Trainee Solicitor (Ref: 21792)

Job summary

Please refer to Job Description

Job description

***This role is only for people who have already passed the Legal Practice Course (LPC) or Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) and require qualifying work experience***

At the Public Defender Service (PDS), we believe every person deserves skilled, compassionate and trauma-informed representation. Our teams work across England and Wales to deliver justice with excellence, integrity and humanity, standing alongside people at some of the most challenging moments in their lives.

As a Trainee Solicitor, you will gain hands-on experience across all areas of criminal defence, working alongside experienced solicitors and advocates in a supportive, training-focused environment. You will assist with police station advice, case preparation, client care, legal research and court work, developing the skills and confidence needed for a successful career in criminal defence.

We offer a unique learning environment with structured supervision, high-quality training, and opportunities to work with skilled practitioners across our national network. You'll be supported to develop your advocacy, litigation and client-care skills while contributing to meaningful work that makes a real difference to people's lives.

If you are passionate about public service, committed to social justice, and eager to build a career in criminal defence, we would love to hear from you.

Key Responsibilities:

Undertake training in order to conduct the following unaided:

• progressing legal cases from arrest through to sentence;
• taking instructions from clients, drafting statements and preparing attendance notes;
• develop and advise on relevant options, strategies and solutions;
• undertake police station representation (including active participation in our out of hours scheme);
• legal research and analysis of casework;
• negotiation, drafting, communicating orally and in writing;
• undertake effective spoken and written advocacy;
• establishing and maintaining effective and professional relationships with clients and other people;
• plan, manage and progress legal matters and transactions;
• initiate, plan, prioritise and manage work activities to ensure that they are completed efficiently, on time and to an appropriate standard;
• keep, use and maintain accurate, complete and clear records

Person specification

Please refer to Job Description

Licences

Please provide your qualification certificate for either the Legal Practice Course (LPC) or Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE)..

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Developing Self and Others
• Seeing the Big Picture

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £29,303, Legal Aid Agency contributes £8,489 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

• Access to learning and development
• A working environment that supports a range of flexible working options to enhance your work life balance
• A working culture which encourages inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
• Annual Leave
• Public Holidays
• Season Ticket Advance

For more information about the recruitment process, benefits and allowances and answers to general queries, please click the below link which will direct you to our Candidate Information Page.

Link: https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/candidate/cms/About%20the%20MOJ

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/candidate/cms/About%20the%20MOJ

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, reta