Senior Lawyer - Housing and Litigation

A bit about us Liverpool is home to vibrant, energetic, and engaged communities, people who take real ownership of their local area and are passionate about making our city a better place. We've got ambitious targets to meet and we need people who are driven, dynamic and ready to deliver the very best for our communities. Public service is more important than ever, and this role represents a real opportunity to make a difference to our communities by transforming the way we work and placing our residents at the heart of everything we do. Working at Liverpool City Council provides an opportunity to contribute to your community and make a positive impact on the lives of residents. Our values shape how we work to deliver public services, and how we communicate with the residents we serve. We care about the best outcomes for local people, through our public services. We are proud of our world-famous thriving city with its rich culture, as well as affordable housing, good schools, beautiful green spaces – there’s really something for everyone!

Responsibilities

• Manage a full caseload of complex and often sensitive legal matters within one or more specialisms of the team.
• Provide expert knowledge and understanding of the law relating to Housing and Civil Litigation, and knowledge of one or more of the other areas of law covered by the team.
• Have personal responsibility for a caseload of complex and non‑complex legal work, acting as a subject matter expert with appropriate support and supervision from a Head of Law.
• Lead and develop a team of Lawyers who conduct matters relating to Housing and Civil litigation and other areas of law where required.
• Help supervise and contribute to the development of Trainee Solicitors.
• Report to the Head of Law for the Adult Social Care and Litigation team.
• Provide proactive, solution‑focused advice that supports the delivery of the Council’s priorities and policies.
• Advise on legal matters relevant to public and local government law, including executive and committee decision‑making, information governance and public law challenges.
• Advise members and formal decision‑making bodies including Cabinet, Council, committees and overview and scrutiny in respect of the team’s specialism and as required by the Director and their Deputy Director.
• Support the Director of Law & Governance in their role as Monitoring Officer and promote the Nolan Principles, escalating matters as appropriate.
• Externally commission legal work for the Council where required, ensuring value for money and high‑quality advice and representation.
• Play an active role in ensuring the team, service and the wider Council is aware of current and proposed law and practice affecting the Council.
• Participate in the delivery of projects and programmes in Legal Services and/or corporately as required.
• Support the Head of Law with the development of legal procedures and policies.

Our offer to you

• At least 31 days holiday, plus bank holidays, rising to 35 after 5 years’ service (pro‑rata if part time) – option to purchase further days.
• Agile working (role dependent) – a “Flexibility First” approach.
• Part of the Local Government Pension Scheme – option to join the AVC Scheme.
• Progression – opportunities and training through a wide range of high‑quality learning.
• Health and wellbeing – offer including Employee Assistance Programme.
• Cycle to Work and Travel Pass Schemes.
• Drive Time – a salary sacrifice car lease scheme.
• Family‑friendly policies with enhanced leave.
• Discounted gym memberships.
• Employee volunteering scheme.

Next steps

• Closing date: midnight on Monday 25 May 2026
• Interview date: to be confirmed
• Interview type: face‑to‑face

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early. Once the role has closed, you will not be able to submit an application, and we are unable to reopen the vacancy for you to complete it. We strongly recommend submitting your application well in advance of the closing date to avoid disappointment. If you would like any further information or an informal discussion, please contact Rosie Warren via rosie.warren@liverpool.gov.uk.

Liverpool City Council is committed to fostering a workforce representative of the communities we serve. As an Equal Opportunities Employer, we believe in appointing candidates based on their skills, experience, qualifications, and abilities. To support this commitment, we guarantee an interview to candidates from under‑represented groups who meet the minimum essential criteria for the role. If you require any reasonable adjustments in line with the Equality Act 2010, such as an application form in a different format or additional time to complete your application, please contact us at recruitment@liverpool.gov.uk.

Eligibility to work in the UK will be verified in the final stages of the selection process. All candidates must either already have a right to work in the UK before commencing employment or meet the Home Office criteria for visa sponsorship. Candidates who require sponsorship should evaluate the Home Office eligibility criteria for a Skilled Worker visa before applying.