Litigation Lawyers

Overview

We have two openings in our Litigation, Licensing and Employment Team for Civil Litigation lawyers to join us.

We offer a vibrant, stimulating legal environment and a culture of knowledge sharing and learning, to inspire and develop our lawyers to lead in their field. We are looking for lawyers with a strong professional work ethic and a commitment to excellent service, leading to a dynamic and rewarding future.

Are you committed to making a difference?  Do you want the work you do to have a real impact for the local community? Are you looking for an opportunity to develop your career to undertake varied and complex case work? 

We have one full-time and one part-time lawyer post (22.5 hours per week).

The salaries advertised for these roles are dependent on experience. Please note if you are working part-time the salary would be pro-rata.

About us

Legal Services is at the heart of the Council and provides a fast paced and rewarding career in a supportive environment. Career development is something we are very passionate about; we are committed to building an exceptional in-house legal service.

This is an exciting time to join us, as we continue to grow and develop our service.

Please click here to find out further information on our Legal Services: https://buckinghamshire.pagetiger.com/legal-services/1 

If that’s not enough reason to join us, you will be entitled to a range of benefits from Buckinghamshire Council including a very competitive employer pension contribution, generous annual leave allowance and discounts in a range of services and restaurants.

About the role

You'll be part of a collaborative team of experienced lawyers that values personal development. It's a place where you will be supported as well as encouraged to use your initiative, take responsibility early, and work directly with in-house client officers.

We are seeking legal professionals who enjoy working collaboratively to offer proactive, innovative and client-focused advice.

We have one full-time and one part-time lawyer post (22.5 hours per week). In relation to the full-time vacancy, we would consider applications for part-time working. Please state on your application which post you wish to be considered for. The salaries advertised for these roles are dependent on experience. Please note if you are working part-time the salary would be pro-rata.

Lawyer – Full Time (Salary grade 8–10)

You will undertake a complex and varied caseload specialising in defending public [PL] and employers’ liability [EL] claims brought against the Council (e.g. highways negligence, personal injury, subsidence and nuisance claims) as well as general civil and commercial disputes. Experience in any of the additional following areas would be an advantage: adult social care debt recovery, homelessness advice including s204 Housing Act 1996 County Court appeals, disability discrimination claims in the First-tier Tribunal (SEND) and First-tier Tribunal (Property) Chamber.

You will be expected to conduct all stages of litigation, including drafting pleadings, preparing and advising on witness statements, negotiating and drafting settlements, representing the Council at court and tribunal hearings and Instructing Counsel on complex matters/higher courts where necessary. You will be expected to provide expert legal advice to the Council’s insurance team and to advise senior managers on internal policies and risk management.

Experience in working in local government is desirable but not essential.

Lawyer - part-time (22.5 hours) (Salary grade 8-10)

You will have conduct of a complex and varied caseload of general civil litigation matters including injunctions, debt recovery, data protection claims, possession proceedings and anti-social behaviour. Experience in any of the additional following areas would be an advantage: adult social care debt recovery, homelessness advice including s204 Housing Act 1996 County Court appeals, disability discrimination claims in the First-tier Tribunal (SEND).

You will be expected to conduct all stages of litigation, including drafting pleadings, preparing and advising on witness statements, negotiating and drafting settlements, representing the Council at court and tribunal hearings and Instructing Counsel on complex matters where necessary.

Experience in working in local government is desirable but not essential.

For further information on these roles please see the attached job summary.

Working Style

Legal Services works in a hybrid manner with a mixture of office based and home working. We recognise the importance of team collaboration and as an ‘any desk’ working you will be expected to attend the office 40% of the time or in line with business needs and team requirements. You will have full remote access to enable you to work from home the remainder of the time. There will also be times when you’ll need to attend face to face meetings or court hearings in Buckinghamshire and further afield.

During any probationary/learning period you may be required to attend the office more frequently for training.

About you

We welcome applications from Solicitors, Barristers and Legal Executives with relevant experience. Naturally, you will be professional, highly motivated and proactive, with a developed knowledge Civil Litigation and the Civil Procedural Rules. You will bring experience, knowledge and excellent drafting skills to the role, as well as the ability to provide sound legal advice and conduct a varied civil litigation caseload. You will be collaborative and possess excellent written and verbal communication skills and will actively participate and support the team.

Other information

For an informal chat about these roles in more detail, contact Angela Mills (01494 4421376)

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare:

• All unspent convictions and conditional cautions
• All spent convictions and adult cautions that are not protected (i.e. that are not filtered out) as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2020 and 2023).

For further information on filtering please refer to Nacro guidance and the guidance published by the Ministry of Justice (see, in particular, the section titled ‘Exceptions Order’).

This post is politically restricted under the terms of the Local Government Act 1989.

We reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so please be advised to submit your application as early as possible.

Our values and culture

We have a set of values, which our employees have chosen, that represent what we are – Proud, Ambitious, Collaborative and Trustworthy.

By joining Buckinghamshire Council, you can expect:

a fair and inclusive culture

• the chance to really make a difference to those around you
• health and well-being initiatives including an Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders and mindfulness workshops
• a unified voice through our Employee Representative Group
• ongoing support, and the opportunity to develop and progress in your career with us
• opportunities to take part in fun activities such as fundraising and social events

At Buckinghamshire Council, we know that our biggest strength comes from the people that work for us, and that’s why we’re working hard to ensure we continue to be an accessible and inclusive organisation.

From dedicated staff networks overseen by our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group, to proudly standing as a Disability Confident employer, it’s important to us that all our colleagues feel engaged, listened to, and valued. Our offer of flexible working empowers a productive and happy workforce and allows employees to combine work with other responsibilities and commitments.

We believe our workforce should reflect the diverse communities we service in Buckinghamshire, and are looking for like-minded individuals to join us in promoting equality, fairness, and inclusion for everyone.

 

About the Business Unit

The Assistant Chief Executive directorate is central to Buckinghamshire Council’s journey to establish itself as one of the best councils in the country. With a clear focus on service improvement through transformation and a drive to build better relationships with the local community, the directorate is fast-paced; but extremely rewarding. Our teams are not only proactively delivering on projects and plans but also reacting to developing situations. If you are ambitious, innovative, and would relish the opportunity to influence change - a role within our service area could be your next career move.

The team includes exciting areas of work, including a brand new localities model – delivering 16 community boards across the county to make it easy for our residents to engage with us as we work together to plan for the future. Other teams include our Policy and Communications and Legal and Democratic Services teams – innovating the way we communicate with our colleagues, Members and the local community, and role-modelling best practice through policy, planning and legal services. If you think you can help us achieve our goals, and want to be a part of this exciting journey, we would love to hear from you!

We recognise and reward you

Hard work and success deserves recognition. That’s why we pride ourselves on the benefits we give our people. We actively encourage a good work-life balance and promote flexible and agile working arrangements. We provide discounts on various Cafés, restaurants, shops and auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme. In addition to the opportunity to gain membership to Costco, we have discounted gym memberships, travel discounts with Arriva and much more.

https://jobs.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/working-buckinghamshire-council/