Are you an experienced Litigation Solicitor looking for your next senior opportunity within local government?
We are currently recruiting for a Principal Lawyer – Litigation on behalf of a local authority, offering the opportunity to handle a varied and challenging caseload while providing leadership and direction to a litigation team.
This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced legal professional to work on complex contentious matters, advise senior stakeholders and contribute to the effective governance and legal decision-making of a public sector organisation.
The Role
As Principal Lawyer, you will provide specialist legal advice and representation across a broad range of local authority litigation matters, supporting elected Members and officers across the organisation.
Your responsibilities will include:
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Managing a varied caseload covering litigation, licensing, environmental health, housing, property disputes, criminal prosecutions, debt recovery, judicial review and regulatory matters.
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Providing legal representation and advocacy in court proceedings, as well as advising at committees and public meetings where required.
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Advising Members and officers on complex legal issues, ensuring decisions and actions are legally robust.
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Leading and supervising the litigation team and paralegals, supporting professional development, wellbeing and effective workload management.
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Contributing to the operational management and strategic direction of Legal Services.
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Working with external solicitors and specialist counsel where appropriate.
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Supporting the delivery of the Council's corporate objectives and the provision of a high-quality, cost-effective legal service.
About You
To be successful in this role, you will have:
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Substantial experience in litigation and contentious legal work.
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Strong knowledge of relevant legislation, court procedures and regulatory frameworks.
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The ability to manage complex cases and provide clear, practical legal advice to senior stakeholders.
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Experience supervising or managing legal professionals, or the ability to demonstrate strong leadership capability.
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Excellent communication, advocacy, analytical and decision-making skills.
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The ability to prioritise a demanding workload and work effectively with a range of stakeholders.
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Experience of working within a local authority setting
Experience within local government or the wider public sector would be advantageous, alongside exposure to areas such as prosecutions, judicial review, housing, licensing or regulatory law.
Why Apply?
This is an opportunity to take on a senior legal position with a broad and varied caseload, meaningful responsibility and the chance to contribute directly to public services and effective local governance.
You will be able to combine complex legal work with team leadership and play an important role in the ongoing development of Legal Services.
Interested?
If you are a Litigation Solicitor or experienced local government lawyer looking for a new challenge, we would welcome your application.
Apply today to find out more about this opportunity
