Successful candidates may be based in any of our office locations – Cardiff, Glasgow, or London. We especially welcome applicants from Cardiff and Glasgow.
Job summary
The energy sector is constantly changing and there’s arguably never been a more important time to work in energy regulation. This is your opportunity to use your legal skills to have a profound impact on people’s lives.
You’ll be joining a stimulating yet supportive work environment, where the work is varied and intellectually challenging. You will also get to work as part of multidisciplinary project teams.
Ofgem is Great Britain’s independent energy regulator. Our primary responsibility is to protect energy consumers, especially the most vulnerable, while at the same time working with government, industry and consumer groups to deliver a clean, more affordable and secure net zero energy system at the lowest cost to consumers and to drive economic growth.
The Office of the General Counsel (OGC) is responsible for providing legal advice to Ofgem and its governing body, and for managing the organisation’s exposure to legal risk.
The OGC supports Ofgem’s activities through Senior Civil Servant-led legal teams:
* Delivery and Schemes Legal
As a Legal Trainee, you will be training to become a qualified Lawyer and will play a key role in helping to provide legal context to UK energy policy decisions. You will develop your expertise and provide sound, effective, risk based legal advice, with appropriate supervision and support. This will include conducting legal research, analysing complex information, reviewing documentation and helping to structure practical solutions to the legal issues that arise across Ofgem’s work.
You will work closely with colleagues across Ofgem and build effective internal and external stakeholder relationships, giving you exposure to a wide range of regulatory, policy and operational work. This is an excellent opportunity to develop your legal career in an environment where learning, wellbeing and professional growth are genuinely supported.
If you’re looking for a role where you can make a difference and do so in an environment that supports your professional development and personal wellbeing, then this could be the perfect next step in your legal career.
We will be working towards a September start date.
We will be holding an online recruitment open event on 14 April 2026 at 17:00-18:00 where you can find out more about this role and put your questions to our panel. Book your ticket here: Legal Trainee - Ofgem Recruitment Open Event.
Interviews for this campaign will be held in person in our Glasgow or London offices.
Key Responsibilities
Under the supervision of qualified solicitors and senior lawyers, the Trainee will support the delivery of legal services through OGC’s legal teams:
Legal Support and Advisory work
Assist in the provision of legal advice on a broad range of matters, including:
* Energy and utilities regulation
* Public and administrative law
* Statutory interpretation
* Governance, decision-making and consultation processes
* Enforcement, compliance and licence modification
Support the drafting and review of legal documents, including:
* Statutory instruments, directions and notices
* Licence conditions and regulatory frameworks
* Decision letters, guidance and consultation documents
Casework and Projects
* Support legal input into complex regulatory projects, policy development and reform programmes
* Assist with litigation and dispute resolution matters, including judicial reviews and appeals, by:
Stakeholder Engagement
* Work collaboratively with policy, operational, enforcement and technical teams across Ofgem.
* Support engagement with external stakeholders, including government departments, industry participants, consumer bodies and legal advisers.
Professional Development
* Complete structured training seats across different legal teams in line with Ofgem’s training contract requirements.
* Maintain a training record
* Demonstrate continuous learning and professional development, including building expertise in energy regulation and public law.
Person specification
Please ensure you demonstrate clearly within your personal statement, how you meet each of the criterion below (not more than 1250 words).
In the event of receiving a large number of applications an initial sift may take place on just the identified lead criterion indicated below.
* Possess strong powers of analysis, able to extract from lengthy and complex documents or sets of facts the key issues and apply legal principles to those issues. (LEAD).
* Strong communication skills (verbal and written) to articulate your suggestions/conclusions in a clear and compelling manner, effectively engaging with the audience who may have varying understanding of legal risk.
* Experience of working within a fast-paced environment with the ability to prioritise and organise workload effectively. Enthusiastically drive forward a project to achieve goals.
* Excellent research skills, to find for example, relevant case law, legislation and commentary.
* Ability to work autonomously and collaboratively, flexing approach as required to ensure you are an effective team player.
* Demonstrable interest in public, regulatory or energy law.
* Experience (through internships, paralegal work or similar) in a public sector, regulatory or legal environment.
* Awareness of Ofgem’s statutory duties, objectives and role in the energy sector.
Qualifications
You must meet the qualification requirements for either the England & Wales or Scotland.
Please confirm details of how you meet (or will meet) these qualifications must be clearly set out in your application (including in the case of candidates who are currently in the process of completing qualifications when these will be completed). Ofgem reserves the right not to consider your application if these are not expected to be completed by September 2026.
England & Wales:
* a degree in law with an overall grade of upper second class; or law conversion qualification (e.g. CPE, GDL, PGDL); and
* passed the LPC or SQE 1 and 2 (or holds an SRA exemption from the LPC under Equivalent Means), at date of appointment;
* a candidate can be in the process of completing the LPC or SQE1 and 2 but must have passed these by date of appointment;
Scotland:
* accredited Scots Law LLB with an overall grade of upper second class (or accelerated LLB for non-law graduates); and
* diploma in Professional Legal Practice (PEAT 1);
* a candidate can be in the process of completing PEAT 1 but must have passed this by date of appointment.
Alongside your salary of £35,231, OFGEM contributes £10,206 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
Ofgem can offer you a comprehensive and competitive benefits package which includes; 30 days annual leave after 2 years; Excellent training and development opportunities; The opportunity to join the generous Civil Service pension which also includes a valuable range of benefits; hybrid working (currently 1 day a week in the office but this is kept under review), flexible working hours and family friendly policies. Plus lots of other benefits including clean and bright offices based centrally, engaged networks and teams and an opportunity to contribute to our ambitious and important targets of establishing a Net Zero energy system by 2050. This exciting blend of professional challenge and personal reward identifies career opportunities at Ofgem as something to get excited about.
Apply before 11:55 pm on Monday 20th April 2026
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