Litigation Lawyer
Salary and grade: Grade 7: £48,530 - 54,064
Duration of role: Permanent
Hours per week: 37 hours per week
Location: The designated office base is Abbey House, Abingdon. The councils operate in a truly flexible, and hybrid way where the focus is on outcomes not where you work. Attendance in the office and at court will be required in the interests of the service though our hybrid working arrangements mean you will be able to work from home most of the time you are not in Court.
About the role and what we’re looking for
To provide responsive, legal services to South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils and their services, particularly in relation to environmental health, food safety, health and safety, housing, planning, licensing and criminal and civil litigation matters. You will be solving problems and making a real difference to lives.
Main duties and responsibilities
• Handle criminal litigation work arising out of all the councils’ functions including prosecutions and appeals and inquiries.
• Handle civil litigation work arising out of all the councils’ functions including claims, appeals and liability orders.
• Represent the councils in the courts and at inquiries and tribunals.
• Carry out support in debt recovery in accordance with the councils’ procedures.
• Attending committees such as Licensing Committee advising and representing the Council
• Deliver training to officers on legislation and litigation procedures including PACE.
• Advise on all areas of work carried out by the litigation and planning team including environmental health, food safety and health and safety, housing, information law, licensing, building control, car parking, waste and planning law issues
• Advise formal council meetings when requested, particularly the licensing, taxi, planning and committees, sub-committees and panels.
You will receive training and support to build new skills in areas which are new to you.
Your essential qualifications
• Admitted as a Chartered Legal Executive or equivalent qualification or experience.
• Two years’ experience of relevant legal work.
• Thorough and up to date knowledge of criminal and civil litigation law and practice
• Experience of and an aptitude for advocacy work and to attend the local Magistrates’ Court, County Court and Crown Court to conduct hearings on behalf of the councils.
• Full driving licence and use of a car for work purposes

If you have the following experience or qualifications – it’s a bonus
• Experience of local authority legal work
• Knowledge of other areas of local authority legal work
The benefits we offer
• A basic 25 days annual leave per annum, rising to 30 days after five years. You also have all the bank holidays to look forward to and time off between Christmas and New Year.
• Flexible working and annualised hours – a flexible approach to work that our employees love!
• Salary pay awards – most jobs give scope for a pay increase after six months or the following April (depending on your start date) and we also review salaries each April.
• A generous career average pension scheme which includes life insurance of three times your salary
• The opportunity to purchase a bike through Cyclescheme (cheaper than directly through a store) so that you can cycle to work!
• Various schemes to keep you healthy (reduced gym membership, free swims, free eye tests for DSE users and more)
• We give you two days per year to volunteer within the local community.
• A range of resources, support, and activities to help you maintain your wellbeing including a monthly wellbeing hour in addition to annualised hours (the ability to work flexibly as long as, over the course of the year, you complete your contracted hours) and annual leave.
We look forward to hearing from you.
You may also have experience in the following, Litigation, Civil, Litigation, Legal representation, Lawyer, Solicitor, Legal Advisor, legal Executive, Legal advice, Corporate law, Criminal law, Legal documentation, Legal writing, Compliance etc
But what you definitely have is an enthusiasm for working in a supportive, successful organisation alongside a team of professional clients all working to defend and improve a wonderful place to live and work.
REF- 218166