Solicitor – Public Law (Migrant Support)

Are you passionate about ensuring access to justice for individuals against public authorities? Are you ready to take the next step in your career to enhance our public law team?

We are looking for a Solicitor or Legal Executive, who is able to meet the Legal Aid Agency supervisor requirements for the public law category to join our well-established and friendly social welfare department.

We act for clients in a range of private and public law matters covering housing, community care, Court of Protection and migrant support issues.  We are committed to acting for individuals who want to enforce their rights against the state.  We want to grow our migrant support work in particular, and you will be a key part of that growth.

Role Overview

You will be experienced in all aspects of public law including judicial review proceedings. Ideally, you will have recent experience of migrant support issues such as disputes about accommodation and support with the Home Office and local authorities, age assessments, leaving care duties and trafficking.

You will need to share our commitment to access to justice, have good knowledge of the legal aid scheme and have the skills to provide supervision to a growing team of junior lawyers. You will have a desire to grow as a lawyer and enhance the department. Marketing and networking skills are important to help to develop the team.

Key Responsibilities

• Carrying out all allotted casework, promptly and efficiently.
• Communicating clearly and regularly with clients, complying with ‘client care’ requirements.
• Keeping up to date with general legal developments, particularly relating to own specialist field(s).
• Ensuring that time spent on all casework is promptly recorded and on conclusion of cases that they are billed, and payment is recorded promptly.
• Dealing with all routine correspondence, negotiations and advocacy, where appropriate.
• Working closely with colleagues in other departments to provide a holistic service to clients.
• Analysing legal matters and advising clients of appropriate course of action.
• Undertaking appropriate administrative tasks in accordance with the Office Manual to help to ensure smooth functioning of department and efficient casework and billing.
• Providing supervision where appropriate and/or reporting to supervisors when supervision required.

Skills/Knowledge Requirements

• Experience and knowledge of a full range of public law (migrant support) work (disputes about accommodation and support with the Home Office and local authorities, age assessments, leaving care duties and trafficking)
• Able to meet the LAA supervisor requirements for public law
• Good working knowledge of the legal aid scheme and CCMS
• Ability to communicate effectively with the firm’s client group (ie excellent oral, telephone and written communication skills)
• Commercial awareness (particularly of the need for fee-earners to meet a reasonable fees target to ensure the firm’s financial sustainability)
• Ability to prioritise and work efficiently under pressure to be able to meet a reasonable chargeable time target
• A desire to grow our migrant support work and team including a willingness to be involved in business development
• Ability to work as part of a busy team
• Problem-solving ability
• Excellent IT Skills
• Current Practising Certificate (or CiLEX equivalent)
• 3 years’ PQE

Equal Opportunities and Diversity

TV Edwards Solicitors LLP is an equal opportunities employer, committed to increasing diversity in our firm and our wider profession.

Salary and Application Submission

Salary: Competitive dependent on experience

For full job requirements please see the information pack below.

Completed application form together with an equality monitoring questionnaire must be sent by email to: lisa.walton@tvedwards.com

No CVs will be considered without attaching our application form.

Only successful applicants will be contacted.