91478 - Legal Adviser (Crime and Family) - Kent

Crime Legal Adviser: your base location will be in Margate or Folkstone depending on your preference, subject to business needs.
Family Legal Adviser: your base location will be in Medway.

You may be required to travel to other court buildings within Kent as and when required to cover courts.

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. If you have a passion for law, being a part of a team committed to providing a quality service and want to take your career in a new direction, this could be the right role for you.

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'll need to be a qualified solicitor, barrister or fellow of CILEX, enthusiastic about the responsibility that comes with being on the front line of the justice system and you're now ready to develop your career further and make a positive difference to society and the communities we live in.

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. We're looking for legal advisers to join our exceptional legal team in Kent 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. You'll also be required to exercise a range of authorised judicial functions. Not only will this draw on your sound legal skills, but you'll need to demonstrate judicial independence, integrity and impartiality at all times.

Your role

When you join us as a 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 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, or in family on parents disputes about their children or whether a child should be removed from their family by the state.

Your training will include enrolment on a 12 to 18 month national induction programme where you will acquire knowledge of law, practice and procedure and the court skills required to be a legal adviser. You will be supported by a mentor, manager and your colleagues. You will collect evidence throughout your training to support your promotion to a qualified Legal Adviser. Once you have completed your training, there is a wide range of career opportunities either within HMCTS, or your training will provide you with the knowledge and experience relevant for you to apply for judicial roles.

Work as the qualified, professional face of the courts

Rather than acting for a client you'll be providing legal advice to magistrates and progressing cases to ensure they are dealt with justly, fairly and expeditiously.

If you work in the crime jurisdiction your role will be to advise magistrates on law practice, procedure and accurately record court decisions on the court system. With experience, you will be given authority to manage cases both in and outside the courtroom. You will be committed to providing a quality justice service to people in Kent.

If you work in the family jurisdiction your role will be to advise magistrates on law practice, procedure and in consultation with the magistrates provide reasons for their decisions. With experience, you will also be given authority to manage cases both in an outside the courtroom and in some non-contested cases be able to make final orders for children. You will be committed to providing a quality service to families in Kent.

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.

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

In addition to being legally qualified and having excellent communication skills, you'll be committed to developing and practising your knowledge and skills in the jurisdiction to which you have been assigned. 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, 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. You'll be resilient and remain calm under pressure and have a diplomatic and tactful approach to everyone you work with.

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.

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