trainee legal adviser

Ministry of Justice; Maidstone; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 34,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Civil Service pension

Flexible working

Parental leave

Childcare benefits

Job summary

The Ministry of Justice is seeking a trainee legal adviser to support magistrates with points of law, practice and procedure in a fast-paced court environment. You’ll learn and be mentored during a two-year training programme leading to further legal career opportunities within HMCTS.

Open to lawyers qualifying through the Solicitors Regulation Authority, the Bar, or CILEX, you’ll develop courtroom and advisory skills while maintaining high professional standards and resilience under pressure.

Qualifications

• You must be able to communicate clearly and confidently in court and in writing.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills are essential.
• Ability to think on your feet in a busy court environment.

Responsibilities

• Provide impartial legal advice to magistrates on points of law, practice and procedure.
• Assist with case management hearings and liaison with external agencies.
• Draft reasons behind judgments and contribute to casework decisions.
• Learn and develop new legal skills throughout the two-year training programme.
• Maintain professional integrity and ensure humane, respectful treatment of all court users.

Skills

Communication skills

Education

Qualified as solicitor or Barrister or CILEX

Job description

When you join us as a trainee legal adviser, you'll quickly discover that this isn't your normal 9 to 5 role, as no two days are the same. You'll learn new skills every day as you work at pace in a fast-moving, fluid environment, and help to keep the courts running smoothly and efficiently. Working on everything from minor motoring offences to serious crimes, you'll be supported and mentored throughout your two-year training period. Once you've completed this, you'll then have the opportunity to further develop your legal career within HMCTS.

Work as the qualified, professional face of the courts

Rather than acting for a client you'll be offering impartial and objective legal advice, so you'll need to be passionate about the law and the issues that must be considered when magistrates are delivering judgments and sentences.

Helping to conduct case management hearings will be another key part of your role, as well as liaising with outside agencies who are involved in specialist court work

Once you're qualified, you'll act as the professional face of the court, so we'll expect you to work with integrity, empathy and understanding, and ensure that everyone who attends is treated with humanity and respect at all times.

Apply all your skills as you increase your knowledge of the law

In addition to your academic qualifications and excellent communication skills, you'll be committed to increasing and maintaining your knowledge of the law. Open, approachable, professional and supportive, we'll expect you to have excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to think on your feet in a busy court. Important decisions will be made, and these can have a profound effect on the people who come to court, so you'll be confident, impartial and capable of considering a wide range of risks and implications. Flexible and adaptable, and with a high degree of personal responsibility, there are times when you'll be faced with challenging situations. With this in mind you'll be resilient and remain calm under pressure and have a diplomatic and tactful approach to everyone you work with.

An office based/court based frontline role

This is an office based/court based frontline role. You'll be allocated to your work base location that has been agreed between yourself and line manager as part of the recruitment process.

Training location expectations

You'll be expected to spend the duration of your training at your agreed base location to fulfil the demands of the training and the business needs in that location.

The role of the legal adviser at HMCTS

The role of the legal adviser is vital to the smooth running of HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) and is a highly rewarding position within our organisation. You'll be surrounded by learning opportunities every day, so if you have a passion for law, this could be the right role for you., To be eligible to apply for this post, you must have passed the academic stage of qualification to become a solicitor or Barrister of the Senior Courts of England and Wales or a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX) or CILEX Lawyer. Please refer to the entry requirement section for more information.

Communication & confidence

You're an excellent communicator with the ability to inspire confidence in everyone you work with and the self-assurance to speak in court. You're enthusiastic about the responsibility that comes with being on the front line of the justice system. And now you're ready to take your career to the next level and make a positive difference to society and the communities we live in.

Learn new legal skills as you develop your career

Our work at HMCTS is vitally important to the smooth running of a fair, accessible and efficient justice system, as we are responsible for the administration of criminal, civil and family courts and tribunals in England and Wales. Right now, we're looking for trainee legal advisers to join our exceptional legal team and develop the skills to provide magistrates with advice on points of law, practice and procedure, and assist with the formulation and drafting of the reasons behind their judgments

Security clearance

All our employees have to be security cleared before being appointed so you'll undergo a vetting process if your application is successful.

Enjoy a healthy work/life balance with our range of benefits

When you join us, you'll be making an important contribution to HM Courts and Tribunals Service - but how will we help you in return?

Benefits

In addition to a competitive salary, generous holiday entitlement and a Civil Service pension, we'll support your development with training opportunities to help you advance your career with us. We also understand the importance of a healthy work/life balance and with this in mind we offer flexible working schemes, paid maternity and paternity leave and excellent childcare benefits.