Solicitor - Legal Aid

Citizens Advice; Gateshead; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Professional training and development

Practising certificate renewal fee

Job summary

Citizens Advice Gateshead is seeking a qualified Solicitor to deliver life-changing legal advice and manage legal aid casework across housing, discrimination, education and employment law.

You’ll have autonomy over your varied caseload, supported by an experienced team and receive specialist training in new areas to grow your expertise.

Qualifications

• Qualified as a Solicitor with a current practising certificate, or eligible to apply.
• Knowledge of the Civil Procedure Rules, court processes and practices.
• Advocacy experience and a strong focus on client outcomes.
• Excellent communication, relationship-building and organisational skills.

Responsibilities

• Deliver high‑quality legal advice and casework across our legal aid services.
• Manage a varied caseload, case files, follow‑up activity and time recording.
• Advise clients by telephone, email and face to face.
• Use advocacy, Civil Procedure Rules and court‑process knowledge to secure strong outcomes.
• Share legal expertise with colleagues and contribute evidence to research and campaigns.

Skills

Advocacy experience

Client outcomes focus

Communication skills

Organisational skills

Relationship-building

Education

Solicitor with practising certificate

Job description

Use your legal expertise to change lives.

Join Citizens Advice Gateshead as a qualified Solicitor and use your expertise to deliver life‑changing legal advice and casework. You’ll manage meaningful legal aid cases, help people facing complex challenges secure better outcomes and make justice more accessible.

This varied role covers housing, discrimination, education and employment law. You’ll have autonomy over your caseload, support from an experienced team and specialist training in areas that are new to you.

What you’ll do

• Deliver high‑quality legal advice and casework across our legal aid services.
• Manage a varied caseload, case files, follow‑up activity and time recording.
• Advise clients by telephone, email and face to face.
• Use advocacy, Civil Procedure Rules and court‑process knowledge to secure strong outcomes.
• Share legal expertise with colleagues and contribute evidence to research and campaigns.

About You

• Qualified as a Solicitor with a current practising certificate, or eligible to apply.
• Knowledge of the Civil Procedure Rules, court processes and practices.
• Advocacy experience and a strong focus on client outcomes.
• Excellent communication, relationship‑building and organisational skills.

Experience in housing, discrimination or education law, or the legal aid system, is desirable—but transferable expertise and a strong commitment to access to justice matter just as much.

What we offer

• Negotiable hours and hybrid working.
• 22 days’ leave, rising to 25 after two years, plus bank holidays.
• Practising certificate renewal fee paid.
• Specialist training and development.
• Purpose‑led work with visible impact.

Why Citizens Advice Gateshead?

We put people first, challenge injustice and embrace better ways of working. If you share our values and want your expertise to make a real difference, we’d love to hear from you.