Solicitor - Housing / Legal Aid Supervisor

Central England Law Centre (CELC) provides a vital service to clients across Coventry and Birmingham, providing support for all aspects of housing law through a team of dedicated solicitors, caseworkers, paralegals and support workers.

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced caseworker or solicitor to join the team, supporting our clients across Birmingham in the delivery of casework through the Law Centre’s Legal Aid contract.

The successful candidate will be subject to a basic DBS check.

Responsibilities

With responsibility for a caseload of clients across Birmingham, the successful candidate will:

• Advise clients on all aspects of housing law through face-to-face and telephone appointments
• Undertake casework and represent clients at court as appropriate
• Liaise with the Legal Aid Agency in respect of funding applications and claims
• Complete public funding forms via CCMS and paper applications where appropriate
• Promptly cost and bill closed cases in order to meet individual and team targets

Person Specification

• A solicitor or caseworker with proven experience of the delivery of casework through a Legal Aid contract
• A demonstrable commitment to social justice
• The ability to work sympathetically and effectively with a wide variety of clients
• Experience of advocating for clients in court and with other agencies
• Demonstrable knowledge and understanding of Legal Aid eligibility requirements and Legal Aid applications

About CELC:

A fairer, more just society in which an understanding of rights and their power is embedded within communities.

Central England Law Centre is the UK’s largest Law Centre. Our size enables us to provide legal expertise across eight different areas of social welfare law including: discrimination; employment; health and social care; housing; immigration and asylum; public law; and welfare benefits. This means that we can offer services that can address all of the interconnected problems people face in their everyday lives.

Our services are rooted in the communities we serve and we are an organisation that uses its legal expertise to improve the lives of those who are often vulnerable and socially excluded due to poverty, illness or disability.

What we offer: 

•  37-hour working week;
•  Flexible working hours and a hybrid working arrangement;
•  28 days holiday (rising by 1 day per year of service to 35 days after 5 years of service) plus 8 statutory days;
•  Pension scheme membership;
•  Access to an employee assistance programme;  

Closing date: 1pm on the 5th July 2024
Interviews will be held in week commencing: 15th or 22nd July 2024