About your new role
Your primary role will be to provide advice as part of the in-house legal services team for Surrey, Sussex and Suffolk Police.
We are seeking an experienced Police Associate 3YRS + PQE to provide high quality and prompt legal advice on a range of queries arising from all aspects of policing, to advise on a wide variety of issues ranging from operational policing matters, civil litigation, public law challenges, inquests, information law and non-operational issues. Previous experience of advising a police force is desirable, ideally with defendant and/or in-house experience. Advocacy experience is not essential.
1. Advise on and draft responses and grounds of defence in threatened and issued public law claims
2. Provide advices to clients across all aspects of policing
3. Advise on a range of data protection matters
4. Manage a caseload of family disclosure cases, including presenting cases in court
5. Supervise more junior members of staff on family disclosure cases
6. Liaise with various parties such as other solicitors, insurers, experts, counsel and clients
7. Providing regular face to face training to police officers.
8. Maintain Case Manager diary and action lists
9. Draft various documents including Court applications
10. Satisfy standards of client case and compliance with SLAs
11. Complete Client MI procedures
12. Achieve set financial and chargeable targets
13. Comply with relevant rules, policies and procedures
14. Keep up to date with legal developments
15. Work in accordance with Weightmans’ values
This list is not intended to be exhaustive and you will be expected to perform other duties and have other responsibilities that fall within the wider remit of the role. You will also ensure that you comply with the relevant Weightmans and client policies and procedures, and consistently work in accordance with our values.
About You
You will be a qualified solicitor, ideally with defendant and in-house experience. As the role is varied, we are looking for you to have a flexible approach to the work you do and be able to adapt to different tasks. We also require you to have:
16. A qualified Solicitor minimum 3YRS PQE
17. Be qualified as a solicitor or barrister in England and Wales;
18. Be able to provide effective written and oral advice;
19. Organise a complex workload and work collaboratively with various parties such as other solicitors, insurers, experts, counsel and clients;
20. Maintain Case Manager diary and action lists;
21. Achieve set financial and chargeable targets;
22. Comply with relevant rules, policies and procedures;
23. Keep up to date with legal developments;
24. Work in accordance with Weightmans’ values;
25. Excellent IT skills;
26. Excellent time management and organisation skills;
27. Excellent attention to detail and concentration;
28. Ability to multi-task and prioritise;
29. Ability to work to strict deadlines and targets;
30. Ability to work as part of a team and on own initiative;
31. Excellent team working skills.
If you meet our criteria and think this is a job where you could bring enthusiasm and commitment, then we look forward to receiving your application.
Any reference to experience or PQE in our adverts or job descriptions is to be used as a guideline only. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and with different levels of experience who can demonstrate that they fulfil the requirements of the role.