki, kaj sas kerdi maj palal.

Dokumenturea kai trubul te traden ando ERRC:

Andi aplikacia trubul te avel skrime pe savore kasurea:

1. Trubul te phenel ando lil pe anglikani shib, (1) so kerdilas nasul (2) kon kerel buki akanak pe gadava kasurea – prokuratura, kris, vor aver juridikani institucia? Kerd’as peski vorba o sherutno katar o gazhikano kris? Phenel amenge ando lil, so si akana le kasosa. O avokato trubul te phenel ando lil, so si leski strategia – sar ov kerela buki andi gadzhikani Kris;
2. Te shon/te traden juridikane dokumenturea katar o gadzhikano kris;
3. Jekh lil, katar o Rom, kai phenel shaj ov kamel Avokato, kai te kerel buki anda leste (autorizacia/deklaracia/authorization);
4. Jekh budzheto kai te hramon/iskrin tumare pokinimata kai si trubulne po gadava kasurea.

I kriteria andai aplikacia:

Sar o ERRC kerel evaluacia ke trubul te del le advokatos love:

1. Te shai o juridiko kaso/proceso vazdel bare/vazhno/importantno problemi, po shaipe/chachipe le romengo;
2. Si o juridiko kaso/proceso vazhno/importantno (jekh mis’al: mardipe, kera dine jag le gazhendar, mardipe le zhandarendar/policia, thaj aver nasul badimata);
3. Si lasho o advokato vor na? Sode lashi si e kvalifikacia? thaj si lashi leski strategia;
4. Sar xakaren, isi gadala kasurea lasho te iskrin vor te keren reklama andi gazeta vor ando zhurnalo?

Stipendia anda Roma kai shai sile studenturea ande avokaturengi Universitacea

O shai pokinel stipendia (scholarship) e studenturenge rom kai sikion andi Avokaturengi Universitacea (law school/juristichno shkola) thai andi publika administraciki Universitatea. I stipendia, sili pe jekh bersh thai shai, pokinelape studenturenge kai sikeon andi shkola, kai sila akreditacia, katar o Ministery la Edukatiako. O ERRC pokinel anda lila, shkolaki taxa, pokinel thai i anda aver bukea, kai si pashi-e po studenturenge sikimos. Numa andai specialna situacia, shai te pokinel i ker. El studenturea, trubun te skrin dui (2) lila. Pirvo/jekhto kai o dopash le bershesko; duito kai o shero le bershesko, kana shai gotina/ gata/gotova i shkola. Ando lil trubul te iskrin sar sikyon andi shkola, mishto vor na mishto, taj trubul te iskrin, so sikyon. Te pokinel o ERRC o duito bersh, o studenturea musai te iskrin nevi aplikatia, thai te traden la ando ERRC.

Hramomaski prokedura karing o ERRC:

Fiesavo kandidato/studento trubul te tradel mai but lila kai o koordonatori le
programosko:

1. Jekh formalno mangipe (lil);
2. Jekh lil (dokumento) katar e shkola kai si sikyol o studento; aver lil kai sikavel e legalna akiditacea universitoski; aver kai sikavel sode love trubul te pokinel ando jekh bersh andai e shkola; aver lil katar o direktora shkolaki andal resultatura sikimaske;
3. Jekh budzheto kai kam sikavel sode love kerel taxa shkolaki, lila, tai aver shkolaki trubuimata po jekh bersh;
4. Trubul te iskrin o anav le manushesko, lesko adreso thai o lesko telefon, sao dashtil te iskril jekh rekomendacia pe gadva studento. Gadava manush shai t’avel profesor andai shkola, profesor andai universiteto, tai sherutno andai organizacia, vor aver manusha

El studenturea trubul (musai) te keren praktika po shaipe (chachipe-human rights) ande romane gava/foro andi vreamia le milaeski, vor kai o ERRC, vor ando aver asociacia varikaj, vor participacia andi ERRC milajeskoro
universitetura. Si sar te kheren participacija ande e milajesko universiteto. Tumare aplikacije vash tumaro pokimos love ka dikhen pes jekh var ande e bersh. E love kalempes duj drom, numa o dujto drom kana trubul telen e love musaj te avel tumen certificato kajpiren pe dujto semestro.

Nashe o agor vash tumare aplikacije pala o shkolaki bersh 2001-2002. O ERRC ka phenel tumenge o agor vash tumare aplikacije pala o shkolaki bersh 2002-2003 pe vrama.

Te džanen: akate nashti te arakhen aplikacijaki forma, numa len andre euprune instrukcije kana ta hramosaren akhate.

 

Praktika kai o ERRC

O ERRC kerel praktika e rromenge kai sile intereso ando rodipe thai  zakonurengo manushengo shaipe. Gadaja programa sili individualno buki andel
manushengi shaipe taj zakonurea.

Si dui tipurea praktikaki:

1. Praktika andi ERRC andai Budapesta, kam od studento kerel buki le  manushenca ando ERRC. I buki trubul te avel pi anglikani shib;
2. Or praktika ande aver kam organizacija kam pokinel ERRC. I praktika dasarel te avel mashkar o 1 shon thai zhi kai o 3 shona.

Kana muntuil pe e praktika, o studento musaj te
iskril jekh lil ando ERRC andai leski buki so kerd’av andai e praktika.

Applikaciaki forma shai lel pes katar o ERRC ofiso
(Nyár u.12, H-1072 Budapest, Hungary), vai shai arakhen po ERRC websajto
(http://errc.org).