Solicitor (Head of Legal Services) in London

Location: Central London (Holborn) | Hours: Full-time

Hybrid working – minimum 3 days per week in the office

Why this role matters

We are making rights usable in real time for trans communities. As our first full-time, in-house solicitor, you will build and lead our legal function, ensure we are compliant with industry and SRA standards, and set new standards that change outcomes case by case and system by system.

TLC has four key areas:

• Discrimination across goods, services, education, housing, and public services
• Gender-based Violence including hate crime, domestic and sexual violence, and state violence
• Housing and Homelessness, including homelessness and illegal/discriminatory evictions
• Gender Recognition & Access to Healthcare – support navigating the complex legal maze of obtaining gender recognition.

Strategic Litigation Service: Using the law as a tool for structural change, we take on impact-driven cases that challenge discriminatory policies and expose systemic failures.

What you will lead

• Regulatory Leadership: Serve as the clinic's main point of contact for ensuring Compliance. You ensure adherence to the SRA and Charity Commission's Code of Conduct and maintain the firm’s compliance infrastructure.
• Saturday Clinic Oversight: Saturdays are a core working day in-office at our Holborn base. You will be the senior legal presence on-site, acting as the on-the-day quality controller for our volunteer caseworkers. This will include triage and risk management, monitoring internal file backlogs, checking for conflicts and tracking limitation dates.
• Supervision and Standards: Guide a committed cohort of volunteers. Mentor, review files and ensure all practice remains safe and effective alongside our external supervision partners.
• Partner Liaison: Coordinate directly with our supervision pro bono partners, ensuring the timely supervision and secure handling of case information.
• Service Build: Design and run a high-quality legal service. Set procedures, quality checks, and file management systems that actually get used.

You’ll thrive here if you show:

• Bold, informed judgement: You check the source, avoid assumptions, and make firm decisions.
• Ownership and follow-through: You take responsibility for files, systems, and outcomes.
• Entrepreneurial drive: You test new routes and scale what works.
• Inclusive practice: You design services that are easier and safer for our community to access.

What you will bring:

• Qualified Solicitor with Public Law Experience (if you have less than 2 years PQE, you will be required to demonstrate extensive pre-qualification experience in relevant public law areas such as Housing and/or Discrimination). Ready to lead the TLC’s legal function. The Saturday clinic is an initial advice clinic; as In House Solicitor you will provide support to the volunteer caseworkers who run the Saturday Clinic and our external supervision partners.
• The ability to inspire and lead a diverse team of volunteers.
• Commitment to Saturday working: This role requires a flexible schedule to align with our clinic hours and a willingness to attend events outside of office hours where required to promote the clinic and its work.

What we offer:

• Salary: £40,000 - £50,000 per annum depending on experience
• Annual Leave: 30 days plus bank holidays.
• Professional Fees: TLC will cover the cost of your annual SRA Practising Certificate fee.
• Location: A central base in Holborn for clinic days (Saturdays), and hybrid working across the other working days (minimum three working days in the office).

Lived Experience & Diversity: The Trans Legal Clinic is a community-led organisation. We particularly welcome applications from trans and non-binary candidates and those with lived experience of the barriers our clients face. We are committed to disability justice and will provide any necessary adjustments throughout the recruitment process and your employment.

The Selection Criteria (8 Areas of Performance)

We select candidates based on their performance in these areas:

• Ownership and follow-through: Self-starter who owns tasks to the end.
• Bold, informed judgement: Decisions based on primary sources and evidence.
• Entrepreneurial drive: Turning ideas into useful, decisive services.
• Planning under pressure: Keeping priorities straight when time is tight.
• Inclusive practice: Designing work that removes barriers for others.
• Clear communication: Plain English for clients, volunteers, and partners.
• Team building and collaboration: Drawing in and leading volunteers effectively.
• Constant learning: Reflecting on results and building better tools for the future.

How to Apply:

Please provide a CV and a personal statement outlining how you meet the 8 areas of performance and why you feel a career at the Trans Legal Clinic is the right for you. In addition, please also provide a response to the following two questions:

1. TAKING SOMETHING FROM PROBLEM TO RESULT - In 300 words, tell us about a time you spotted a problem and took the lead to fix it. What was happening, what did you do, and what changed because of your actions? Please include any way you measured the result.
2. BUILDING RESPECT AND ACCESSIBILITY INTO YOUR WORK - In 300 words, give one example where you made it easier for other groups of people to take part. What was getting in the way, what did you change, and how do you know it helped? If your example is not trans-specific, say briefly how you would apply the same approach in a trans-led context.

Deadline for Applications: 31st July 2026. We operate a rolling recruitment process and will be reviewing and shortlisting applications as they are received. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of suitable applicants. We encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible. Should you wish to discuss the role, please contact Nerys (Interim Head of Legal Services).