Senior Solicitor

Clan Childlaw; City of Edinburgh; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking experienced lawyers to join their team in delivering child-centred legal services across Scotland. This role emphasizes social justice and empowers children and young people to exercise their rights. Successful candidates will engage in strategic litigation and maintain a manageable caseload, ensuring quality support for clients. The organization offers a hybrid working model, comprehensive training, and a commitment to professional development. This is a unique opportunity for lawyers passionate about making a difference in the lives of children and young people while working in a supportive and flexible environment.

Benefits

33 days annual leave

Flexible working options

Employee counselling service

Professional development opportunities

Qualifications

• Experience in managing a full caseload, including Legal Aid cases.
• Strong commitment to social justice and child-centred law.

Responsibilities

• Deliver child-centred legal services to children and young people.
• Engage in strategic litigation and manage client casework.

Skills

Child-centred legal approach

Client casework

Legal Aid experience

Training delivery

Litigation experience

Education

Law degree

Certification as a lawyer for children

Job description

Are you motivated by the opportunity to play a key role in delivering Clan Childlaw’s vision of a Scotland where all children and young people are empowered to use their rights? Are you a lawyer who wants to work differently, using a child-centred approach that ensures that children and young people are kept at the heart of the process?

We are looking for experienced lawyers to join our team and to play a role in strategic litigation and in delivering and developing our unique child-centred legal services to increase access to justice for children and young people across Scotland.

This is a fantastic opportunity for a talented lawyer, who has a strong commitment to social justice and wants to develop as a child-centred lawyer. You should have experience in delivering training as well as significant experience in client casework and representation.

You should also have experience of managing a full caseload including Legal Aid cases in the Sheriff Court/Court of Session and/or Children’s Hearings. Ideally, you will have worked as a lawyer within one of our areas of focus (set out below) and have experience of delivering legal helpline services, but if you bring experience of and commitment to using your legal skills to improve lives, then we want to hear from you. Comprehensive training will be provided to support you in developing your knowledge and practice in our key areas, and you will be expected to obtain certification as a lawyer for children.

Part of child-centred working is allowing our solicitors the time they need to work with clients. You will maintain a reasonable caseload to ensure that is possible.

Location: Edinburgh or Glasgow

You can choose the location that works best for you. We operate hybrid working with the opportunity to work from home some of the time. The role will also require travel between our office locations on a regular basis and throughout Scotland as required.

Working Hours: Full-time (35 hours a week). However, we will consider applications from candidates seeking to work upwards of 28 hours.

Contract Type: Permanent

What we can offer you

• A hybrid approach to working, which gives you the flexibility to choose your work location based on suitability, business requirements, and job role, with the opportunity to work from home some of the time.
• 33 days annual leave inclusive of public holidays that can be taken when you choose (with the exception of Christmas and New Year), increasing to 35 after 2 years’ service.
• We are happy to talk flexible working.
• Access to an employee counselling service.
• Learning and development is important to us. We hope it’s important to you too. You will be encouraged to engage in learning and continued professional development. You will gain certification as a ‘lawyer for children’.

Please note that this information is provided for guidance only and does not form part of the conditions of employment.

About Clan Childlaw

Clan wants a Scotland where all children and young people’s rights are respected, protected, and fulfilled. For that to happen, Scotland has to be a place where all children and young people can stand up for their rights. That means children and young people need:

• Lawyers that are experts in working with children.
• People around them who can enable them to use their rights and amplify their voices.
• To be respected as rights-holders, who are entitled to hold duty-bearers to account if their rights are not fulfilled.

Clan is an award-winning, independent children’s charity that actively supports children and young people to take ownership of their rights. We are the only charity in Scotland that provides free, independent legal representation exclusively for children and young people, which is child-centred by design.

You are required to submit a CV and a supporting statement. The supporting statement should tell us about what has motivated you to apply and how your skills and experience are a match for the role. Please refer to the role description.

Closing date for application is midnight on Monday 5 May 2025 and we expect interviews to take place week commencing w/c 19th May 2025.

Clan Childlaw is an equal opportunity employer, and we are committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We welcome and encourage applications from all qualified individuals regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or any other protected status.