Immigration and Public Law Supervising Solicitor (mat leave cver)

Main Duties and Responsibilities

The post holder will share responsibility with the whole Asylum Aid legal team, and partner organisations to ensure that:

• There is a clear focus on agreed priority areas of work and that cases are taken on in line with those priorities.
• Relevant stakeholders are engaged in developing the work so that they can participate as effectively as possible.
• Asylum Aid does not duplicate work being delivered elsewhere but is able to collaborate with external partners where appropriate.
• The lessons and successes of Asylum Aid are disseminated outside the team and are able to be applied as widely as possible.

Casework

Following an Independent Peer Review, Asylum Aid’s casework has been rated as ‘excellent’. The post holder will, with support from the team, be expected to:

• Provide high quality advice and representation for clients, NGOs, practitioners and other groups as appropriate.
• Conduct and co-ordinate immigration/asylum/public law casework and litigation on behalf of organisations and individuals.
• Coordinate law clinic programmes together with other Asylum Aid staff.
• Conduct legal and country background research where necessary.
• Record all work undertaken, using Asylum Aid’s case management system, and prepare cases for billing to ensure all income is accounted for accurately and in a timely manner.

If the postholder holds Supervisor accreditation, and is appointed as a Supervisor, your responsibilities will include the full responsibilities of a Supervisor, including responsibilities for the work of people under their supervision. The post holder will be expected to carry out their casework with a high degree of professionalism, and in such a way as to meet relevant external standards (e.g. Law Society, Solicitors Regulation Authority, Immigration Advice Authority and Lexcel). They will also be expected to meet performance targets in relation to time recording/chargeable hours.

Training and Information Work

The post holder will share responsibility with the other members of the legal team to:

• Develop and disseminate relevant information on legal developments in their area of work/expertise to relevant stakeholders, supported by the team.
• Attend and contribute to both internal meetings and relevant external meetings.
• Prepare and deliver training on areas of their work/expertise.

Administration

The post holder will:

• Contribute to the fulfilment of any reporting requirements to funders, the LAA, Asylum Aid management team and others.
• Undertake general administration.
• Represent the MLP team and Asylum Aid externally as necessary.
• Undertake other tasks appropriate to the role as necessary.
• Attend Asylum Aid staff, and any relevant meetings of the Helen Bamber Foundation Group when necessary.
• Occasionally travel outside the UK at short notice and be willing to work outside office hours where necessary.
• Record their own work, using Asylum Aid’s case management system, and participate in the evaluation and review of the wider team at Asylum Aid.
• Participate in the procedures developed in response to Lexcel requirements e.g. regularly reviewing and recording review of own files.

Teamwork, Decision Making and Management

The post holder will be expected to attend all Asylum Aid staff meetings and any relevant meetings of the Helen Bamber Foundation Group and participate in consultation and decision making. They will carry out their duties in accordance with Asylum Aid’s policies, working closely with all Asylum Aid staff and relevant Helen Bamber Group Foundation staff.

General

• Commitment to Asylum Aid’s ethos and mission.
• Maintaining the values of the charity and positively promoting the work and activities of the charity at all times.
• Undertaking any task that may be requested from time to time that may be consistent with the nature and scope of this post.
• Championing diversity and inclusion in your role at all times.

All Asylum Aid staff who are solicitors have a responsibility to support casework supervision of non-legally qualified staff and comply with the Solicitors Accounts rules in accordance with the professional practice rules for solicitors.