Solicitor – Legal Services/Highways

Interim Solicitor – Legal Services/Highways

Reference no:  K&C 5229584

Pay Rate: £44.17 per hour PAYE 

This opening assignment is for 2-3 months

The purpose of the role is to provide expert professional/technical legal advice and guidance to colleagues, managers and partner agencies to contribute to the delivery of both Councils’ objectives and priorities. Provide legal and procedural advice to Members and Officers relating to highways, local government law, enforcement and licensing cases.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide the efficient and cost-effective delivery of legal services in the Licensing and Highways Team within a culture of customer focus, continuous improvement, service excellence and employee development.
• Give adequate and timely legal advice to the Councils and their various departments on all matters relating to highways law, local government, and associated legislation, including disputes concerning cycle lanes, road closures, status queries, pavement and tables and chairs licences and parking matters.
• Undertake complex and routine legal cases involving highway matters without day to day supervision and to manage time and responsibilities accordingly.
• Undertake conduct of inquiries, appeals, judicial reviews and statutory challenges for highways and licensing cases.
• Drafting and completing highway agreements and bonds.
• Deal with all matters within the Licensing and Highways Team and to report to, liaise with and assist the Principal Solicitor, Chief Solicitors and Director of Law as necessary. The post holder’s caseload will include high profile, politically sensitive and financially weighted cases.
• Negotiate the most advantageous terms with external parties and where appropriate attend meetings with Government Departments, other Local Authorities, other departments of the Councils other persons outside the Councils.
• Draft and advise on reports and key decisions for the Cabinet, Cabinet Members, Council Committees and Sub-Committees and to attend such committees and other meetings as the Principal Solicitor may require.
• Attend and act as one of the legal advisers at Council meetings and committees as and when required (which may be held outside standard working hours) and to provide both legal and procedural advice to Members and Officers at these Committees.
• Deal with Assets of Community Value applications and reviews.
• Ensure that all procedural/standing order requirements are complied with and to advise Members as necessary.
• Where appropriate, and in accordance with the Services’ protocol, to instruct Counsel and/or external solicitors.

“Role Requirements” – to give yourself the maximum chance of success please try and ensure your CV addresses the following essential criteria:

Qualifications:

1. Qualified Solicitor, Barrister or Fellow of CILEx entitled to practice in England and Wales.

Experience:

1. Minimum of 12 months recent experience in a similar role, or context and ideally within a public sector organisation.
2. Demonstrable experience of dealing with and advising on all matters relating to highways and local government law.
3. Knowledge of highways, local government and related legislation and case law.
4. Experience of dealing with a range of highway agreements, advising on traffic management matters, highway status queries; clearing reports and attending and addressing Committees, including advising on complex committee report preparation and conditions.
5. Experience of court procedures, such as appeals, judicial reviews and statutory appeals.

Skills & Abilities:

1. Demonstrable ability to effectively communicate standard and complex legal issues to Members and officers and to provide cogent legal advice accordingly.
2. Ability to work independently to find solutions, mindful always of the strategic aims and objectives of each council.
3. Demonstrable ability to work constructively with Council Members to a high degree of political sensitivity.
4. Ability to work collaboratively in a team environment, working with members of the in-house legal team to draw in other areas of expertise as needed and supporting project leads and clients.
5. Broad knowledge of Local Government law (and in particular how decisions are made) or equivalent knowledge and willingness to learn.
6. Ability to draft and complete highway agreements.
7. Able to work in a digital hybrid environment.
8. Strong IT skills including Microsoft packages or equivalent (e.g. G Suite).

NB: Please feel free to apply to us direct via [email protected] by quoting the job reference and job title exactly. SEE DETAILS AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS AD.

If you have previously applied to one of our vacancies and have already sent the required supporting documentation to us, please make this clear when you re-apply as this will help speed up your application.

To help speed up the process of uploading your CV to the client we would suggest that you send us your CV in Word format (or equivalent) if possible, rather than as a PDF

If you are successful in securing this role, please note that for the entire duration of this contract, regardless of extension you will be working this role at the PAYE rate that has been advertised. For absolute clarity, we only work on a PAYE basis, rather than entertaining umbrella pay terms, we do not offer Ltd/umbrella or outside IR35 rates. If you wish to understand PAYE vs Umbrella more, please let us know and we can send you some additional information for clarity.