Full Time Criminal Duty Solicitor

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Full Time criminal Duty Solicitor

This well-established, modern, and forward-thinking London-based law firm is currently seeking a Qualified Criminal Duty Solicitor to join its busy and expanding team and operations, working remotely and from our office hub in Islington.

Are you ambitious, entrepreneurial, and a highly motivated individual with over 2 years PQE, ideally with extradition experience, looking for an opportunity to develop your own professional practise whilst playing a key organisational role in this highly regarded and rapidly expanding law firm?

As our reputation continues to grow apace, so does the scope of our work and our client base. We now have an exciting opportunity for the right candidate to manage a varied caseload, developing relationships with clients, managing, and over exceeding their expectations.

Gillen De Alwis welcomes applications from highly organised, commercially minded and spirited legal practitioners who see themselves as highly motivated and accountable for all matters and appreciate that integrity is essential to this role.

We are looking for someone who demonstrates the utmost professionalism in their relationships with our clients, and who can set a benchmark standard of rigour and legal knowhow in all the work they undertake, who is committed to delivering genuine client satisfaction, and who will regularly go beyond in terms of growing the profile and reputation of the firm.

You will ideally be a keen advocate with a drive to develop your own personal network in an environment that is passionate about investing in and developing a great team.

In this role, it is vital that you demonstrate high levels of professional independence and an ability to oversee and manage the day to day running of a large and varied caseload both positively and purposefully, effecting change where necessary and without a need for close supervision.

You will:

be commercially driven, fully accountable for your own matters and appreciate that integrity sits squarely at the heart of our business.
be a team player, you will be happy to roll-up your sleeves and get stuck in across the firm, not simply within the crime remit.
have at least 2 PQE, with no upper limit on your level of experience.
have strong criminal experience, which will include extradition and advocacy.
be able to develop your own personal, professional network in an environment with stakeholders both in the court environment and wider business community of North London.
be seeking genuine career progression and a competitive salary package.

We are determined to do things differently for the benefit of our clients and our people.

The company can offer a great work-life balance, together with a friendly, supportive, and collegiate office environment. We would consider part-time or flexible working, if you are the right candidate for the role, and are committed to building on successful and effective remote working practices, combined with the flexibility to operate out of our offices in Mayfair and Islington, North London, as required.

Competitive salary based on experience.

If you think this is for you and you would like to learn more, then click the link below for more information and how to apply. All candidates that we are interested in will receive a pre-screening call to undertake an initial assessment with us.

Job Description

Job Title: Court Duty Solicitor	Experience: 2 years + PQE
Department: Magistrates Court Department Criminal & Extradition	Reports to: Head of Criminal Department
Purpose of the Role/The person Undertake all aspects of Magistrates’ Court criminal work to include Extradition and Youth Court work to an excellent standard Prompt daily Magistrates’ Court attendance representing clients on behalf of the firm and developing the firm’s presence and brand A strong advocate capable of mounting strong persuasive legal challengers to provide unrivalled representation for the firm’s clients Manage a large and varied Magistrates Court caseload to an excellent standard, undertaking a wide range of offences, from initial appearance through to trials and sentencing/appeal Provide a responsive and committed approach to delivering client services Review and prepare documentation related to an offence and the case (including witness statements, police reports, forensic instruction and assessments to a high standard) Be professionally qualified and experienced Duty Solicitor with at least 2 years PQE, capable of working unsupervised and confident in the work being undertaken Utilise entrepreneurial flair and enthusiasm for business development to enhance existing professional network and generate new work
Key Accountabilities Undertake all aspects of Magistrates’ Court criminal work to include Extradition and Youth Court work Support clients by challenging evidence against them and interviewing witnesses to support their case Ensure that a full and fair hearing and process is adhered to Demonstrate a high level of data integrity, attention to detail and representing the firm and the client to the highest quality standard Utilise strong IT skills and be able to manage time and workload well under pressure to deadlines. Demonstrate effective interpersonal, communication and presentation skills; both written and oral to represent our clients Create and maintain effective relationships with clients and other stakeholders to engender trust and confidence. Deliver an excellent quality of service to all clients and stakeholders in a professional and timely manner Be a team player, able to motivate, coach and inspire others Have an acute attention to detail. Have a positive, supportive, and approachable manner that engenders trust and confidence Have an understanding and can use social media platforms to build personal, departmental, and firm profile and professional networks, e.g., LinkedIn The above list of duties is not exhaustive and is subject to change. The post holder may be required to undertake other duties.
Working relationships Director – The Director oversees the work of the team and works as Supervisor within the team. You will be required to attend a one-to-one monthly meeting with your Director (Manager), this will give you and your Manager the opportunity to talk over any matters or developments which may affect you. Clients and referrers – You will have daily contact with clients, referrers and third parties, e.g., suppliers and virtual members of the team. You will also have contact with clients with whom we have working relationships, you will be expected to act in a way which upholds these relationships, our firm’s community, vision mission and goals, and which conforms to any service level agreement we may have with a particular client.

Person Specification

	Essential	Desirable
Qualifications	Solicitor with 2+ years PQE Duty Solicitor Accreditation	Duty Solicitor with 2+ years PQE preferred however someone with a proven track record and strong experience will be considered Higher Rights
Knowledge	All aspects of criminal law Magistrates Court Advocacy Extradition Youth Court Advocacy	Knowledge or interest in: Cybercrime & Terror Data & Privacy Criminal Offending Corporate Crime Health & Safety Planning/ Building Regs offences Environmental Offending
Skills/abilities/competencies	Innovative and pushing the boundaries of legal challenge on the law/procedures Able to prioritise work to manage your caseload efficiently and effectively Able to motivate, lead, coach and develop others Have acute attention to detail in reviewing and preparing documentation Able to demonstrate entrepreneurial vision and business drive Excellent IT skills Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills and providing advice to clients Excellent oratory skills Client focussed Able to prioritise your workload to meet deadlines Keen interest in all aspects of criminal law You should have a dynamic and driven disposition, with a positive and friendly manner intent on achieving results Have a drive for personal development and that of the team/department
Experience	Experience of managing a high volume and varied caseload to a high standard, predominantly Magistrates’ Court Work Experienced in Extradition proceedings and Youth Court proceedings Experience of running a caseload ranging from smaller offences to complex and more serious offences. A keen advocate (Higher Rights of Audience preferable but not compulsory) Successful at creating and maintaining effective partnerships with clients and third parties Excellent client communication skills providing advice to clients Experience of case management systems, in particular LEAP
Personal Attributes	Able to work as part of a team Passionate, dynamic and highly motivated A ‘can do’ attitude Positive, hardworking attitude Inspires loyalty and confidence Emotionally intelligent and kind Resilient and innovative High expectations and commitment to continual professional improvement Personal Accountability Belief in the importance of community.

Applications no later than 28th June 2021