Principal Legal Officer in Leeds

Leeds City Council Legal Services is looking to recruit a full-time permanent Principal Legal Officer (PO4) to practice primarily in the area of Housing Condition/Disrepair Claims. The section solely covers the defending of Housing Condition/Disrepair claims against the Council, but it would be desirable if a candidate also had a broader experience of Housing Law.

The successful candidate will be a Solicitor or Barrister entitled to hold a practising certificate or FCILEx who will work in a lively and busy team. It is essential that the successful candidate has experience of dealing with issued Housing Disrepair matters, good interpersonal skills, is able to prioritise their own workload, act as an advocate in contested hearings and work to tight court deadlines. They must be able to work as part of a team and be flexible, enthusiastic and committed.

The post attracts local authority benefits including: access to West Yorkshire Pension Scheme; generous annual leave entitlement; training and development; flexible working, including working from home as well as Civic Hall in the Centre of Leeds.

Our council values are at the heart of everything we do:

• Being open, honest and trusted – being your best
• Treating people fairly – feeling like you count
• Spending money wisely – making every pound go further
• Working as a team for Leeds – being part of a team with a “can do” attitude
• Working with people, engaging all communities – being proud to make a difference

Leeds City Council is an award-winning and progressive authority, which works closely with local communities and businesses. At its core is the overall vision to be the Best City, to tackle poverty and inequality and improve quality of life for everyone who calls Leeds home. Having a workforce that reflects the people of Leeds is important. We value diversity and fair treatment of employees and applicants.

Our Legal Services department reflects the diversity of Leeds, and is a welcoming and inclusive team, with a positive, healthy workplace culture where everyone can be themselves. Our Lexcel accreditation demonstrates our ongoing commitment to providing a quality legal service.

Job Purpose:

The section covers the following areas of work: Housing Disrepair/Condition. The postholder will provide a high-quality, value-for-money legal service, which actively supports the delivery of the Council’s strategic objectives as set out in the Best City Ambitions. The post holder would be expected to deal with advice and contested hearings, with more complex advice and advocacy being dealt with by higher graded officers.

Responsibilities:

• Undertake a substantial personal caseload of legal professional work in the area of Housing Disrepair/Condition.
• Draft and issue court and other documentation as necessary including instructions to counsel.
• Conduct investigatory and preparatory work as necessary to ensure effective presentation of cases to court and provide advice/updates as to the progression of cases and the value of particular strategies.
• Attend court/tribunals/inquiries/appeals with counsel as instructing representative if required.
• Provide advice to clients both orally and in writing.
• Maintain an awareness of all legislative and case law developments which might impact on the work of clients and advise them as appropriate.
• Prepare and deliver training for clients and colleagues with regard to law and practice relating to their functions and work.
• Meet all professional requirements, for example and as appropriate, the SRA (Solicitors Regulation Authority) competence framework in relation to personal development and SRA Standards and Regulations.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues, knowing when to seek help and advice.

Qualifications:

Solicitor or Barrister entitled to hold a practising certificate or FCILEX. FCILEX will need to hold a Grant of Rights of Audience or a Legal Executive Advocate Certificate Civil.

PERSONAL SPECIFICATION

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS:

It is essential that the Candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria for the post within the context of the specific role duties and responsibilities:

• Able to work flexibly across different work locations and areas as appropriate.
• Plan and organise own workload, with minimum supervision, and to strict deadlines.
• Act as an advocate on behalf of the Council including dealing with contested hearings.
• Establish productive relationships with people and organisations at different levels inside and outside the Council.
• Grasp and assimilate new information quickly.
• Resolve a wide range of legal problems in a local government context.
• Draft and prepare clear and concise documents, procedures, guidance notes, reports, statements, letters and memoranda.
• Carry out effective legal research.

We welcome applications from everyone and actively seek a diverse range of applicants from all backgrounds and cultures. We particularly encourage applications from, but not limited to, women, carers, veterans as well as LGBT+, ethnically diverse, disabled and care experienced people.