Legal Officer

You will advise on a range of legal issues across the Army. As a Legal Officer, you will have a challenging and interesting career with opportunities which few other legal practices can offer.

Army Legal Services (ALS) Officers are barristers and solicitors who are qualified in England & Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland. They perform a range of crucial tasks, from prosecuting at court martial to advising senior commanders. ALS officers practise law without timesheets or billable hours targets. There is opportunity for worldwide travel, delivering legal advice in interesting and challenging environments. There is a structured career with the chance for promotion up to Major General and to gain post-graduate qualifications funded by the Army. ALS officers are also given opportunities to keep up with their CPD through attendance at a number of internal and external courses, play sport for the Adjutant General’s Corps and the Army, and go on adventure training including skiing, cycling and hiking.

Providing Military Legal Support To The Army

Army Legal Services (ALS) is a specialist all-Officer branch of the Adjutant General's Corps. ALS is comprised of professionally qualified solicitors, barristers and Scottish advocates.

• Operational law - Advising senior commanders on operational law, including detention, targeting and rules of engagement. This takes place both during the planning stages of exercises and operations and whilst deployed on the ground.
• Prosecutions - Management and progression of cases at the Service Prosecuting Authority from initial referral to trial, including making charging decisions, dealing with evidential issues and disclosure, and prosecuting cases at Court Martial.
• Advisory law - Training and advising officers and soldiers from other parts of the Army on discipline and administrative action, advising on health and safety and employment law (amongst other areas), and preparing publications to support the Chain of Command.

At the date of joining, you must be a qualified solicitor or barrister in the jurisdictions of England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland. ALS only recruits those that are fully qualified; however, you may begin your application whilst you are still undergoing your training. Those undergoing a training contract, qualifying work experience or a pupillage can apply up to 9 months prior to qualification. Some people join the ALS as newly qualified lawyers, and some serve for many years in private practice before joining.

Step 1 You will spend nine months training before going to your first legal role. During your first two weeks, you will conduct your initial training and administration at the Directorate of Army Legal Services. Then you go to the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS) to do a Commissioning Course Short for eight weeks. You will be taught leadership and military skills.

Step 2 Following that, you will be attached to a combat arms unit for three months, in order to learn more about how the Army operates on the ground on a day-to-day basis, to practice the skills you learnt at RMAS and to develop your contextual understanding of the advice that you will be giving.

Step 3 You will then move onto your legal training, which takes place over approximately 6 - 8 weeks. You will be given a basic introduction to the main areas of law that the ALS covers. Following this, you will be sent into your first role.

Qualifications you could get after training

• Higher Rights of Audience (Criminal Courts)
• Master of Laws LLM in International Law, or other relevant subject of your choosing

You will join the Army as a Captain on a minimum salary of £50,540 a year. 30 days annual leave, plus bank holidays. Free medical and dental care. Free use of military gyms. Subsidised accommodation. Opportunities for participation in sports and adventure travel.

How to Apply If you’ve got your qualifications, then apply online. Your application will be passed to our specialist team, who will help guide you through the process towards joining in this role. You do not need to have particular knowledge or experience in order to join the ALS. We encourage applications from all sectors of legal practice and specialist legal training will be provided to you when you join to give you the knowledge required for your roles in the ALS. When applying for the ALS, it may be helpful to have some examples of times when you have worked well in a team, which could include volunteering, work/educational projects or sports. You will also be expected to demonstrate good knowledge of current affairs and the potential impact of these on the work that we do.