Lawyer- Case Management Team (Children)

Coventry City Council; Coventry; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A local government authority in Coventry is seeking a lawyer focused on managing public law cases. The role involves preparing legal documentation, providing advice to client departments, and representing the authority in hearings. Candidates should have experience in children's law and strong advocacy skills. The position offers hybrid working options and a commitment to professional development within a supportive team.

Benefits

Excellent holiday package

Professional development opportunities

Flexible working arrangements

Qualifications

• Ability to work as part of a team and establish good relations.
• Commitment to service improvement and professional development.
• Willingness to contribute positively to service development.

Responsibilities

• Manage a caseload of public law matters.
• Prepare and review legal documentation.
• Provide legal advice to client departments.

Skills

Experience in public law children's legal work

Strong drafting skills

Advocacy skills

Collaborative working

Customer-focused

Job description

What is the job role?

This role focuses on progressing cases through public law proceedings in line with statutory timescales. You will manage a caseload of predominately public law matters, prepare and review legal documentation, liaise with social care teams and counsel, and represent the Council at hearings and other forums. You will have access to our in-house advocacy team to support with hearings, and you will benefit from the strong support of experienced legal officers who will work alongside you to help manage a varied and challenging workload effectively.

In addition, you will provide legal advice to client departments, contribute to strategic advice and policy development under supervision, and help colleagues and service areas understand the implications of new legislation and case law.

All candidates must have the Right to Work in the UK. We are currently not offering sponsorship for this role.

Who are we looking for?

We are looking for a candidate with experience in public law children’s legal work, strong drafting and advocacy skills, and the ability to work collaboratively with colleagues, client departments, Members, and external partners. You should be customer-focused, with a commitment to service improvement and professional development.

We welcome applications from those with experience in local government, the public sector, or private practice, as well as from less experienced lawyers who are keen to learn. We offer comprehensive training, support, and career development opportunities.

You must be able to work effectively as part of a team and establish good relations with our Members, client departments, outside agencies, and partners. Always customer-focused, you will understand the nature of local government in-house legal services and demonstrate a willingness to contribute positively to service development and continuous improvement.

In return, you will join a welcoming and encouraging team, enjoy hybrid working (home and office), an excellent holiday package, and the opportunity to accrue additional leave through flexible working, supporting a work-life balance. We are committed to your professional development, helping you build expertise in children’s law and progress within Legal Services.

For an informal discussion, please contact :

Nancy Perkins, Case Management Team Leader

If you need help or support to complete your application, please visit our accessibility page to see how we can assist you.

Guaranteed Interview Scheme

As part of our commitment to inclusion, we offer guaranteed interviews for specific groups of people. To qualify, you'll need to meet the minimum requirements for the role and identify with one of the below criteria :

• Members of the Armed Forces and veterans
• Are currently in care or have previously been in care
• If you consider yourself to be disabled or if you have a long-term health condition

For full details on the application process, please read the attached document on our jobs page labelled 'Coventry City Council Application Process'.If there is any evidence of a candidate using AI to complete their application, then the application will be rejected unless the candidate can provide a justification that the Council considers reasonable.

Interview date : Week Commencing 12th January

About Coventry

Coventry has a proud, innovative and creative spirit that throughout its history has seen communities come together to tackle problems and bring about real social change.

We are cutting-edge, challenging, youthful, vibrant and diverse.

At Coventry we are committed to excellence in everything we do. With around staff from a range of different backgrounds, our aim is to recruit and develop talented people who will focus on our customers, take responsibility, work together and find better ways of doing things.

To deliver the best services to our residents, we need the best people working for us to make a difference to our communities.