Trainee solicitor

Hammersmith & Fulham Law Centre uses the law as a tool for social change. Our expert lawyers help individuals and communities tackle the problems of everyday life: legal problems that, if unaddressed, can lead to homelessness, destitution, family breakup, detention or deportation. We represent people in: housing, immigration, employment, public law and welfare benefits.

We are currently recruiting a law graduate to join us as a trainee solicitor. We will cover the costs of your training and SQE 1 and SQE 2 assessments. Following the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE) pathway you will be supported to qualify as a solicitor specialising in social welfare law.

As an organisation that strives to be led by our community, we particularly welcome applications from people who have personal experience of the problems we support our clients to address.

Job description

The following is an indicative list of the tasks and responsibilities throughout your training period. Some activities, such as representation, will only be undertaken at the appropriate point in your development.

• Advice and casework
  1. Provide legal advice, casework and representation.
  2. Uphold high standards of case management, including: keeping the client updated regularly, meeting deadlines, proactively progressing the matter, and participating in team meetings and file reviews.
  3. Record all casework within our case management system.
  4. Ensure that all advice, casework and representation comply with the requirements of the Solicitors Regulation Authority, our Lexcel quality mark, the Legal Aid Agency Quality Assurance standards, our funders, and any other Law Centre approved policies and procedures.
  5. Represent or assist in the representation of clients under the Housing Loss Prevention Advice Service on a rota basis.
  6. Where appropriate, support clients to engage with other services and organisations to help resolve non-legal problems.
  7. Undertake any other duties as may reasonably be required.
• Training and development
  1. Undertake all self-directed and formal training necessary to qualify as a solicitor via the SQE pathway.
  2. Keep a record of training completed and review your progress with your supervisor and the training principal.
  3. Attend regular appraisals with the training principal to discuss your performance, personal career development, and contribution to the vision and values of the Law Centre.
  4. Keep up to date with relevant changes in legislation, specialist skills and the use of technology by reading online resources and journals and attending training and other courses online or in person.
• General conduct
  1. Uphold the rules and principles of professional conduct and the agreed practice of the Law Centre by undertaking work in accordance with the Solicitors’ Practice Rules.
  2. Attend staff meetings convened by the training principal, supervisors, including meetings of the Board of Trustees if required.
  3. Work in accordance with the Law Centre’s policies and procedures as set out in its office manual.
  4. Undertake your own typing, filing, word processing and billing of cases.
  5. Take due care of your own health and safety and that of others in your working environment.
  6. Undertake any other duties as may be reasonably required.
• Engagement in the wider work of the Law Centre: The Law Centre runs a number of services and projects. Where possible you will be given the opportunity to engage with a range of our wider work and strategic projects.
• Equality and diversity: Our clients are largely reliant on low incomes and come from a diverse range of historically excluded groups. You will be expected to show a particular interest in working with this client group and to show an understanding of equal opportunities issues. You will pay particular regard to our equality and diversity policy and actively contribute to an inclusive, accessible and equitable workplace.
• Confidentiality: You will be required to comply with the Law Centre’s confidentiality policy in relation to client information. You will also be expected to ensure that commercially sensitive information is treated confidentially.

Job specification

As a community-led organisation we are passionate about equality, diversity and inclusion. We particularly welcome applications from people from groups that have historically been excluded from legal careers due to their race, disability, relationship status, gender, sex, age, religion, sexual orientation, education, or socioeconomic status.

During the application process we will assess how well your qualifications, skills, knowledge, experience and ethos meet the essential and desirable criteria below:

Qualifications (essential)

• Undergraduate degree at 2:1 or above (or equivalent)
• The right and entitlement to work in the UK

Qualifications (desirable)

• Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC) accreditation

Skills (essential)

• Ability to explain complex ideas in plain English to diverse audiences in a variety of media including effective oral and writing skills
• Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines
• Ability to populate and maintain data in case management systems
• Ability to use own initiative
• Ability to work as part of a team and demonstrate key skills required to be an effective team player
• Excellent IT skills

Skills (desirable)

• Ability to speak community language(s)
• Ability to use Office 365

Knowledge (essential)

• Understanding of (and commitment to) access to justice for all and its relevance to legal advice

Knowledge (desirable)

• Good understanding of social welfare law
• Understanding of the issues affecting low-income communities and the needs of specific client groups
• Knowledge of one or more of the Law Centre’s specialist areas of law
• Understanding of the criteria for entitlement to Legal Aid funding

Experience (essential)

• Experience of identifying priorities, working to deadlines, balancing competing demands, spotting and averting crises

Experience (desirable)

• Experience of complying with standards and procedures
• Evidence of commitment to the not-for-profit sector
• Experience of one or more of the Law Centre’s specialist areas of law
• Experience of conducting casework on behalf of clients
• Experience of paid or unpaid work contributing to the promotion of equal opportunities, anti-discrimination and social inclusion
• Experience of working in a not-for-profit organisation
• Experience of negotiation and decision-making
• Experience of working as part of a team
• Experience of volunteering and/or working with volunteers

Ethos

• Commitment to equal opportunities, anti-discrimination and social inclusion
• Commitment to client-focused service delivery
• Commitment to the provision of public funded legal services
• Willingness to share in routine tasks essential for the day-to-day running of the Law Centre
• Positive and constructive approach to problem solving
• Willingness to share expertise, support colleagues and contribute to a productive working environment
• Commitment to providing legal advice, representation at court and support to clients in areas of social welfare law
• Reliable and motivated

The application process

1. We invite you to submit your CV by 5pm on 22 September 2023.
2. We will acknowledge receipt of your CV.
3. Your CV will be assessed by our recruitment panel.
4. We will contact you to confirm whether you have been shortlisted for an interview. If you have been shortlisted, we will confirm the date, time and location of the interview and ask about any support you might need to be able to attend.
5. We will interview you to get to know you and assess in more detail how well you meet the requirements of the job description and person specification.
6. We will contact you to let you know whether your interview has been successful.

Please send your CV to Dorota by 5pm, 22 September 2023 at: [email protected]