Head of Crime – Duty Solicitor, St Albans
GT Stewart is a renowned multi-service, multi-office law firm committed to access to justice. As a Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners recognised firm, we are known for excellence across various legal fields, including criminal defence, family law, housing, civil liberties, and human rights.
We are currently seeking a Head of Crime – Duty Solicitor to build and lead our St Albans Crime Team.
This is an exciting opportunity to assist in the recruitment of a new team and then to manage and develop a team of 3-4 duty and newly qualified Solicitors, playing a key role in the continued development and success of the new crime department.
Key Responsibilities:
Leadership & Supervision: Oversee and support a team of Duty Solicitors, providing guidance, mentoring, and supervision to ensure high standards of legal service.
Case Management: Manage a personal caseload of criminal defence matters, covering a full range of offences.
Advocacy: Conduct advocacy in the Magistrates’ Court, including summary trials (and Crown Court hearings if the candidate has Higher Rights).
Police Station Representation: Attend police stations to represent clients, ensuring their legal rights are protected.
Operational Oversight: Work closely with senior management to develop best practices, improve efficiency, and maintain compliance with regulatory requirements.
Team Development: Support recruitment, training, and professional development of junior solicitors within the team.
Client Relations: Maintain excellent client service, ensuring cases are managed with care and professionalism.
About You:
Qualified Solicitor with at least 3 years’ PQE in criminal defence matters.
Proven leadership and team management experiencewithin a criminal defence setting.
Excellent advocacy and communication skills, with experience handling a busy caseload.
IT proficiency, with the ability to work in a modern, paperless office environment.
Strong problem-solving skills and a proactive approach to casework and team management.
Passion for publicly funded legal work and commitment to access to justice.
Ability to work to tight deadlines and manage a high-volume caseload effectively.
Working With Us:
The salary for this position is competitive and dependent on experience. As part of a strong and growing multi-office team, we offer a supportive and modern working environment, with significant recent investments in IT to facilitate efficient and flexible working.
Employee Benefits Include:
Competitive base salary starting at £60,000 per year.
Pension scheme with employer contributions.
Optional Benenden Health Care.
Administrative and IT support, including a firm laptop and phone and 2 screens in office set up
Ongoing training and development opportunities.
Hybrid working arrangements.
Supervision and mentorship from senior colleagues.
Annual appraisals and salary reviews.
Generous annual leave starting at 25 days (plus bank holidays, Christmas, and New Year), increasing with service.
Bi-annual firm-wide parties (Summer and Christmas).
Competitive training and career development packages.
We also provide a dedicated in-bound telephony team to assist with calls and messages for Fee Earners, as well as dictation and administrative support to ease workload pressures and enable efficient working.
If you are interested in this opportunity, please send your CV and covering letter to recruitment@gtstewart.co.uk.
(Due to the volume of applications, we are unable to respond to all candidates or provide individual feedback. If you have not heard from us within 10 working days of the application deadline, you have been unsuccessful on this occasion.)