Grade 11

Main Purpose of Job:

To join a small in-house legal team providing high quality, timely and business focused legal advice to the Council, its committees and departments to enable the proper and effective discharge of the Council’s functions.

To act as an advocate in courts, tribunals and inquiries on behalf of the Council.

To have sound knowledge of at least two of the following areas of law, depending on the focus of the role in question:

• Planning/ Local Government/ Conveyancing/ Contracts/ Procurement/ Information
• Governance/ Licensing/ Environmental Law/ Employment Law/ Litigation Practice & Procedure including Civil and Criminal matters.

Main Tasks/Duties/Responsibilities

1. To be responsible for a full and varied personal caseload including advice, support and representation across a mix of areas of legal work undertaken by the Council.

2. To provide advice to staff, other Council departments, , committees and elected members, on legal or procedural matters affecting the Council’s functions.

3. To undertake research, as required, across a range of local government work, providing appropriate solutions that are legally and constitutionally compliant.

4. To prepare cases for courts/tribunals and inquiries, oversee preparation of pleadings and proceedings and where appropriate seek Counsel’s opinion or brief Counsel and support Counsel in higher courts.

5. To act as an advocate in courts, tribunals and inquiries on behalf of the Council as appropriate.

6. To negotiate and prepare various notices, licences, contracts, agreements and orders relating to any of the Council’s functions.

7. To prepare reports to, and attend meetings of, the Council and its committees, and also other meetings such as working groups/meetings with partners /outside organisations advising on procedure and legal matters as required.

8. To maintain a knowledge, understanding or awareness of all legislation as it affects Local Government and to keep up to date with relevant practices and procedures, Government policy and guidance and advise officers and members accordingly.

9. To attend client liaison meetings and corporate group meetings as required.
10. To deputise for the Head of Legal and Governance and other lawyers as necessary, and to supervise team members as appropriate in their absence.

11. To provide full, detailed and effective management information including case updates, as directed on a regular basis.

Occasional Tasks/Duties/Responsibilities

To respond to consultation documents on behalf of the Council, including co-ordinating of responses from outside bodies where appropriate.

General

1. To be aware of and comply with current Health and Safety Regulations and the Borough Council’s Health and Safety policy and procedures as they relate to the duties and responsibilities of the post.

2. To be proactive in personal and professional development, updating knowledge and skills by appropriate means as agreed annually through the Council’s Performance Appraisal Scheme.

3. To maintain awareness of risks and incorporate these into the formal risk management process and also to control the risks inherent in your job and report any risk concerns to your manager, including matters falling within the remit of the Monitoring Officer’s functions.

4. To produce any performance information required in a reliable, timely and accurate way, in accordance with the Council’s Data Quality Policy.

5. To be aware of and adhere to the Council’s Equal Opportunities Policy.

6. To undertake any other duties as may be reasonably allocated to the postholder commensurate with the grading and responsibilities of the post. (Where necessary, reasonable adjustments will be made in accordance with the Equality Act).

7. To be familiar with the obligations and requirements of the Council's information security and data protection policies and procedures as they apply to the post, ensuring that confidential and sensitive data used by the post holder is held securely and personal data is obtained, processed and disclosed only in accordance with the principles and requirements of the Data Protection Acts.

8. To be aware of and adhere to the Council’s Safeguarding Children and Adults at Risk of Abuse and Neglect Policy.

For further information or to apply, please click on the 'Enquire/Apply' button below.