7258 - Trainee Legal Adviser (Poole)

The role of the legal adviser is vital to the smooth running of HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) and is a highly rewarding position within our organisation. You'll be surrounded by learning opportunities every day, so if you have a passion for law, this could be the right role for you.

You're an excellent communicator with the ability to inspire confidence in everyone you work with and the self-assurance to speak in court . You've passed the academic stage of qualification to become a barrister or solicitor in England or Wales, or you're a graduate member of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives. You're enthusiastic about the responsibility that comes with being on the front line of the justice system. And now you're ready to take your career to the next level and make a positive difference to society and the communities we live in.

Our work at HMCTS is vitally important to the smooth running of a fair, accessible and efficient justice system, as we are responsible for the administration of criminal, civil and family courts and tribunals in England and Wales. Right now, we're looking for trainee legal advisers to join our exceptional legal team and develop the skills to provide magistrates with advice on points of law, practice and procedure, and assist with the formulation and drafting of the reasons behind their judgments.

Learn new legal skills as you develop your career

When you join us as a trainee legal adviser, you'll quickly discover that this isn't your normal 9 to 5 role, as no two days are the same. You'll learn new skills every day as you work at pace in a fast-moving, fluid environment, and help to keep the courts running smoothly and efficiently. Working on everything from minor motoring offences to serious crimes , you'll be supported and mentored throughout your two-year training period. Once you've completed this, you'll then have the opportunity to further develop your legal career within HMCTS .

Work as the qualified, professional face of the court s

R ather than acting for a clien t you'll be offering impartial and objecti v e legal advice, so you'll need to be passionate about the law and the issues that must be considered when magistrates are delivering judgments and sentences.

Helping to conduct case management hearings will be another key part of your role, as will liaising with outside agencies who are involved in specialist court work. Once you're qualified, you'll act as the professional face of the court, so we'll expect you to work with integrity, empathy and understanding, and ensure that everyone who attends is treated with humanity and respect at all times .

Apply all your skills as you increase your knowledge of the law

In addition to your academic qualifications and excellent communication skills, you'll be committed to increasing and maintaining your knowledge of the law. Open, approachable, professional and supportive, we'll expect you to have excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to think on your feet in a busy court. Important decisions will be made, and these can have a profound effect on the people who come to court, so you'll be confident, impartial and capable of considering a wide range of risks and implications. Flexible and adaptable, and with a high degree of personal responsibility, there are times when you'll be faced with challenging situations. With this in mind you'll be resilient and remain calm under pressure and have a diplomatic and tactful approach to everyone you work with.

This is an office based/court based frontline role. Y ou'll be allocated to your work base location that has been agreed between yourself and line manager as part of the recruitment process .

You ' ll be allocated to your work base location that has been agreed between yourself and line manager as part of the recruitment process.

You ' ll be expected to spend the duration of your training at your agreed base location to fulfil the demands of the training and the business needs in that location.

All our employees have to be security cleared before being appointed so you 'l l undergo a vetting process if your application is successful .

Enjoy a healthy work/life balance with our range of benefits

When you join us, you'll be making an important contribution to HM Courts and Tribunals Service - but how will we help you in return?

In addition to a competitive salary, generous holiday entitlement and a Civil Service pension, we'll support your development with training opportunities to help you advance your career with us. We also understand the importance of a healthy work/life balance and with this in mind we offer flexible working schemes, paid maternity and paternity leave and excellent childcare benefits.

The vital work we do takes an incredible community of colleagues with different skills, backgrounds, cultures and identities. We support every individual, so you'll always know you're welcome and valued. We have strong and proactive staff networks, reasonable adjustments for those who need them and diversity talent programmes to help everyone, irrespective of their background, to achieve their potential.

Your benefits with us

Upon successful completion of the full training and submission of your training portfolio (usually completed within two years), a Trainee legal adviser will then progress to a SEO Tier 1 Legal adviser role (with the associated increase in pay , in line with the HMCTS Legal adviser Tier Progression Framework) . You'll have access to a variety of legal careers in HMCTS and beyond. As part of the Ministry of Justice, you'll be entitled to a range of benefits including a civil service pension, flexible working arrangements, generous annual leave, childcare and travel allowances and numerous staff networks and clubs.For further information on our benefits please select here - HM Courts & Tribunals Service Benefits (hmctsjobs.co.uk)

It is desirable but not essential to visit your local Magistrates' court prior to applying in order to better familiarise yourself with the role and the work of the Magistrates' Court.

If this sounds like you, use our online application form to apply for the role of the trainee legal adviser. If you have any queries about the role, then please contact:

Additional Information

Qualifications

All candidates must be able to provide proof of qualification at the point of offer in order to progress their application. Candidates can apply for the role without final qualification, but certification will need to be uploaded before a final offer can be made.

Skilled Worker Visa

From 4 April 2024, the Government increased the salary threshold for Skilled Worker visas.The starting salary for this role falls below the general salary threshold for sponsorship.

The Department cannot consider sponsoring you for this role unless you have held a Skilled Worker visa continuously since before 4 April 2024, you qualify for relevant tradeable points, or you meet other criteria where a lower salary can be considered. Therefore, if you believe you meet the eligibility criteria (in whatever way possible) and you have received a provisional job offer, please raise this during your vetting checks.

If you are applying for this role and you do not meet the new eligibility criteria for sponsorship, you will need to consider your options for obtaining and/or maintaining your right to work in the UK in light of these changes. Successful applicants must ensure they have and maintain the legal right to live and work in the Civil Service and in the United Kingdom.

You must declare any previous or pending prosecutions or convictions, including those considered "spent" under this Act. You are also required to declare any cautions or bind-overs (parking offences and congestion charge fines are not required). A criminal record does not necessarily mean you will fail vetting; each case is considered on an individual basis and all relevant convictions are taken into account. If you are uncertain about whether the incident is relevant, please declare it, rather than leaving it out.

Working Arrangements & Further Information

The MoJ offers Hybrid Working arrangements where business need allows. This is an informal, non-contractual form of flexible working that blends working from your base location, different MoJ sites and / or from home (please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas). All employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estate capacity.

Some roles will not be suitable for Hybrid Working. Similarly, Hybrid Working will not suit everyone's circumstances. Arrangements will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate(s) and subject to regular review.

For nationally advertised role: all successful candidates will be appointed to the nearest viable office nearest to their home postcode and on its respective pay scale. This will be at either a HQ building (subject to desk allocation, a Justice Collaboration Centre (JCC) or a Justice Satellite Office (JSO) - See Map . All employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estate capacity).

For current MoJ employees, your base location will need to be changed to the nearest viable office (to your home postcode), either at a HQ building, JCC or JSO within the National Office Network and moved its location's respective pay scale (any legacy arrangements/locations will need to be amended).
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