Public Law Solicitor Director - Birmingham This job is brought to you by Jobs/Redefined, the UK's leading over-50s age inclusive jobs board.
Job Description:
Duncan Lewis Solicitors (Ltd):
Regulated by the Solicitor's Regulation Authority, Duncan Lewis Solicitors was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in the City of London (Fenchurch Street EC3M), with offices nationwide. We are recognised by the Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners UK independent legal directories as a top-tier law firm in all of our key practice areas - "a diligent and professional team that is prepared to go the extra mile for its clients". A paperless law firm with over 500 personnel that embraces hybrid-working, we service both corporate entities and private individuals in over 25 areas of law across 60 languages. We give people a voice - that is our ethos.
Choosing a career with Duncan Lewis is choosing a law firm that is the largest provider of publicly funded (legal aid) legal services in the country and has a growing private client practice. We have been Investors in People Gold Standard accredited for over 15 years and are continuously applauded nationally for the work that we do.
Having demonstrated unparalleled legal expertise and a commitment to justice, we were awarded Law Firm of the Year at both the 2024 Lexis Nexis Awards and 2023 Modern Law Awards. We are named as one of the Times 200 Best Law Firms. In 2021 we were celebrated by the Chambers Europe Award as an 'outstanding firm' for diversity and inclusion. In previous years we have been awarded a number of awards, including the Law Society Excellence Award for Large Law Firm of the Year in 2020, Access to Justice at the UK Legal Diversity Awards in 2019 and the Family Law Firm of the Year at the 2015 Family Law Awards, to name just a few. Duncan Lewis is Law Society Lexcel, Cyber Essentials Plus and ISO 27001 Information Management accredited.
We are committed to recruiting dedicated and talented professionals and welcome applications from exceptional candidates. At Duncan Lewis, we value training and diversity, and we take pride in our inclusive workforce.
Public Law Department Background:
Our Public Law team is applauded by the Legal 500 UK directory as a "dynamic team", who are "exceptional in ability and reach". Ranked and recommended for its excellence in Public Law UK-wide, the department undertakes both publicly funded (legal aid) and privately funded work and has experience in all aspects of civil liberties and judicial review claimant matters against the Home Office, HMRC, local authority, NHS including obtaining emergency orders and other interim relief to prevent human rights violations. The department regularly follows up judicial reviews with actions for damages in both the County and High Courts and successfully pursues matters to the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court. The firm's flagship judicial review claimant practice represents clients including the vulnerable and marginalized, and its immigration offering is strengthened by collaboration with its expanding international presence challenging UK government practices abroad.
As a large and well-established firm, we are well known to the Legal Aid Agency (LAA), the Courts, and the Government Legal Department (GLD). The quality of our work is repeatedly demonstrated by our high success rates. Our lawyers are award-winning, and many of our cases, recorded in the reported case journals, raise new and important issues, creating legal precedents for the future. We collaborate with other firms on funding and case management issues and have a close working relationship with barristers' chambers with relevant expertise in public law.
The quality of our work is repeatedly demonstrated by our high success rates. Our lawyers are award-winning, and many of our cases, recorded in the reported case journals, raise new and important issues, creating legal precedents for the future. We collaborate with other firms on funding and case management issues and have a close working relationship with barristers' chambers with relevant expertise in public law.
Main Responsibilities of the Role:
Report directly to and collaborate with the Board to ensure performance targets are met.
Responsible for all aspects of Public Law work including providing technical expertise and guidance to other team members.
Manage and supervise Solicitors, Trainee Solicitors, and Caseworkers to handle appropriate caseloads and complexities.
Assist with delivery of training and development within the department.
Handle a variety of Public Law work, including: Unlawful detention; False imprisonment; Abuse by detention staff and removal escorts; Conditions in detention; Age assessments; Asylum support; Challenging non-appealable decisions; Challenging removal notices; NHS & Local Authority challenges; Policies, practices, and decisions made by the Immigration and Asylum Tribunals (First-tier Tribunal / Upper Tribunal); Bail decisions.
Prepare and manage funding applications to the Legal Aid Agency.
Draft documents including witness statements and process evidence.
Prepare applications (drafting application forms, index of documents, and letters of representations).
Attend conferences and court proceedings.
Maintain a professional, proactive approach, with strong client care skills and an interest in Business Development and Marketing to support the substantial work volume brought in by the firm.
Key Skills Required:
5+ years PQE.
Must hold a valid, clean Practicing Certificate at the time of application.
Strong management skills.
Proven supervisory experience and ability to work towards KPIs.
Professional, proactive, with excellent client care skills, capable of handling sensitive cases involving vulnerable clients.
Excellent networking, communication, and marketing skills to generate new business.
Strong analytical and organizational skills.
Ability to use initiative and sound judgment.
Working knowledge of the Legal Aid Guidance for Public Law matters and ability to handle privately funded cases.
Extensive experience in all Public Law related work.
Excellent IT skills, familiar with Microsoft Office and document management.
The recruitment process will fully comply with GDPR and other applicable laws. Background checks including CRB / DBS will be conducted to establish eligibility to work in the UK and suitability for the role. For information on employee benefits and rewards, please visit our careers page on our website.
Equal Opportunities:
Duncan Lewis is committed to Equal Opportunities and embracing workforce diversity. We aim to reflect the communities we serve at all levels within our workforce.
We guarantee an interview for candidates disclosing a disability who meet the essential requirements. Please mention this in your cover letter. Interested candidates should apply via our online application process on our website.
APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED BY AGENCIES WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
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