Legal Assistant

About this job

Are you looking to build your legal career in a supportive and ambitious local authority legal team? We are seeking a motivated Legal Assistant to join our Community Safety, Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) and Prosecutions team.

This is an excellent opportunity for an aspiring legal professional to gain hands-on experience across a varied caseload, working alongside experienced lawyers and advocates while supporting matters that make a tangible difference to local communities.

This role offers exposure to a broad range of contentious legal work and the opportunity to develop your advocacy and litigation skills. Depending on experience, there may be opportunities to undertake advocacy in the Magistrates' and County Courts.

Join a team committed to delivering high-quality legal services, supporting colleagues across the Council and making a real impact for residents and communities.

Special requirements for this post

You will have:

• A law degree, CPE, LPC, BPTC, CILEX qualification or equivalent legal qualification.
• Experience of drafting legal documents and court-related paperwork.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong organisational skills and attention to detail.
• The ability to build positive relationships and work effectively as part of a team.
• Experience of using case management systems and recording legal time.
• A professional approach to handling confidential and sensitive information.
• Experience working within local government or the public sector would be advantageous.

About you

• Assisting lawyers with housing, civil litigation and prosecution matters.
• Managing a small caseload of ASB and prosecution cases under supervision.
• Drafting legal documents, court papers, witness statements and correspondence.
• Undertaking legal research and helping to provide legal advice.
• Preparing court bundles and maintaining accurate case records.
• Recording court outcomes and updating court diaries.
• Attending hearings in the Magistrates' and County Courts.
• Supporting service improvement projects and the wider Legal Services team.

About us

Barking & Dagenham is changing. It Starts Here.

Think you know Barking and Dagenham? Think again. While this small corner of east London might have a reputation for needing development, scratch beneath the surface and you’ll find active communities and a place that consistently punches above its weight. The borough is changing – and changing for the better. And It Starts Here.

Yes, the borough has its challenges. But it’s on the cusp of something exciting. With one of the youngest populations in the country, ambitions are high and rightly so. 98% of our schools are rated Good or Outstanding and every year more of our talented teenagers get into Russell Group Universities and hotly sought after apprenticeship schemes.

We have award winning parks, centuries old manor houses full of relics and artifacts you can go and see, and the ruins of one of Anglo-Saxon England's most powerful and wealthiest religious sites. We’re even bringing beavers and white storks to the borough to help rewild the local landscape and boost biodiversity.

Over the past few years, we’ve been working hard to improve how we deliver services and support our community. From tackling inequality to making sure our services are the best they can be, we’re focused on what matters most to local people.

We’re creating the conditions for people to thrive - so everyone can enjoy a good quality of life, feel proud to call this place home, and be part of something bigger.

#ItStartsHere - with our streets, our schools, our neighbourhoods. And with your application to join our determined team who are passionate about doing what’s best for the future of Barking and Dagenham.

As an Investors in People Gold Award employer, we’re serious about supporting our staff. From flexible working, professional training and career development to wellbeing initiatives, we want our people to feel valued and supported in everything they do.

Our values, known as

• DRIVE, shape how we work:
• Deliver our best every day – and do what we promise
• Respond in a prompt, positive way to our community’s needs
• Inspire others with our attitudes and actions
• Value people for who they are and what they can do
• Engage with others to improve our resilience and flexibility We’re proud to be an equal opportunity employer and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and experiences.

We’re proud to be an equal opportunity employer and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and experiences.