LAW Absolute is recruiting on an exclusive basis to a permanent General Litigation Lawyer position with Southwark Council. This is a full-time role for 36 hours per week.
About Southwark council
Southwark Council is an ambitious, collegiate, and forward-thinking council and you will be joining their Lexcel accredited legal team.
The council is committed to its “Fairer Futures for All” promise which ensures that their residents and businesses are central to everything they do.
Based in London Bridge, this excellent location offers superb transport links, a plethora of shops and restaurants and a big open plan council office. The council operates on a hot-desking basis.
The team are collaborative, supportive, and friendly. You will benefit from working alongside experienced colleagues who are generous with sharing their knowledge.
The council operate a hybrid working policy. Full- time staff work 3 days in the office and 2 days from home.
The vision for Southwark Council Legal Services is: “To be the council’s first choice provider of legal services, offering a sustainable, high-quality, responsive & efficient value for money service to the council and to the communities of Southwark.”
The role offers a salary of £44, 691 – £51,783. There is also a market factor payment of 5% in addition to the annual salary applicable, and a hard to fill benefit payment of £2,327 per annum that can be redeemed against gym membership, health insurance, season ticket purchase, bicycle purchase, additional voluntary contribution to pension, subscription, and professional fees.
If you are interested in working for an organisation that places huge value on equality and diversity, prides itself on delivering an excellent quality service, and you are looking for a chance to play a part in this interesting area of law, then Southwark council could be the right organisation for you.
About the position
The General Litigation Lawyer will join a collaborative and supportive team, providing legal advice and litigation services to officers across council departments and members on all aspects of the Council’s work. The work within the team is diverse and engaging. The role offers an excellent opportunity to build on knowledge and skills and develop in local government work.
The successful General Litigation Lawyer will advise on matters including, but not limited to:
• Landlord and tenant disputes (commercial and residential),
• Commercial debt recovery,
• Contractual disputes,
• Inquests,
• Injunctions,
• Authorised traveller sites,
• National Non-Domestic Rates and Council tax disputes and issues,
• Judicial review claims and,
• Building safety.
You will be required to have a good understanding of court rules regarding such matters and will take conduct of your own caseload from the outset. Whilst the role will require you to pick up a caseload with minimal day – to – day supervision, you will be supported by the Senior Litigation Lawyer and the broader Litigation Management Team.
Candidates with relevant experience from both the public and private sector are encouraged to apply. Candidates with private sector experience must have a solid understanding of how local authorities operate and demonstrate their ability to transfer knowledge and skills to successfully deliver a service within a local government context.
About you
The successful General Litigation Lawyer will be an admitted Solicitor, Barrister or a professionally qualified member of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives of England and Wales with a current practising certificate, and a minimum of 3 years post qualification experience.
You will be a team player, generous in sharing your knowledge, thrive in a collegiate workplace, be a critical thinker, problem solver, able to recognise risk, exercise sound judgement and have a good positive attitude. You will need to show knowledge of local government law, how it affects the work of the team and be able to get up to speed quickly with new law and policy.
Experience of working closely with clients at all levels is essential as is the ability to give clear, understandable legally sound advice orally and in writing.
Recruitment timeline
The closing date for advert applications is 3rd October 2023.
To register your interest in this role, please send your updated CV to zalex@lawabsolute.com
Please note our advertisements use PQE/salary levels purely as a guide. However we are happy to consider applications from all candidates who are able to demonstrate the skills necessary to fulfil the role.
At LAW Absolute we endeavour to respond to all applications within 48 hours. However due to the volume of applications we receive we may not be able to respond to every candidate individually.
If you have not heard from us within a 48 hour timeframe your application has not been successful and your details have not been retained. LAW Absolute acts as an employment business for temporary recruitment and as an employment agency for fixed term contract and permanent recruitment.
