Solicitor (education law)

Coram Children's Legal Centre (CCLC) is looking for a solicitor or legal executive with a background in education law to join its legal practice unit. However we are also keen to hear from those who may have gained some experience of education law, for example through undertaking a training seat in education law or having worked in related areas, such as community care or public law. The role can be based in either CCLC’s London office or Colchester office.

The post holder will be a solicitor with experience of education law (obtained through working within any sector) who will be able to meet the Legal Aid Agency’s (LAA) supervisor standard or be able to work towards achieving that standard. CCLC hopes that the post holder will be able to assist to develop the team’s capacity to undertake a proportion of privately paying education law work to subside its legal aid funded casework.

The Legal Practice Unit (within CCLC) is a strong department of 15 lawyers who provide legal casework services to members of the public. It works across the following areas of law: community care; immigration and asylum; family law; and education law. It holds relevant legal aid contracts in each of those areas of law.

Job purpose

To provide legal advice and assistance to young people, parents, carers and other client groups through education law casework.

Responsibilities

1.To conduct legal casework in compliance with the Legal Practice Unit’s (LPU) procedures and Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) requirements, including:

• meeting with clients to take instructions
• providing high quality legal advice in writing and in person to clients
• representing clients in all areas of education litigation and legal challenges
• developing case strategies to assist clients resolve their issues
• correctly assessing eligibility for and applying for legal aid and ensuring compliance with Legal Aid Agency (LAA) requirements throughout the conduct of a matter
• liaising with clients, witnesses, counsel, experts, the court and other involved persons in a matter
• drafting case documents, including pleadings, witness statements, advice letters, instructions to counsel and experts, funding documents, instructions to costsdraftspersons, narratives seeking enhancement, representations and appeals against refusal of funding
• billing privately paying clients
• ensuring file-keeping of a high standard
• reviewing and monitoring costs of the matter and compliance with LAA requirements.

2. Where fee-earners are absent, to cover work on their caseloads.

3. To record both chargeable and non-chargeable time and to achieve a monthly chargeable hours target.

4. To meet an annual fee income target, to be monitored on a monthly basis.

5. To undertake other administrative and non-chargeable tasks as required.

6. To keep up-to-date in all areas of education law and to be responsible for disseminating relevant information to other fee-earners.

7. To participate in and contribute generate ideas to CCLC policy meetings and be willing to take forward policy work as required.

8. To give training, present at seminars, workshops or seminars either internally or externally on relevant matters.

Essential skills, knowledge and experience

1. A commitment to children’s human rights and support for CCLC’s aims.

2. Be able to evidence some experience of education law casework.

3. Be able to evidence a good past track-record of billing and time recording performance.

4. Be able to work hard, on own initiative and with enthusiasm to deadlines including, where necessary, outside normal hours as part of a team in a shared office.

5. Be able to deal and work with clients of a wide variety of cultural, ethnic and educational backgrounds and with those who may be vulnerable and have experienced abuse or harm.

6. Be committed to high quality legal casework, advice-giving and client care.

7. Be able to communicate effectively in writing and over the telephone.

8. Be flexible to juggle several competing tasks at the same time and prioritise tasks.

9. Be able to manage a caseload and to run it to a high standard of efficiency and quality.

10. Be able to assist other fee-earners in their work by undertaking steps on their cases.

11. Be able to work within the centre’s policies, procedures and standards.

12. Willingness to actively contribute and participate in team meetings, the wider work of the centre and marketing and business development initiatives.

13. Experience in using Microsoft Office, email, the internet and legal research programmes.

14. Be able to demonstrate an understanding of the commercial realities of legal aid funded work and an appetite to develop alternative models of funding.

For more information and to apply, visit http://www.coram.org.uk/job/solicitor.