Associate / Senior Associate – Crime & Regulatory Team

Orwins; Greater London, Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days annual leave

Private Medical Insurance throughVital

Cash plan through Medicash

EAP scheme (family)

Enhanced wellbeing and family-friendly

Salary sacrifice pension through NEST

Hybrid working – office presence a few

Free fruit, drinks and regular lunches

CSR events and celebrations

People-focused, collaborative culture

Job summary

Orwins is seeking a Senior Associate for its Crime & Regulatory team in the UK. You will handle high-stakes criminal defence work across police stations, magistrates, and crown court, with a collaborative, non-hierarchical culture and a strong client focus.

You will join a team that values practical, precise advocacy and supports growth and development within a flexible, hybrid working model, including regular office presence in London or Manchester.

Qualifications

• 3-5 years PQE in criminal defence with solid magistrates court advocacy and crown court experience.
• Police station accreditation is essential.
• Experience with private practice; Legal 500 recognised or equivalent.
• Excellent written English; ability to interpret complex instructions and evidence.

Responsibilities

• Running a caseload from police station through magistrates court advocacy and crown court preparation.
• Appearing as advocate in magistrates court and supporting senior colleagues on crown court work.
• Preparing crown court cases with case theory, legal argument and evidence review.
• Providing clear, sound advice at the police station and supporting clients under pressure.
• Drafting representations, case notes and correspondence to a high standard.
• Working with senior team members while standing on your own feet.
• Contributing to a collaborative culture and supporting colleagues.

Skills

Criminal defence

Advocacy

Legal research

Job description

Join Orwins as a Senior Associate in our Crime & Regulatory team and take on the kind of work that tests you every day - high-stakes, human and rarely straightforward.

Criminal defence is not for everyone. The cases are serious, the clients are often at their lowest, and the pressure to get it right is real. Our team handles the full spectrum - from police station through magistrates to crown court - and the caseload spans ever topic you can think of. Emotive, sensitive, tough - that is the daily reality, and we would not have it any other way.

We do law differently - less hierarchical, more human, and genuinely focused on doing right by the clients who trust us with some of the most important moments of their lives. We are a firm that backs its people and expects them to back their clients.

If you are the kind of lawyer who does not switch off when a case is difficult, and who will work not stop to find the best possible outcome - this is the role for you.

Responsibilities

• Running a caseload that spans the full criminal process - from police station and early advice through to magistrates court advocacy and crown court preparation.
• Appearing as a advocate in the magistrates court and supporting senior colleagues on crown court work.
• Preparing crown court cases to a high standard - case theory, legal argument, evidence review and all the pre-trial groundwork that makes the difference at trial.
• Providing sound, steady advice at the police station and supporting clients through some of the most stressful situations they will ever face.
• Drafting written representations, case notes and correspondence to a high standard - clear, precise and persuasive. Your written communication is one of your sharpest tools.
• Handling sensitive and emotionally demanding matters with professionalism and genuine care for the client in front of you.
• Working closely with and supporting senior members of the team - you will have backup, but you will need to stand on your own feet.

Requirements

3-5 years PQE in criminal defence, with solid magistrates court advocacy behind you and real crown court experience - whether as an advocate or in case preparation. Police station accreditation is essential. You have come from a reputable private practice background - Legal 500 recognised or equivalent - and you know the difference between being technically correct and actually winning for your client.

You are practical, not just academic. You think laterally, you work under pressure without losing precision, and your ability to interpret complex instructions, conflicting accounts and difficult evidence is where you earn your reputation.

Your written English is excellent - representations and applications that are clear, persuasive and built to land. Regulatory experience is a bonus, not a requirement.

At Orwins, we invest in our people just as much as our future. Our future is our people. This is a firm where your voice is heard, your contribution is recognised, and your development is taken seriously - not just talked about.

Your remuneration will be commensurate with your experience and the market. You will get genuine access to our C-suite, senior partners, leaders and clients from day one, working alongside a team that values expertise, supports each other and takes pride in doing things well. We are growing fast, and the people who join us will grow with us too.

In addition:

• 25 days annual leave, plus bank holidays and your birthday off - increasing with service, plus Christmas break (if the firm closes over the festive period)
• Private Medical Insurance through Vitality
• Cash plan through Medicash
• EAP scheme (open to family members)
• Enhanced wellbeing and family-friendly policies
• Salary sacrifice pension through NEST
• Hybrid working - office presence a couple of days a week; location flexible across our offices
• Free fruit, drinks and regular freebie lunches
• CSR events and summer and winter colleague celebrations
• A people-focused, collaborative culture that makes coming to work genuinely worth it.

This role is Hybrid (3 days in the office each week) and can be based at any Orwins location- London or Manchester with regular presence at London office.