Knowledge Development Lawyer

Government Legal Department (GLD); Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 59,000 - 62,000; Full time

Job summary

A UK Government agency is seeking a Knowledge Development Lawyer to enhance knowledge management practices within the directorate. The ideal candidate will have strong legal judgement, experience in knowledge development, and be a qualified Solicitor, Barrister, or Chartered Legal Executive. This role offers competitive compensation and benefits, with opportunities for flexible working arrangements.

Benefits

Civil service pension

Flexible working arrangements

Qualifications

• Experience in knowledge development and legal research.
• Familiarity with legal practices and Government roles.
• Experience with Inquiries, Inquests or Private Law is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Develop and improve knowledge management practices.
• Organize and deliver training and guidance.
• Collaborate with colleagues to share knowledge and resources.

Skills

Reliable legal judgement

Strong verbal and written communication skills

Ability to think strategically and creatively

Understanding of legal issues in wider context

Education

Qualified Solicitor, Barrister or Chartered Legal Executive

Minimum of a 2.1 honours degree (or equivalent)

Job description

Knowledge Development Lawyer

London, Leeds, Bristol or Manchester

£61,200 (London), £59,200 (National)

The Government Legal Department (GLD) is the largest provider of legal services across government, working with all the main Whitehall departments. From energy to security, and from roads and rivers to health and human rights, our work touches on most aspects of public life. Developing and drafting legislation, helping to secure economic and trade relationships, providing legal advice on polices and ensuring value from contracts, our work is as varied as it is stimulating.

The Litigation Directorate focuses on public and private law litigation relating to cases that frequently involve questions of constitutional importance. Our lawyers also provide expert representation to inquests and public inquiries, and play a key role in delivering GLD’s core purpose, vision and strategy. We deal with matters of national importance such as immigration, welfare, climate change and energy, and cover a full range of judicial review challenges. Our private law practice represents Government departments in personal injury, clinical negligence, misfeasance in public office and other claims, and regularly handles cases at the forefront of developing law.

Your role

When you join us in this significant role you’ll be responsible for embedding and continuing to improve best Knowledge Management practice throughout the directorate. Fostering a positive culture of knowledge sharing and learning among our lawyers, you’ll work closely with our senior management team and colleagues in other areas of GLD, including the Professional Development, Digital and Change teams. Your additional responsibilities will include:

• Participating in the development of integrated knowledge and learning plans
• Monitoring, curating and promoting the latest developments in law and practice
• Ensuring the team have access to relevant research and training services Collecting and sharing knowledge by collaborating with colleagues and using online platforms
• Organising and delivering induction training and guidance
• Facilitating the creation and update of lead lawyer notes, checklists, know-how, standard documents and precedents
• Ensuring that knowledge collections are maintained on relevant platforms and appropriate tagging against taxonomies is carried out
• Organising, designing, promoting and delivering induction training and guidance, and liaising with clients about their training needs
• Signposting and procuring training on research resources and carrying out research on specific issues
• Supporting our clients with legal awareness publications, training and the on-going development of material for the client portal
• Identifying colleagues with relevant expertise and promoting this
• Supporting the priorities of the appropriate Centres of Excellence
• Participating in innovation programmes, promoting improvements to legal processes and liaising with panel firms to learn from their experience

In order to carry out your work successfully you’ll need to have security clearance to BPSS level. More information about the vetting process can be found here.

About you

To be a success in this role you should possess reliable legal judgement, a good appreciation of legal risk, and the ability to think strategically and creatively, see legal issues in their wider context and advise accordingly. Capable of conducting sound analysis and using secure legal research to produce timely and fit for purpose legal knowledge resources, we’ll also look for strong verbal and written communication skills, and a good understanding of the role of lawyers in Government.

You should have well developed experience in the field of knowledge development, and a good appreciation of the value your work can bring to the delivery of legal services at GLD. In addition, you should be highly motivated and proactive, and capable of working both independently and as a member of a collaborative team. In addition, any experience of working on Inquiries, Inquests or in Private Law would be desirable, as would previous experience of working as a Knowledge Development Lawyer.

You should be a qualified Solicitor, Barrister or Chartered Legal Executive in England and Wales, and will have completed a training contract, pupillage or qualifying employment, or been exempted from this by the Law Society, the Bar Council or CILEx. You’ll also need a minimum of a 2.1 honours degree in any subject in your first degree (or its overseas equivalent), or evidence of high-level academic or professional achievement, such as a Graduate Diploma in Law, Legal Practice Course or Bar Professional Training Course, any of which must be underpinned by practical experience.

Chartered Legal Executives are eligible to apply where a qualifying law degree is held or the Graduate Diploma in Law has been completed, or where CILEx Level 6 exams have been passed at 50% or above in Contract Law, Criminal Law, Equity and Trusts Law, European Union Law, Land Law, Public Law and the Law of Tort.

Benefits

GLD encourages its people to develop their skills in a nurturing environment. Other benefits include access to a valuable civil service pension and flexible working arrangements.

Much more than law

Our vision is to be an outstanding legal organisation and a brilliant place to work where everyone can thrive and fulfil their potential. This is an exciting time for GLD, with cutting edge legal work on global issues and a transformation agenda which is ensuring the Department exemplifies the Modern Civil Service.

Closing date for applications: Noon Monday 8^th September 2025.