Senior Lawyer (Litigation and Planning Team) (Ref 4531)
- Multiple Locations
- Full Time
- £46,549 - £50,603 per annum
Work Location: County Hall, Topsham Road, Exeter EX2 4QD (remote working available)
We are recruiting a Senior Lawyer to join our Litigation and Planning Team.
Are you an experienced civil litigation lawyer with a desire to give something back to the community? If so Devon County Council could be the place for you.
Life can be fast paced in this team, and the work is interesting and varied. You could be on your feet in the County Court securing an urgent possession order for a high profile site, or advising members at public committee meetings. Not to mention providing invaluable support to the Special Educational Needs (SEN) Team by defending judicial review claims.
No two days are ever the same in this unique, friendly, hardworking and dynamic team. No matter how long you have been in local government, with our team you will still encounter novel situations!
In this unique role you will manage a varied caseload including SEN, property litigation, education, highways and general civil litigation. You will be expected to offer some supervision to junior members of the team, which is such a rewarding part of the role.
We are looking for an individual with excellent written and verbal skills who has substantial experience of civil litigation and the ability to quickly develop SEN expertise, as well as a good working knowledge of the other abovementioned areas of law. You must be willing to learn new areas of law to be able to provide fast paced legal advice on a range of topics. Previous Local Government experience is desirable but not essential, however you must demonstrate that you have a keen interest in working in the public sector.
As for the team, we work together, problem solve, and share expertise, knowledge and experience so that every team member can thrive. Our weekly team meetings promote continual development and a strong sense of belonging. Everyone is supported to achieve their full potential.
Applications are welcomed from applicants who reside outside of Devon. Alongside remote working, there is an expectation that the postholder will attend Court hearings as required, including as advocate. We anticipate this being approximately 1-2 times per month. In addition it may from time to time be necessary to attend committee meetings and team meetings in person and for matters such as the preparation of Court bundles.
Why work with us?
You'll be working for an authority in one of the most beautiful parts of country and we want you to have time to enjoy it. That’s why we offer part agile working and flexible start and finish times (subject to Court appearances and attendance at County Hall as set out above) so you can balance work with the things that really matter. We also offer 25 days paid annual leave (rising incrementally to 33 days based on length of service), and the office closes between Christmas and New Year, and on Bank Holidays. In addition we offer a generous Local Government Pension Scheme and access to a discounts scheme.
To find out more about legal services at Devon please see https://new.devon.gov.uk/workingfordevon/work-in/professional-and-support-roles/legal-services/
Closing Date
4th April 2023
Interview date
w/c 17th April 2023
For an informal discussion please contact Hazel Union or Carl Hedger on 01392 383000
(Prospective applicants only please, no advertisers)
- We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
- DCC embraces the positive benefits of a diverse workforce and is committed to providing an environment that is inclusive and safe. We welcome applications from people who share our commitment to stop discrimination, challenge inequality and promote diversity across Devon. More information can be found on our Equality and Diversity webpages.
- The Council offers flexible working arrangements in terms of when and where people work e.g. hybrid working, part-time, condensed hours etc.
- This role requires the ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence and fluency in English.
- Personal data we collect from you will be processed in accordance with the Applicant privacy notice.
- Happy to Talk Flexible Working.
- For more information about Working for Devon please visit our Working for Devon page.
- This role requires a DBS disclosure.