Trainee Solicitor
This job is closed and is displayed for reference only.
Reference:0471
Salary:Year one salary: £31,000. Year two salary: £34,210
Working pattern:Full time, Fixed Term
Location:Inverness
Closing date:28 July 2024 at midnight
Join our Inverness office as a trainee solicitor (Grade 4) and assist with providing high quality criminal, civil and children’s legal advice and representation under the guidance of experienced solicitors delivering services for the Civil Legal Assistance Office (CLAO) and Public Defence Solicitors’ Office (PDSO).
Duties and responsibilities will vary with each stage of the traineeship as the successful candidate will work towards managing a varied legal aid caseload, regularly appearing at Sheriff Courts and tribunals while perusing evidence, conducting preparatory work and utilising our referral services.
This is an excellent opportunity for someone passionate about advocacy, promoting access to justice within rural and island communities, and delivering holistic legal services.
For this traineeship, we are looking at a start date ideally in September 2024
About us
We are the Scottish Legal Aid Board’s Client Legal Services Directorate, which comprises the Civil Legal Assistance Office (CLAO), Public Defence Solicitor’s Office (PDSO) and Solicitor Contact Line (SCL), making us Scotland’s largest multi-disciplinary legal aid practice.
CLAO is a network of publicly funded civil court solicitors and support staff operating across three offices who help people with civil law problems by providing holistic advice and representation to legally aided clients within core areas. In addition, we deliver a referral service to other providers of legal assistance and second tier support (including training) to advice organisations. Our work involves developing project work with local and national organisations operating within the geographical areas we cover. Further information is available at www.clao.org.uk.
PDSO is a national network of publicly employed criminal solicitors and support staff operating from eight offices across Scotland who provide criminal legal assistance, advising and representing clients who are eligible for criminal legal aid in summary and solemn cases, at every level and in Scotland’s busiest courts. Further information is available at www.pdso.org.uk.
Why work for us
We are an ethical organisation, carrying out rewarding work that can have a considerable impact on clients’ lives. We seek high calibre people and in return, we set out to provide good training and development with rewarding working conditions. We aim to be an ‘employer of choice’. Should you come to work with us, you’ll discover that no matter what your job or level of responsibilities, you are treated as an individual, with fairness, dignity and respect.
Our reward package includes:
• a competitive salary with potential for pay progression
• generous holiday entitlement of 34 days per year (inclusive of public and privilege holidays) increasing to 42 days after five years of continuous service
• a defined benefit pension scheme with a 6% employee contribution
• flexible and hybrid working arrangements
• comprehensive access to learning and development opportunities and well-being support
• job security in a stable environment
• a supportive and positive work culture
• a cycle to work scheme.
About the Job
You will work under the guidance and supervision of the Inverness PDSO and CLAO Heads of Office and be part of a team assisting legally aided clients across the Highlands and Islands, which involves regular travel and overnight stays as required.
Comprehensive training and support will be provided as you work towards managing a varied caseload comprising of criminal law and practice, public family law, housing, mental health, debt and benefit matters.
You will also support the delivery of our wider services, including developing partnership and referral links with local organisations, delivering training to advice agencies, and contributing to our working groups.
In addition, you build your knowledge of the wider legal aid system through engagement with our directorates, including how civil and criminal legal aid applications are assessed, and develop an understanding of the areas of legal work conducted by the Scottish Legal Aid Board.
You should already have some knowledge of the civil and/or criminal justice systems, experience of dealing with vulnerable client groups and a keen interest in developing your advocacy skills to promote access to justice.
You will generally be required to work from the office most days, particularly at the start of your training and subject to business needs. From time to time, you may also need to travel to geographic locations covered by our other offices.
Year one salary: £31,000
Year two salary: £34,210
This post is on a full time basis for 24 months.
We are an equal opportunities employer, dedicated to being fair, inclusive and a place where all belong.
We welcome and encourage applications from diverse backgrounds, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce. These include people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, disabled people, and LGBTQI+ people.
We will ensure that disclosure of disability status will not negatively impact anyone’s application. We are committed to guaranteeing an interview to every applicant who indicates they have a disability, in terms of the Equality Act 2010, that meets the minimum criteria for the role.
For more details about this role and a full list of essential criteria and required competencies, please see the ‘Additional Information’ section on the vacancy page of our recruitment portal.
Completed applications should be returned by Sunday 28 July 2024 (midnight) via SLAB’s recruitment portal. Interviews will likely be organised in the week commencing 5 August 2024.
Duties and responsibilities will vary with each stage of the traineeship as the successful candidate will work towards managing a varied legal aid caseload, regularly appearing at Sheriff Courts and tribunals while perusing evidence, conducting preparatory work and utilising our referral services.
This is an excellent opportunity for someone passionate about advocacy, promoting access to justice within rural and island communities, and delivering holistic legal services.
For this traineeship, we are looking at a start date ideally in September 2024
About us
We are the Scottish Legal Aid Board’s Client Legal Services Directorate, which comprises the Civil Legal Assistance Office (CLAO), Public Defence Solicitor’s Office (PDSO) and Solicitor Contact Line (SCL), making us Scotland’s largest multi-disciplinary legal aid practice.
CLAO is a network of publicly funded civil court solicitors and support staff operating across three offices who help people with civil law problems by providing holistic advice and representation to legally aided clients within core areas. In addition, we deliver a referral service to other providers of legal assistance and second tier support (including training) to advice organisations. Our work involves developing project work with local and national organisations operating within the geographical areas we cover. Further information is available at www.clao.org.uk.
PDSO is a national network of publicly employed criminal solicitors and support staff operating from eight offices across Scotland who provide criminal legal assistance, advising and representing clients who are eligible for criminal legal aid in summary and solemn cases, at every level and in Scotland’s busiest courts. Further information is available at www.pdso.org.uk.
Why work for us
We are an ethical organisation, carrying out rewarding work that can have a considerable impact on clients’ lives. We seek high calibre people and in return, we set out to provide good training and development with rewarding working conditions. We aim to be an ‘employer of choice’. Should you come to work with us, you’ll discover that no matter what your job or level of responsibilities, you are treated as an individual, with fairness, dignity and respect.
Our reward package includes:
• a competitive salary with potential for pay progression
• generous holiday entitlement of 34 days per year (inclusive of public and privilege holidays) increasing to 42 days after five years of continuous service
• a defined benefit pension scheme with a 6% employee contribution
• flexible and hybrid working arrangements
• comprehensive access to learning and development opportunities and well-being support
• job security in a stable environment
• a supportive and positive work culture
• a cycle to work scheme.
About the Job
You will work under the guidance and supervision of the Inverness PDSO and CLAO Heads of Office and be part of a team assisting legally aided clients across the Highlands and Islands, which involves regular travel and overnight stays as required.
Comprehensive training and support will be provided as you work towards managing a varied caseload comprising of criminal law and practice, public family law, housing, mental health, debt and benefit matters.
You will also support the delivery of our wider services, including developing partnership and referral links with local organisations, delivering training to advice agencies, and contributing to our working groups.
In addition, you build your knowledge of the wider legal aid system through engagement with our directorates, including how civil and criminal legal aid applications are assessed, and develop an understanding of the areas of legal work conducted by the Scottish Legal Aid Board.
You should already have some knowledge of the civil and/or criminal justice systems, experience of dealing with vulnerable client groups and a keen interest in developing your advocacy skills to promote access to justice.
You will generally be required to work from the office most days, particularly at the start of your training and subject to business needs. From time to time, you may also need to travel to geographic locations covered by our other offices.
Year one salary: £31,000
Year two salary: £34,210
This post is on a full time basis for 24 months.
We are an equal opportunities employer, dedicated to being fair, inclusive and a place where all belong.
We welcome and encourage applications from diverse backgrounds, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce. These include people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, disabled people, and LGBTQI+ people.
We will ensure that disclosure of disability status will not negatively impact anyone’s application. We are committed to guaranteeing an interview to every applicant who indicates they have a disability, in terms of the Equality Act 2010, that meets the minimum criteria for the role.
For more details about this role and a full list of essential criteria and required competencies, please see the ‘Additional Information’ section on the vacancy page of our recruitment portal.
Completed applications should be returned by Sunday 28 July 2024 (midnight) via SLAB’s recruitment portal. Interviews will likely be organised in the week commencing 5 August 2024.
