Criminal Solicitor in England

Location: England & Wales – Flexible working with nationwide travel. Our head office is in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Who We Are

Holborn Adams is a Legal 500 recognised, privately funded criminal defence firm representing clients across England and Wales. We specialise in complex, sensitive and often high-profile criminal matters, providing exceptional legal advice and client care from the police station through to the Court of Appeal.

Our clients place an enormous amount of trust in us during one of the most challenging periods of their lives. They choose Holborn Adams because of our reputation for combining first-class legal representation with genuine empathy, honesty and outstanding client care. We take the time to understand every client's circumstances and carefully match them with the solicitor we believe is best placed to support them.

We're looking for a Criminal Defence Solicitor to join our growing team.

The Role

You'll manage your own caseload of privately funded criminal matters, advising and representing clients from the earliest stages of a criminal investigation through to the conclusion of proceedings. Working alongside an experienced and supportive team, you'll undertake a broad range of work including police station attendance, client conferences, case preparation, Crown Court proceedings and, where appropriate, appeals.

As a privately funded practice, our clients rightly expect an exceptional level of service. We know that being arrested, or having a loved one arrested, rarely happens during office hours. That's why we operate a shared out-of-hours on-call rota, providing urgent advice and representation when our clients need us most, including attending police station interviews outside normal working hours. Participation in the on-call rota forms part of this role. Outside of your allocated on-call periods, we don't expect you to be available around the clock. However, we do expect all of our solicitors to take ownership of the client experience by communicating well, managing expectations and providing reassurance when it's needed.

No two days are the same, and you'll have the opportunity to work on some of the country's most interesting and rewarding privately funded criminal cases.

Location & Travel

We welcome applications from qualified solicitors based anywhere in England and Wales. Whilst our head office is in Stratford-upon-Avon, we work flexibly and our solicitors are not expected to attend the office every week. Most attend around once a month for team meetings, collaboration and training. Please note that this role involves significant nationwide travel. Our clients are based throughout England and Wales and we regularly attend police stations, courts, prisons and client meetings across the country. Travelling to support clients is an essential part of the role, and applicants should be comfortable travelling, including at short notice where required.

About You

• You'll be someone who is a qualified Solicitor with experience in criminal defence (this role is likely to suit someone with up to four years' PQE).
• Has experience of advising and representing clients during police station interviews.
• Is passionate about delivering exceptional client care and understands that communication, empathy and managing expectations are just as important as providing excellent legal advice.
• Builds trust quickly and communicates confidently with clients from all backgrounds.
• Is organised, proactive and able to manage competing priorities.
• Enjoys working collaboratively, communicates openly and isn't afraid to ask for help when they need it.
• Is happy to participate in the firm's shared out-of-hours on-call rota.
• Holds a full UK driving licence and has access to their own vehicle.

The Way We Work

Criminal defence isn't always easy. The work can be demanding, the cases can be complex, and our clients are often facing one of the most difficult periods of their lives. We have high expectations of ourselves because our clients have high expectations of us. We believe exceptional legal representation isn't just about technical ability; it's about communication, empathy, reliability and being someone our clients can trust when they need us most.

The same applies to the way we work together. We're a collaborative team who share knowledge, support one another and aren't afraid to ask for help when we need it. We work hard, celebrate each other's successes and recognise that nobody delivers their best work in isolation. Our directors are approachable, accessible and genuinely invested in the success and wellbeing of the people who work here.

In return, we offer:

• A competitive salary, dependent on experience.
• High-quality privately funded criminal work.
• Flexible working.
• Ongoing training and professional development.
• Genuine opportunities for career progression.
• A supportive team where you'll be trusted, encouraged and given the opportunity to develop.

Interested? If you're looking to build your career with a Legal 500 recognised private criminal defence firm, work on challenging and rewarding cases, and become part of a genuinely supportive team, we'd love to hear from you.