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- Tasks: Provide practical legal advice and support across various legal disciplines.
- Company: Join Harlow Council's dynamic Legal Services team.
- Benefits: Enjoy flexible work arrangements, health initiatives, and generous leave.
- Other info: Opportunities for professional growth and a positive work/life balance.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on public services while developing your legal expertise.
- Qualifications: Degree-level qualification or equivalent experience in public service legal.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 £ per year.
Working hours: 37.5 hours per week (banking 30 minutes per week towards the shut down between Christmas and New Year). Harlow Council is seeking a motivated and adaptable Assistant Solicitor, CILEX Lawyer or Barrister to join our busy Legal Services team. This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in delivering innovative, commercially sound and effective legal services that protect and support the Council's interests. You'll work across a wide range of legal disciplines, contributing to both contentious and non-contentious work, and supporting service areas across the Council with expert, solution focused advice.
What You'll Be Doing
- Provide clear, practical legal advice and support to Officers, Members and client departments on legislation, case law and best practice.
- Undertake a wide range of non-contentious work, including commercial landlord and tenant work and residential conveyancing, Right to Buy sales, freehold acquisition and disposal of land.
- Support departments to ensure compliance with guidance, protocols and legislative changes.
- Undertake residential and commercial conveyancing, drafting all documents to completion.
- Support a range of property matters, including ancillary work such as deeds of variation and rectification.
- Maintain up-to-date legal knowledge, attend relevant forums, and deliver training as needed.
We also support a range of flexible arrangements to help balance work and personal life and provide health and wellbeing initiatives and an employee assistance programme.
Qualifications and Experience
- Degree-level qualification or equivalent experience.
- Knowledge and experience of working within a public service legal department.
- Strong knowledge of legislation relevant to local government, and experience delivering service objectives within a public service legal environment.
- Up-to-date awareness of legal developments and case management systems.
Skills & Abilities
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to manage your own caseload with minimum supervision and prioritise your work to meet deadlines.
- Ability to manage conflicting deadlines, respond quickly to urgent requests, and maintain concentration despite interruptions.
- Ability to interpret client needs proactively and provide clear, actionable legal solutions.
About Disability Confident: A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people.
Working at Harlow Council means joining a team dedicated to delivering high-quality public services while supporting your professional development. You'll have opportunities to broaden your expertise, contribute to meaningful civic outcomes, and play an important role in shaping the future of our legal services. We offer our employees a positive work/life balance, local government pension scheme, generous annual leave entitlement, annual professional membership fee, health and wellbeing initiatives, employee assistance programme and development opportunities, and employee benefits scheme.
Assistant Solicitor/CILEX/Barrister (1 year fixed term contract) employer: Harlow Council
Contact Detail:
Harlow Council Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Assistant Solicitor/CILEX/Barrister (1 year fixed term contract)
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the legal field, attend relevant events, and engage with professionals on platforms like LinkedIn. We all know that sometimes it’s not just what you know, but who you know that can help you land that dream role.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching Harlow Council and understanding their legal services. We recommend practising common interview questions and formulating your own questions to show your interest. This will help you stand out as a candidate who’s genuinely invested in the role.
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your skills! During interviews, be ready to discuss specific examples of how you've provided clear, practical legal advice or managed caseloads effectively. We want to see how you can contribute to the team and support the Council's interests.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets the attention it deserves. Plus, we’re always looking for motivated individuals who are ready to make a difference in our legal services team.
We think you need these skills to ace Assistant Solicitor/CILEX/Barrister (1 year fixed term contract)
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your application to highlight how your skills and experiences align with the role. We want to see how you can contribute to our Legal Services team, so don’t hold back on showcasing your relevant experience!
Show Off Your Communication Skills: Since excellent written communication is key for this role, ensure your application is clear and concise. Use straightforward language and structure your thoughts logically – we love a well-organised application!
Highlight Relevant Experience: Don’t forget to mention any specific experience you have in public service legal departments or related fields. We’re looking for candidates who can hit the ground running, so let us know what you’ve done that’s relevant!
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way to ensure your application gets to us quickly and efficiently. Plus, you’ll find all the details you need about the role there!
How to prepare for a job interview at Harlow Council
✨Know Your Legal Stuff
Make sure you brush up on relevant legislation and case law before the interview. Being able to discuss recent legal developments or specific cases related to local government will show that you're not just knowledgeable but also genuinely interested in the role.
✨Showcase Your Communication Skills
Since excellent written and verbal communication is key for this position, prepare examples of how you've effectively communicated complex legal concepts in the past. Practising clear and concise explanations will help you shine during the interview.
✨Demonstrate Your Problem-Solving Ability
Think of scenarios where you've provided actionable legal solutions in challenging situations. Be ready to discuss how you prioritised tasks and managed conflicting deadlines, as this will highlight your adaptability and organisational skills.
✨Engage with the Council's Values
Familiarise yourself with Harlow Council's mission and values. During the interview, express how your personal values align with theirs and how you can contribute to delivering high-quality public services while supporting your professional development.