Principal Litigation Solicitor

Overview

Allen Lane are supporting Mid Sussex District Council on their recruitment for a permanent Principal Litigation Solicitor to join their team.

The legal service supports the Monitoring Officer function and the Council as a whole, ensuring decisions made by all parts of the Council are legally robust and bearing statutory responsibility for the legal governance of the Council. This includes providing legal advice across all of the Council’s functions and, where advice cannot be sourced in-house, working with external solicitors and/or specialist counsel. We provide support for the delivery of the Council’s statutory and non-statutory functions including taking legal action where required.

Responsibilities

The contentious Senior Solicitor will:

• Provide legal advice, representation, and assistance across the Council to Members and staff colleagues on all necessary aspects of licensing, environmental health, housing, debt recovery, judicial review, and general litigation matters including at court, committees and public meetings where required.
• Understand the role of Legal Services and contribute to the delivery of the Legal team’s Service Plan and the Council’s Corporate Plan.
• Contribute to, and assist in, the effective operational management of the Legal Services team to deliver a high quality and cost-effective legal service.

Main Duties & Responsibilities

• Be a trusted adviser to Members and colleagues in specialist knowledge areas, and at all levels of the organisation
• Take day to day management responsibility for supporting, developing, coaching and mentoring staff
• Manage an ongoing legal caseload with minimal supervision
• Represent or support the Council at legal proceedings and Inquiries (either with or without Counsel)
• Undertake continuing professional development as required and maintain an up-to-date knowledge of all relevant legislation and case law
• Exhibit and promote the highest professional work standards throughout the team
• Contribute to required policy development across the Council
• Attend statutory and Committee meetings as required as legal adviser and on behalf of the Monitoring Officer

Qualifications

• Fully qualified Solicitor, Barrister or Chartered Legal Executive / Relevant professional qualification (Essential)
• Membership of other relevant professional bodies (Desirable)
• Working knowledge of managing complex matters in the various areas of specialism in a local government context, in particular environmental health, licensing, housing, judicial review, and both civil and criminal Litigation (Essential)
• Proven knowledge of the local government statutory framework and relevant current and emerging legislation, case law, guidance and best practice (Desirable)
• Scrutiny and implementation of new Legislation (Essential)

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