Head of Legal Practice
We’re looking for a passionate and visionary leader to lead our team our legal team and isn’t afraid to take on major environmental challenges. Fish Legal—formerly the Anglers’ Conservation Association (ACA)—has a long, proven track record of success in the courts, using the law to protect the environment and defend anglers’ rights.
At a time of significant shifts in environmental policy and increasing concern over the state of the UK’s rivers and coastal waters, mounting pressure from development, intensive agriculture, and systemic pollution has brought the work of Fish Legal into sharper focus. With growing tensions between economic growth and environmental limits, effective legal intervention is becoming more crucial than ever—as a tool for accountability and a driver of change. Fish Legal is now preparing for a new wave of legal challenges to confront failures in regulation, pollution enforcement, and water industry transparency.
This is a rare and exciting opportunity for an experienced environmental or public interest lawyer to take on a high-profile role with real-world impact. This permanent, full-time role combines strategic litigation, environmental advocacy, and team leadership in support of hundreds of thousands of anglers and river users. The successful candidate will help shape the future of one of the UK’s most respected and dynamic environmental law teams and play a central role in protecting our freshwater and marine environments
You’ll report to our Chief Executive and work closely with colleagues across all areas of Angling Trust and Fish Legal. You will be joining a passionate team working to protect, promote and develop angling and the environment.
What you’ll be doing
* Managing the administrative, compliance, budgetary and operational aspects of our legal team with line management of our expert team of solicitors and support staff.
* Reviewing and supervising case work, supporting colleagues’ cases and where appropriate taking up individual cases.
* Working with the Chief Executive and committee to develop strategy and operational plans, tying together themes from across the sector which will inform and drive strategic litigation and advocacy, then leading the implementation of that strategy.
* Publicly leading Fish Legal, engaging with media on cases and working with the Angling Trust campaigns team on policy and advocacy matters.
* Becoming a member of the joint Senior Management Team across Fish Legal and the Angling Trust.
Who you are
* You’re an experienced practice manager or solicitor with a current practising certificate (with a minimum of 4 years PQE), ideally with experience in the third sector and knowledge of environmental law.
* You will have previous experience in dispute resolution/litigation and a track record of managing a broad a mix of legal cases and achieving successful outcomes.
* You will be a committed team player with strong management skills.
* You are a people person, able to build strong collaborative relationships with others both within and outside the organisation.
* You are self-motivated and can work independently within a small team—you’re happy to manage a varied workload, ready to pivot with changing priorities, and willing to own your continuous professional development
What will make you stand out
* Experience of working in an environmentally focussed setting or on environmental matters.
* Experience of working within or with charities and with boards of trustees.
* An understanding of how the water industry is regulated in the UK.
* Knowledge of the law relating to sporting rights.
* Knowledge of the issues affecting water quality and quantity.
What’s in it for you
A competitive salary plus contributory pension Hybrid working from home and our office in Herefordshire Flexible working across 35 hours per week 25 days holiday (plus public holidays) later rising every year up to 28 days Laptop and telephone as well as any mileage, expenses, and TOIL Opportunity for professional growth in an expanding national organisation
Who we are
Fish Legal is a not-for-profit membership association which promotes and encourages theconservation and sustainable management of UK rivers, lakes and other freshwater bodies, estuarine and coastal waters and the role of angling within this. We use the law to fight pollution and other damage and threats to the water environment. We provide legal advice and representation to member clubs, riparians and fishery owners across the UK.
Fish Legal is committed to equity, diversity and inclusion across our organisation and our membership. We particularly encourage applications from women and people who identify as Black, Asian or from a Minority Ethnic background, who are currently under-represented within our organisation. We offer family friendly, flexible working arrangements.
We collaborate with Angling Trust, the national governing body in England representing fishing—one of the country’s largest participation sports.
This is a fantastic opportunity to join a team dedicated to protecting our wonderful sport and the aquatic environment.
Want to join us?
We believe a diversity of backgrounds, experience, and opinions builds the strongest team, so we encourage those from under-represented groups to apply.
For more information about the role or to arrange an informal conversation, please contact Jamie Cook, Chief Executive on jamie.cook@anglingtrust.net
To apply direct, email our Head of Delivery, Stuart Sharp, at people@fishlegal.net
When applying, please submit your detailed CV and a covering letter with a bit more about how you will add to our legal team with your skillset, perspective, background, and experience —and how you might be just what we’ve been looking for!
Please only apply if you have the right to work in the UK.
We take your privacy seriously and will only use your personal information to administer your application for this role—we will never pass your details onto a third party. We may contact you by email or telephone about the progress of your application. This processing is conducted lawfully based on legitimate interests.
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