THE EXTRAORDINARY STORY OF ARUNA’S DEDICATION TO TRANSFORMING LIVES

The Bi-Borough Legal Services Department at Westminster City Council is a world of extraordinary stories. Where people like Aruna work on projects that are helping to regenerate our borough and transform residents’ lives.

The Church Street Estate is an exciting, vibrant area and home to a diverse range of people, but has a number of issues that have led to social and economic exclusion for many. So a few years ago we decided to create a masterplan with the aim of improving the lives of everyone who lives and works here, while building on the unique qualities of the neighbourhood.

Our ambition is to improve the quality of life for everyone in the area, and we aim to do this by building 1,750 high quality homes, creating new green spaces and playgrounds, and providing services that will support the community’s health and wellbeing.

But such massive changes bring worry and conflict. Flats and houses will have to be demolished to make way for the new, and as many people have lived in their homes for decades they don’t want to say goodbye to cherished memories and familiar surroundings. Which is where Aruna and her team came into their own.

In the summer of 2024 a public inquiry was held into the compulsory purchase order made for Site A of Church Street, and it was her role to support the development team as they put forward the case for regeneration. Many of the people who objected were understandably afraid at the prospect of losing their homes, but Aruna was passionate in her defence of the project and stressed the fact that everyone in the area deserves better. And she was reassuring too, as she explained that compulsory powers would only be used as a last resort and anyone who is moved out of their current home has a range of options to remain in the area should they wish to, and the regenerated Church Street will offer unique opportunities, new jobs and an exciting feeling of optimism. 

Aruna’s commitment to a positive world of renewal for our residents is Westminster City Council’s commitment too, and the Church Street of the future will hopefully be a blueprint for progressive regeneration throughout our city.

The Role:

As a Litigation Solicitor within our Employment, Criminal and Commercial Litigation team you can make your own powerful contribution to the success of Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea Councils. Delivering legal advice and services to both Councils on a wide range of issues, your caseload will focus on at least one of the following areas – employment, criminal, or commercial and property.

Depending on your specialism, qualifications and experience, you’ll manage high-profile, politically sensitive and financially significant cases, conducting proceedings at all levels of the civil and criminal courts, employment tribunals, property tribunals, inquiries and other forums.

Drafting and collating statements of case, applications, summonses or charges, notices, witness statements, affidavits, reports and other legal documentation, we’ll also expect you to interview and prepare witnesses, and advise on law, evidence, procedure, limitation, risk, remedies, costs and settlements.

Your additional responsibilities may include instructing and managing Counsel and external solicitors, negotiating with other parties, departments and stakeholders, drafting and advising on reports and ensuring that all your professional obligations are met.

About You:

To be a success in this role you should have experience of independently managing a caseload, prioritising competing demands, meeting deadlines and progressing matters from instruction to resolution. With strong knowledge of the law, evidence and procedures relevant to your specialism, and the ability to identify and manage legal and reputational risk, we’ll also expect you to be capable of drafting clear and accurate legal advice, pleadings or statements of case, applications, witness statements and other litigation documents.

Your excellent interpersonal and communication skills will allow you to explain complex legal issues clearly to non-specialists and offer sound professional judgement. You’ll be ready to work with minimal supervision in a digital and agile environment and comply with high professional standards.

You will be a qualified Solicitor or Barrister entitled to practice in England and Wales or fellow of CILEx with appropriate practicing rights.

An interest in developing your knowledge of an employment, criminal and commercial litigation practice area outside your own specialism would be a bonus.

We encourage applicants from private practice to apply for this role.

Westminster City Council is committed to supporting Care Leavers into the workplace. Care Leavers seeking their first job and who wish to be considered under our scheme, will automatically be invited to interview should they meet the essential criteria for the role.

The Council is committed to achieving diverse shortlists to support our desire to increase the number of staff from underrepresented groups in our workforce. We especially encourage applications from a Global Majority (GM), people who are Black, Asian, Brown, dual-heritage, indigenous to the global south, and or have been racialised as 'ethnic minorities' (formally known as B.A.M.E , Black, Asian and multiple ethnic) background and, while the role is open to all applicants, we will utilise the positive action provisions of the Equality Act 2010 to appoint a candidate from a global majority background where there is a choice between two candidates of equal merit. If you are from a Global Majority background you can self-declare this to the hiring manager as part of our positive action commitments.

What We Offer: