Job summary
From energy to security, health to human rights, we help the Government deliver life changing law for citizens.
The Government Legal Department is the largest provider of legal services across government, working on high profile matters that are frequently scrutinised in Parliament and the media. Our work includes:
1. Developing and drafting legislation
2. Providing legal advice on policies
3. Securing our economic and trade relationships
4. Ensuring value from commercial contracts worth billions of pounds
5. Providing the Civil Service�s employment law advice
We are at the heart of delivering the Government�s priorities and our success depends on our people.
GLD is a non-ministerial government department, sponsored by the Attorney General. We are headed by the Treasury Solicitor, our Permanent Secretary and employ nearly 3000 people, including over 2000 legal professionals. Our offices include London, Leeds, Bristol, Croydon and Manchester as well as overseas. We provide specialist legal services including Litigation, Employment and Commercial Law as well as advising most Government Departments on the policies and services they deliver.
GLD also depends on a range of vital corporate services. These are essential to the smooth and efficient running of the Department and provide the foundation to enable GLD to deliver outstanding legal services. Our corporate functions include Strategy, HR, Finance, Digital, Data and Technology, Communications, Security, Commercial and Project delivery.�
Our vision is to be an outstanding legal organisation and a brilliant place to work where everyone can thrive and fulfil their potential. This is an exciting time for GLD, with cutting edge legal work on global issues and a transformation agenda which is ensuring the Department exemplifies the .��
To find out more about what we do visit the Government Legal Department�s orhave a look at this which showcases the breadth of work government lawyers and legal trainees are involved in.
Job description
About the Employment Group
The Employment Group provides employment advice and litigation services to all GLD clients, supporting a workforce of over 450,000 and underpinning the delivery of a vast range of public services.
Our work covers everything from Employment Tribunal claims and the conduct of complex multi-party litigation to advising on staff policies and terms and conditions, TUPE, collective bargaining and departmental re-organisations.� The interest and range of employment work undertaken is second to none � we handle litigation up to the Supreme Court and provide employment advice in the context of Ministers� political and operational drivers and the unique constitutional position of the civil servants. Along the way we learn about the environment and conditions of the vast range of public servants and office holders, including prison officers, judicial office-holders, border force officers, the armed forces and other sector specialists as well as policy officials.
The Group comprises around 135 employment lawyers.� We have 8 legal teams, 6 in London, 1 in Leeds/Manchester and 1 in Bristol.� We are supported by our Business Management Team, with colleagues based in across all four offices.��
The Employment Group is a great place to work, with excellent resources, a tailored training programme and a really strong culture of mutual support and collaboration.�� D&I is at the core of how we manage our people and teams.
�The employment group is simply the best place to work for an employment lawyer, we only have one client � the whole of government � and yet we have an incredible variety in the work we do.� The culture is supportive and collaborative.� I was in private practice for 12 years before I came to GLD, I would never go back.��
�- Sophie Williams Legal Director
Employment Group Recruitment Open Evening
We will be holding a recruitment open evening session on Microsoft Teams from 6:00pm � 6:45pm on Thursday 23rd May 2024.
Candidates will have the opportunity to hear from lawyers working in the Employment Group about what they do and their experiences of working in Government. It is also an opportunity to hear from members of the Employment Group�s Senior Leadership Team and to ask question about the roles and the process.
The Role
We are recruiting up to 16 employment lawyers into Grade 7 or Legal Officer posts. These posts are varied and can be litigation focused, advisory focused or within the Employment Group�s TUPE Hub. The post holder will be expected to have the skills tomanage a litigation caseload, mainly Employment Tribunal claims but also claims in the High Court and the County Court, and to advise clients on employment matters.
Successful candidates will be expected to play an active role in their Team, the Employment Group and wider GLD, including contributing to client training, diversity and inclusion activities, knowledge management and the supervision of less experienced members of staff. Whilst there will be vacancies for appointed candidates to work out of GLD�s offices in London, Leeds, Manchester or Bristol, candidates should be aware that their line management may be provided out of different location from that where there are based, at least initially.
Person specification
Experience - Essential Criteria
6. You will have a sound understanding of employment law gained through advising clients and conducting cases in the Employment Tribunal across a broad range of employment law issues.
Behaviours
Below are details of the Success Profiles that make up this role.
You will be expected to provide evidence to show how you meet the criteria at interview and/or selection stage.
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
Behaviour: Making Effective Decisions
7. Clarify your own understanding and stakeholder needs and expectations, before making decisions.
8. Analyse and accurately interpret data from various sources to support decisions.
9. Make decisions confidently even when details are unclear or if they prove to be unpopular.
Behaviour: Working Together
10. Actively build and maintain a network of colleagues and contacts to achieve progress on shared objectives.
11. Build strong interpersonal relationships and show genuine care for colleagues
12. Create an inclusive working environment where all opinions and challenges are taken into account and bullying, harassment and discrimination are unacceptable.
Behaviour: Managing a Quality Service
13. Demonstrate positive customer service by understanding the complexity and diversity of customer needs and expectations
14. Make clear, practical and manageable plans for service delivery.
15. Create regular opportunities for colleagues, stakeholders, delivery partners and customers to help improve the quality of service.
Behaviour: Communicating and Influencing
16. Communicate with others in a clear, honest and enthusiastic way in order to build trust.
17. Explain complex issues in a way that is easy to understand.
18. Deliver difficult messages with clarity and sensitivity, bring persuasive when required.
Technical Legal Skills
19. An ability to approach legal issues applying sound legal research and reliable legal judgement;
20. An ability to see legal issues in their wider context and advise accordingly;
21. An understanding of how to assess and approach legal risk.
Motivational fit
22. Motivation for a career in the Civil Service and GLD in particular
23. An understanding of the role of lawyers inGovernment.
24. A keen interest in employment law
For further information about Civil Service recruitment processes and Success profiles, please visit:
Qualifications
Academic and Professional *
Applicants should have a minimum of a 2:1 honours degree in their first degree (in any subject). Where an applicant holds an overseas degree qualification this should be equivalent to a degree. GLD will consider applicants who do not have a degree but only where satisfactory evidence of equivalent high level academic and/or professional achievement can be provided ( via relevant experience and results achieved for the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL)/CPE, Legal Practice Course (LPC), Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC)).
Applicants must be qualified to practise as a Solicitor, Barrister or Chartered Legal Executive in England and Wales however, we also accept applications from overseas qualified candidates. You must have completed a training contract/pupillage/qualifying employment or have been exempted from this by the Law Society, the Bar Council or CILEx.
Please note that candidates cannot apply more than 3 months before their qualification date.
Professional entry criteria for Chartered Legal Executives ( Fellows): Chartered Legal Executives are eligible to apply where (i) a Qualifying Law Degree (QLD) is held; or (ii) the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL)/CPE has been completed; or (iii) where exams have been passed ( a score of 50% or above achieved), at CILEx Level 6*, in all of the following seven foundation subjects in law:
Contract Law
Criminal Law
Equity and Trusts Law
European Union Law
Land Law
Public Law
Law of Tort
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*Note: There are specific requirements relating to academic achievement in the CILEx Level 6 exams where these are being used to demonstrate degree equivalence as set out below.
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Chartered Legal Executives should note that GLD will be willing to accept an, overall, average score of 65% or above across exams passed in the seven foundation subjects in law(where studied at CILEx Level 6) as demonstrating degree equivalence (where a degree is not held).
Civil Service Code
The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of you and other civil servants. These are based on the core values which are set out in legislation. As a civil servant, you are expected to carry out your role with dedication and a commitment to the Civil Service and its core values of:
�integrity� is putting the obligations of public service above your own personal interests
�honesty� is being truthful and open
objectivity� is basing your advice and decisions on rigorous analysis of the evidence
�impartiality� is acting solely according to the merits of the case and serving equally well governments of different political persuasions
These core values support good government and ensures the achievement of the highest possible standards in all that the Civil Service does.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
25. Making Effective Decisions
26. Working Together
27. Managing a Quality Service
28. Communicating and Influencing
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
29. Technical Legal Skills
Benefits
Alongside your salary of �59,200, Government Legal Department contributes �14,283 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.
30. Learning and development tailored to your role
31. An environment with flexible working options
32. A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
33. A with an average employer contribution of 27%