Legal Officer First-tier Tribunal in Leicester

General Information

Salary

£35,335 – £37,847

Working Pattern

Full Time, Part Time, Part Time/Job Share, Flexible Working

Vacancy Approach

External

Location

Leicester

Region

East Midlands

Closing Date

16-Jan-2026

Post Type

Permanent

Civil Service Grade

HEO

Number of jobs available

3

Reserve List

12 Months

Job ID

13187

Descriptions & requirements

Job description

Proud to serve. Proud to keep justice going.

Our Legal Officers play a critical role in helping deliver justice. If you\’re intent on serving the public by delivering excellent service, and are enthusiastic about working with the judiciary, then this role gives you the opportunity to play a pivotal role within HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS).

About us

Part of HMCTS, the Tribunals Directorate is responsible for the effective administration of Tribunals in England and Wales and non-devolved Tribunals in Scotland and Northern Ireland. We work with an independent judiciary across a wide range of jurisdictions to provide a fair, efficient and effective justice system.

We would like to highlight that this is an office-based position, and the successful candidate will be expected to attend the below office in person:

Sovereign House

Leicester

LE1 6TR

Your role

Working within a Regional Hearing Centre (RHC), you will support the effective administration of Tribunals business on a national scale by undertaking a range of complex case work and assessment activity in order to determine how best to advance caseloads and remove any barriers to effective and timely case progression.

Working independently with the support of a wider team, you will make informed decisions on how best to process appeals allowing all better access to justice. Under the supervision of a Senior Legal Officer and leadership judiciary, the Legal Officer will make case management decisions as part of their delegated judicial powers. A Legal Officer will liaise with key stakeholders and HMCTS colleagues to ensure the effective administration of justice.

About you

Are you able to reflect on an issue and take an informed and impartial approach to your work, making evidence-based decisions? If you do, this varied and challenging role is for you.

A confident communicator and decision maker, you will use your skills and abilities to effectively work and engage with all court users. You\’ll understand the importance of impartial decision making, and the need to understand a wide range of information at pace. You\’ll have the ability to communicate with multiple levels of stakeholders internal and external to the Tribunal, with varying communication methods and the ability to adapt your communication to your audience.

For a full job description, please read supporting document and candidate pack included below before applying.

Experience

A law degree or equivalent technical experience is desirable.

The equivalent technical experience has been defined as:

\”The demonstration of a transferable decision-making aptitude, working within a set framework or guidance and previous precedents, under a form of supervision\”

Further details

New recruits to the Civil Service joining MoJ are expected to join at the band minimum.

These operational roles are customer facing, requiring successful applicants to be office based to provide HMCTS services to the public. Non-contractual hybrid working may be available, but we cannot facilitate requests for a particular work from home/working in the office schedule.

Standard full time working hours are 37 hours per week (Monday – Friday). HMCTS welcomes part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns, w they meet the demands of the role and business needs and are agreed prior to appointment. All applications for part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns will be considered in accordance with the MoJ\’s Flexible Working policy.

Occasional travel to other courts

For this post, occasional travel to other sites may be required

Skilled Worker Visa

From 22 July 2025, the Government increased the salary threshold and skills level for Skilled Worker visas. This role does not meet the eligibility criteria for sponsorship in accordance with the current immigration rules if you looking to apply for a Skilled Worker Visa for the first time.

The Department cannot consider sponsoring you for this role unless you have held a Skilled Worker visa continuously since before 22 July 2025. If you have held a Skilled Worker visa continuously, please raise this during your vetting checks and eligibility will be assessed in accordance with the immigration rules and transitional provisions in place.

If you are applying for this role and you do not meet the new eligibility criteria for sponsorship (or the transitional provisions), you will need to consider your options for obtaining and/or maintaining your right to work in the UK in light of these changes. Successful applicants must ensure they have and maintain the legal right to live and work in the Civil Service and in the United Kingdom.

The Department will continue to comply with UK Immigration Rules applied in the UK and Civil Service. You can read more about Skilled Worker visas and the eligibility criteria .

Additional Information

Working Arrangements & Further Information

The MoJ offers Hybrid Working arrangements w business need allows. This is an informal, non-contractual form of flexible working that blends working from your base location, different MoJ sites and / or from home (please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas). All employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estate capacity.

Some roles will not be suitable for Hybrid Working. Similarly, Hybrid Working will not suit everyone\’s circumstances. Arrangements will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate(s) and subject to regular review.

For nationally advertised role: all successful candidates will be appointed to the nearest viable office nearest to their home postcode and on its respective pay scale. This will be at either a HQ building (subject to desk allocation, a Justice Collaboration Centre (JCC) or a Justice Satellite Office (JSO) – See Map. All employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estate capacity).

For current MoJ employees, your base location will need to be changed to the nearest viable office (to your home postcode), either at a HQ building, JCC or JSO within the National Office Network and moved its location\’s respective pay scale (any legacy arrangements/locations will need to be amended).

Some of MoJ\’s terms and conditions of service are changing as part of Civil Service reform. The changes will apply to staff joining MoJ who are new to the Civil Service. Staff joining MoJ from other civil service employers will