Litigation Lawyer

Durham County Council; North East; Hybrid; GBP 100,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

A local government authority in the North East of England is seeking a qualified lawyer to support its Regulatory & Enforcement team. This role focuses on providing legal advice and advocacy in civil jurisdiction and conducting matters in criminal courts. Ideal candidates should be qualified solicitors, barristers, or CLIEx litigators with a current practicing certificate. The position offers a competitive rewards package, including generous leave and flexible working arrangements.

Benefits

27 days annual leave

Local Government Pension Scheme

Flexible working arrangements

Qualifications

• Must hold a current practising certificate.
• Ability to provide legal advice across various Council activities.
• Experience in civil and criminal law is beneficial.

Responsibilities

• Provide legal advice and assistance to the Council's activities.
• Support litigation work as a local government lawyer.
• Conduct matters in civil and criminal courts when required.

Skills

Qualified Solicitor

Legal advice

Advocacy

Collaboration

Education

Qualified Barrister or CLIEx Litigator

Job description

Durham County Council is creating new opportunities in its Regulatory & Enforcement team to ensure it is equipped to deliver on the Council’s strategic vision and priorities. As part of that growth, we are looking to appoint a lawyer to support and enhance our litigation work.

WHAT IS INVOLVED?

The Regulatory & Enforcement Team handles a wide range of matters including civil and criminal litigation, as well as licensing and regulatory matters. The work of the team is a key component in the Council achieving the ambitions set out in its five year plan: Durham County Council, Council Plan 2025-2030.

As an in-house local government lawyer you will work closely with Councillors and with officers across the whole range of the Council’s activities, providing legal advice, assistance and advocacy. The focus of your role will be on work in the civil jurisdiction, however you may also be required to conduct matters in the criminal courts and to advise Council committees. You may also be involved in undertaking work for schools and other bodies.

You will be joining a supportive and collaborative team that strives to work together effectively, share knowledge and support each other’s success.

We encourage you to contact Tim Briton, Senior Lawyer (Regulatory & Enforcement) at [e-mail] for an informal discussion about the role.

WHAT WILL I NEED?

You should be a Qualified Solicitor, Barrister or CLIEx Litigator and Chartered Legal Executive Advocate (Civil) with current practising certificate, or be about to qualify having completed all academic stages.

Please refer to the attached Person Specification for the full criteria.

INTERVIEWS

Interviews will be held during the week of 15th December 2025.

We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that can show they meet all the essential criteria and have indicated they have a disability, are a looked after young person, care leaver or a veteran.

OUR OFFER TO YOU

We offer a competitive rewards package that includes attractive salaries, a generous annual leave entitlement of 27 days (rising to 32 after five years’ continuous local government service), membership of the excellent contributory career average Local Government Pension Scheme, and a range of flexible working arrangements including hybrid working (home and office) where applicable. Explore the full range of rewards and benefits on our website.

Rewards and benefits are subject to individual terms and conditions.

EQUALITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION

We are a proud equal opportunities employer and believe a diverse workforce brings fresh ideas and drives service improvement. We welcome applications from everyone and make employment decisions based on skills and ability. As a Disability Confident Leader, we actively encourage applications from disabled people and offer support throughout the recruitment process.

HOW TO APPLY

Please note, we do not accept CVs. All applications must be submitted online via the Northeast Jobs portal. Use the ‘Person Specification’ section of the form to clearly demonstrate how you meet the essential (and where possible, desirable) criteria. Applications that do not evidence the essential requirements will not be shortlisted. For guidance on completing your application, visit our website.

If you require assistance when applying for this role, please contact our Recruitment Helpdesk on 03000 26 27 27, Option 6 or via email [e-mail].

All correspondence relating to your application will be sent from [e-mail]. Kindly check your spam/junk folder regularly to ensure you don’t miss any updates.

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