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For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Advise on complex planning projects and manage your own caseload.
- Company: Join a supportive firm focused on sustainable legal practice.
- Benefits: Gain early exposure to high-quality work with partner support.
- Other info: Opportunity for professional growth in a dynamic team.
- Why this job: Shape the built environment while balancing career and wellbeing.
- Qualifications: Newly qualified to 5 years’ PQE in planning law.
The predicted salary is between 40000 - 50000 £ per year.
Work on complex planning and development projects. Advise high-quality clients. Build your career with balance.
The Opportunity
We are looking for a Planning Solicitor with up to 5 years’ PQE to join our specialist team, advising on a broad range of complex and high-value planning matters. You will support a diverse client base including high-net-worth individuals, developers, landowners, businesses and public sector organisations on projects that shape the built and natural environment. Working closely with highly experienced colleagues and partners, you will gain early exposure to sophisticated work, strategic decision-making and client relationships from the outset.
This role offers the opportunity to develop broad expertise across planning law, including applications and appeals, enforcement, judicial review and infrastructure matters, while building a long-term career in a firm that combines high-quality work with a more balanced and sustainable approach to practice. Alongside supporting the wider team, you will manage your own caseload and take real responsibility for matters, with direct partner support and mentoring throughout your development.
What You Will Be Doing
You will advise on a wide range of planning and development matters, including:
- Planning applications, appeals and objections
- Section 106 agreements and highways agreements (s38/s278)
- High Court challenges and Judicial Review
- Enforcement, prosecutions and lawfulness matters, including Certificates of Lawfulness
- Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPO), village greens and public rights of way
- Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) and Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) matters
You will work across both contentious and non-contentious matters, providing clear, commercially focused advice tailored to clients’ objectives.
What Sets This Role Apart
- Partner-led from day one: You will work directly with partners from the outset, gaining exposure and experience that many solicitors take years to access elsewhere.
- High-quality work: Our matters are complex, high-value and often bespoke, delivered to the standards clients would expect from much larger firms.
- A more balanced way of working: We believe exceptional legal work should be delivered sustainably. Our approach to workload and billing supports long-term career development without compromising wellbeing.
About You
We are looking for a confident, commercially minded solicitor who is keen to develop within a specialist planning team. You will:
- Be newly qualified up to 5 years’ PQE
- Have experience in planning law across contentious and non-contentious matters
- Demonstrate a commercial approach and the ability to work to deadlines
- Be confident managing multiple matters and delivering excellent client service
- Have strong communication skills and be comfortable working with a broad range of clients
- Have excellent attention to detail and a commitment to quality
- Experience in environmental, energy or regulatory matters would be beneficial, but is not essential.
You will also be willing to contribute to business development and marketing activity where appropriate.
If you are looking to build your planning law career within a supportive, high-performing team that combines quality work with a sustainable approach to practice, we would love to hear from you.
NQ Planning Solicitor in Chester employer: Sellick Partnership
Contact Detail:
Sellick Partnership Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land NQ Planning Solicitor in Chester
✨Network Like a Pro
Get out there and connect with people in the planning law field! Attend industry events, join relevant groups on LinkedIn, and don’t be shy about reaching out to professionals for a chat. Building relationships can open doors to opportunities that aren’t even advertised.
✨Show Off Your Skills
When you get the chance to meet potential employers, make sure to highlight your experience in planning law. Share specific examples of projects you've worked on or challenges you've overcome. This will help you stand out as a candidate who’s ready to hit the ground running.
✨Be Proactive
Don’t just wait for job openings to pop up! Reach out to firms directly, especially those you admire. Express your interest in their work and ask if they have any upcoming opportunities. Sometimes, the best jobs are created when you show genuine enthusiasm.
✨Apply Through Our Website
If you see a role that excites you, apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, we love seeing candidates who take the initiative to engage with us directly. Let’s build your career together!
We think you need these skills to ace NQ Planning Solicitor in Chester
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV reflects the skills and experiences that align with the Planning Solicitor role. Highlight any relevant planning law experience, especially in contentious and non-contentious matters, to show us you’re the right fit.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you're passionate about planning law and how your background makes you a great addition to our team. Don’t forget to mention your interest in working on complex projects!
Showcase Your Communication Skills: As a Planning Solicitor, strong communication is key. In your application, demonstrate your ability to convey complex legal concepts clearly and concisely. This will help us see how you can effectively advise our diverse client base.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you don’t miss out on any important updates from our team during the process!
How to prepare for a job interview at Sellick Partnership
✨Know Your Planning Law
Brush up on your knowledge of planning law, especially the areas mentioned in the job description like Section 106 agreements and judicial reviews. Being able to discuss these topics confidently will show that you're not just familiar with the basics but are ready to dive into complex matters.
✨Showcase Your Client Management Skills
Prepare examples of how you've managed client relationships or handled multiple cases simultaneously. This role requires excellent client service, so demonstrating your ability to juggle responsibilities while maintaining quality will set you apart.
✨Ask Insightful Questions
Come prepared with questions that show your interest in the firm’s approach to planning law and their commitment to work-life balance. Asking about their mentoring process or how they support career development can highlight your eagerness to grow within the team.
✨Demonstrate Commercial Awareness
Be ready to discuss how planning decisions impact clients' objectives and the broader community. Showing that you understand the commercial implications of legal advice will resonate well with the interviewers and align with their focus on delivering tailored, commercially focused advice.