Solicitor- Dorset

Shelter; United Kingdom; Hybrid; GBP 44,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading housing charity in the UK is seeking a dedicated Housing Solicitor to provide high-quality legal services and tackle homelessness. Your role will involve offering legal advice, strategic litigation, and supporting trainee solicitors while promoting housing rights throughout the region. The ideal candidate will have over 3 years PQE in housing law, a commitment to social justice, and experience working under a Legal Aid contract. Join us in making a real impact in the lives of those in need.

Benefits

30 days annual leave

Enhanced family friendly policies

Pension plan

Interest-free travel loans

Employee assistance programme

Qualifications

• 3+ years PQE as a qualified Solicitor with a strong track record in housing law.
• Ability to deliver high-quality legal advice under Legal Aid contract.
• Experience in challenging unfair housing practices.

Responsibilities

• Deliver high quality legal services through casework.
• Identify test case opportunities to achieve systemic change.
• Support Trainee Solicitors and ensure compliance with professional standards.

Skills

Housing law

Legal Aid work

Strategic casework

Litigation

Team collaboration

Education

Qualified Solicitor (3+ years PQE)

Job description

Location: Covering our Dorset serviceThis can be a hybrid role based on service demands

Salary: Grade 6 - £43,338 per annum

Full time: 37.5 per week

Contract: Permanent

Closing date: Sunday 4th January 2026 at 11.30 pm

Join Shelter as a Housing Solicitor, in our mission to drive systemic change and fight for Justice.

If you are a dedicated Solicitor with specialist knowledge in housing and homelessness law, and a strong commitment to addressing the housing crisis we welcome you to apply for this role.

At a time when the housing emergency continues to deepen, your experience could help transform lives and challenge the systems that perpetuate injustice. Come and play a central role in our mission as a Solicitor to defend the right to a safe, and secure home.

Working with Shelter means being part of a passionate team that believes a safe home is a fundamental right. Here, your legal skills don t just change lives they shape a fairer housing system.

About the role

You will ensure you deliver high quality legal services through casework and ensuring Legal aid contract requirements and performance targets are met.

You will be able to identify test case opportunities to address systemic bad practice and so achieve change for a greater number of people and will work closely with the Managing Solicitor and the HUB.

About You

In this role, you will:

• Be a qualified Solicitor (3+ years PQE) with a strong track record in housing law and Legal Aid work
• Deliver high-quality legal advice and representation under our Legal Aid contract, including at Bournemouth and Weymouth County Court
• Challenge unfair housing practices and systemic causes of homelessness through strategic casework and litigation
• Work closely with our Dorset Hub team to strengthen housing rights awareness across Devon and Cornwall.
• Support Trainee Solicitors and Legal Advisers, ensuring high professional standards and compliance.

Benefits

We offer a wide range of benefits, including 30 days of annual leave, enhanced family friendly policies, pension and interest free travel loans. Our employees also have access to a tenancy deposit loan, payroll giving, cycle to work scheme and an employee assistance programme.

About The Team

Our legal Teams (Managing Solicitors, Solicitors, Legal Advisors and Trainees) are based throughout the England hubs, we are currently based in London, Plymouth, Bristol, Norwich, Birmingham, Manchester, Merseyside, Lancashire, Sheffield and Newcastle.

Our teams are enthusiastic, driven and champions for fighting the housing injustice. Our teams whilst generating an income also address the housing crisis.

About Shelter

Home is a human right. It s our foundation and where we thrive. Yet everyday millions of people are being devastated by the housing emergency.

We exist to defend the right to a safe home. Because home is everything.

We need ambitious, passionate people to join us. This is your chance to play a part in the fundamental change we are striving to achieve.

Our enemy is the social injustice at the core of the escalating housing emergency. To win this fight, we must be representative of the people we are here to help and those who support our movement. In all our people decisions, we take pride in being inclusive, equitable and transparent. We are committed to combating racism both within and outside Shelter. We welcome you on our journey to becoming truly anti-racist.

How to Apply

Please submit your CV with a supporting statement with responses to the 'About You' points 1-7 outlined in the job description of no more than 1000 words. Please provide specific examples following the STAR format and ensure you demonstrate how you address the behaviour below throughout your responses:

• We prioritise diversity and have an inclusive and open mindset

Safeguarding Statement

Safeguarding is everyone's business. Shelter is committed to protecting the health, wellbeing and human rights of those we support, and enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect. All our staff will be expected to observe professional standards of behaviour and conduct their work in line with our Safeguarding Policies.

Recruitment Agencies

Shelter does not accept unsolicited CVs from external recruitment agencies nor accept the fees associated with them.