Social Housing Solicitor-Director - Salary £75K Per Annum - City of London

CIH International Housing Group; London; On-site; GBP 75,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player seeks a Social Housing Solicitor-Director to lead their Housing team in London. This role involves managing complex housing cases, mentoring junior staff, and ensuring high standards of client care. Join a top-tier law firm recognized for its commitment to diversity and excellence in legal services. With a supportive team environment and excellent career progression opportunities, this position is perfect for a proactive professional looking to make a significant impact in social housing law. Take the next step in your career with a firm that values training and diversity.

Benefits

Supportive team environment

Excellent progression opportunities

Support for legal awards and recognition

Qualifications

• 3+ years PQE in Housing and Litigation with court representation experience.
• Strong management skills and ability to supervise team members.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with the Board to meet performance targets.
• Manage a range of housing cases including eviction and disrepair.

Skills

Housing and Litigation

Court Representation

Management and Supervisory Skills

Client Care Skills

Networking and Communication

Proficiency in IT

Knowledge of Publicly Funded Housing Work

Education

Valid Practicing Certificate

Tools

Microsoft Office

Document Management Systems

Job description

Social Housing Solicitor-Director - Salary £75K Per Annum - City of London

Job Description:

Duncan Lewis Solicitors (Ltd):

Regulated by the Solicitor's Regulation Authority, Duncan Lewis Solicitors was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in the City of London (Fenchurch Street EC3M), with offices nationwide. We are recognised by the Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners UK independent legal directories as a top-tier law firm in all of our key practice areas - "a diligent and professional team that is prepared to go the extra mile for its clients". A paperless law firm with over 500 personnel that embraces hybrid-working, we service both corporate entities and private individuals in over 25 areas of law across 60 languages. We give people a voice - that is our ethos.

Choosing a career with Duncan Lewis is choosing a law firm that is the largest provider of publicly funded (legal aid) legal services in the country and has a growing private client practice. We have been Investors in People Gold Standard accredited for over 15 years and are continuously applauded nationally for the work that we do.

Having demonstrated unparalleled legal expertise and a commitment to justice, we were awarded Law Firm of the Year at both the 2024 Lexis Nexis Awards and 2023 Modern Law Awards. We are named as one of the Times 200 Best Law Firms. In 2021 we were celebrated by the Chambers Europe Award as an 'outstanding firm' for diversity and inclusion. In previous years we have been awarded a number of awards, including the Law Society Excellence Award for Large Law Firm of the Year in 2020, Access to Justice at the UK Legal Diversity Awards in 2019 and the Family Law Firm of the Year at the 2015 Family Law Awards, to name just a few. Duncan Lewis is Law Society Lexcel, Cyber Essentials Plus and ISO 27001 Information Management accredited.

We are committed to recruiting dedicated and talented professionals and welcome applications from exceptional candidates. At Duncan Lewis, we value training and diversity, and we take pride in our inclusive workforce. If you are passionate about our areas of law and eager to advance your career with us, please submit your CV and application online.

Housing Department Background:

Noted for its "sustained legal conviction combined with outstanding advocacy" our Housing team, is ranked and recommended by The Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners UK for its services in social housing UK-wide, providing assistance to both landlords and tenants on all housing issues. We handle both publicly funded (legal aid) and privately funded legal services in homelessness, disrepair, eviction, succession for tenants, neighborhood problems, debt issues and possession proceedings.

Our solicitors are highly experienced in finding solutions to housing disputes and aim to address the issues quickly and effectively. The department regularly represents clients at all court levels (including the Higher Courts) and is extensively experienced at handling all housing related judicial review claimant matters at the High Court.

Main Responsibilities of the Role

1. Report directly to and collaborate with the Board to ensure performance targets are met.
2. Responsible for all aspects of Housing work including providing technical expertise and guidance to other team members.
3. Significant experience in representing clients as Housing Court Duty Scheme over the last 2 years.
4. Ability to manage and supervise Solicitors, Trainee Solicitors and Caseworkers to manage appropriate caseload types and complexities.
5. Assisting with delivery of appropriate training and development in the department.
6. Dealing with a range of housing cases including Homelessness, Disrepair, Eviction, Possession, Property Ownership Disputes, Succession for Tenants, Housing adaptations, Social Housing, Neighborhood Problems, and undertaking advocacy.
7. Handling emergency cases and strategic litigation.
8. Preparing and managing funding applications to the Legal Aid Agency.
9. Drafting documents such as witness statements and processing evidence.
10. Maintaining a professional, proactive approach, strong client care skills, and interest in Business Development and Marketing to handle substantial work volumes.

Key Skills Required:

• 3+ years PQE with proven experience in Housing and Litigation, including court representation.
• Experience as Duty Advisor under Housing Possession Court Duty Scheme over the last 2 years.
• Willingness to work towards or meet the 2013 SQM Supervisor standard in Housing.
• Experience in welfare rights and community care issues.
• Must hold a valid Practicing Certificate at the time of application.
• Strong management and supervisory skills.
• Team player with fair approach to team concerns, fostering positive change and cross-referrals.
• Proven experience working to KPIs and supervising others.
• Proactive professional with excellent client care skills, capable of handling vulnerable clients sensitively and resolving complex housing issues.
• Excellent networking, communication, and marketing skills to promote the company and generate new business.
• Knowledge of publicly funded housing work, legal representation, and ability to service private cases.
• Extensive experience in all housing-related work; advocacy experience is advantageous.
• Proficiency in IT, Microsoft Office, and document management systems.
• Experience within the legal sector is preferable.
• Ability to manage social media activities for promotion.

What we offer:

• A supportive team environment.
• Excellent progression opportunities.
• Support for legal awards and recognition.

The recruitment process complies fully with GDPR and other applicable laws. Background checks including CRB/DBS will verify eligibility to work in the UK and suitability for the role.

Equal Opportunities:

Duncan Lewis is committed to diversity and equal opportunity employment. We guarantee an interview for candidates disclosing a disability who meet the essential criteria. Please mention this in your cover letter if applicable.

Applications submitted by agencies will not be accepted for this vacancy.