Cumberland Council have vacancies for 2 experienced In-house Advocates, preferably familiar with the conduct of litigation in Child Protection cases to join our Childcare Legal Team.

The successful candidate will be required to attend courts and tribunals, in the role of advocate, on behalf of the Council, including conducting advocacy in multi-day hearings as dictated by the needs of the Council and the court.  You may also handle a small caseload of complex children social care work which will include the preparation of cases before the Family Court as well as the provision of legal advice and assistance across all levels of the local authority.

In addition, you shall support the Group Lawyer, Senior Lawyers and Chief Legal Officer in delivering an excellent service to all the local authority departments, with particular focus on Children’s Services. 

You will receive the support of legal officers and legal assistants whilst benefitting from overall supervision from the Group Lawyer for the team.

You will also contribute to the management of the wider legal services and support the organisation in achieving and maintaining a high standard of corporate governance and maintenance of legal practice standards which comply with Solicitors Regulation Authority requirements.

This is an excellent opportunity to join our team to help deliver better services for our residents and businesses. A career as a local government lawyer is rewarding and challenging. This is a unique opportunity to develop your career in a dynamic legal team to support the Council in its ambitions. Our busy, in-house legal team supports the Council in all aspects of its work, and we are looking for someone who is proactive, innovative and collaborative and who enjoys a varied and interesting workload.  If this sounds like you then we want you to apply!

These roles are available on a permanent basis.

Who we’re looking for

Excellent communicators, the ability to work in a high-pressure environment, and an open and honest approach to management, are all qualities we are looking for in our Lawyers. Cumberland Council is a modern and supportive employer, and we have both the technology and the commitment to allow our employees to work flexibly and efficiently.

We are looking for qualified and admitted solicitors, barristers or legal executives, ideally with experience and knowledge of children social care law with at least three years’ post-qualification experience, including multi-day advocacy in county and magistrates’ courts and tribunals.

For solicitors, you must have rights of audience in the High Court or be willing to acquire Higher Rights of Audience within an agreed timescale.

This is a fantastic career opportunity for those looking to progress in a role where you will lead and supervise, as well as manage a more complex and corporately significant caseload.

You will support and manage a highly experienced team of professionals, in a friendly, open and honest environment, and as a service, we strongly encourage the progression and development of our employees.

Our service is currently working both remotely and in the office environment.  In person attendance at Court, key meetings and some office attendance will be required.

We’re also about potential over perfection and we can help you grow in the role and thrive in your career.

Be sure to take a look at the post specification (below) for the essential criteria for this role.

Contact

For more information about the role or to arrange an informal chat prior to your application, please contact Martin McAlister by email at MartinJohn.McAlister@cumbria.gov.uk

Guaranteed Interviews

We offer a guaranteed interview to the following applicants as long as your application can demonstrate you meet the essential criteria for the role.

• Those who consider themselves disabled as defined by the Equality Act 2010
• Those in care or who have left care and are aged 24 and under
• Those who identify as a member of the British Armed Forces community (service leavers, veterans, their partners or spouses, reservists, cadets).

Diversity, Inclusion & Adjustments
We’re dedicated to enhancing the diversity of our workforce and we encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds. That’s why we’re a proud Disability Confident Leader and also an Age Friendly Employer – to provide opportunities for everyone to thrive.

If you need any reasonable adjustments to participate in the recruitment process, please let either the hiring manager or our Resourcing Team know by emailing Resourcing@Cumberland.gov.uk. While adjustments aren’t always guaranteed, we’ll always listen and we’ll try our best to accommodate your needs.

If you experience any difficulties logging in to apply for this role, please contact the HR Systems team at HR.Systems@cumbria.gov.uk.