Trade Lawyers (up to 10 roles)

Job summary

From healthcare to artificial intelligence, energy to national security, we provide legal advice to government departments on nation-changing subjects.

At Government Legal Department we have a vital, single-minded purpose: to help the Government govern well within the rule of law. This is complemented by our exciting vision to be an outstanding legal organisation, committed to the highest standards of service and professionalism and a brilliant place to work where we can all thrive and fulfill our potential.

Our work touches almost every aspect of public life. We are the largest provider of legal services across government, working on high profile matters.

Our respected professionals are involved in everything from regulation and litigation to advice on drafting legislation. They provide expertise to the full range of government departments. We are at the heart of delivering the government’s priorities and our success depends on our people.

GLD is a non-ministerial government department headed by the Treasury Solicitor, our Permanent Secretary, and employs nearly 4000 people, including nearly 3000 legal professionals. We have offices nationwide, in Bristol, Leeds, inner and outer London and Manchester. Our lawyers can also be located within other departments and overseas.

GLD also depends on a range of cross-functional professionals to provide our corporate services. There are nearly 1000 colleagues playing an essential part in helping GLD to achieve its purpose and truly deliver much more than law.

This is an exciting time to join GLD, with cutting edge legal work on global issues and a transformation agenda which is ensuring the Department exemplifies the Modern Civil Service .

To find out more about what we do you can view our introductory film . On our website y ou can hear from team members, find out how to apply and learn about the benefits of working for GLD. You can also read more about the future vision for GLD in our GLD Strategy 2024 – 2027 .

Job description

About the GLD Advisory Trade Teams

The advertised roles will be across GLD Advisory Trade Law teams.

GLD has approximately 200 Advisory Trade Lawyers in the legal divisions of:

• Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST)
• HM Treasury (HMT)
• Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA)
• Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS)
• Department for Energy Security & Net Zero (DESNZ)
• Cabinet Office
• Department for Transport (DfT)
• Home Office
• Department for Health & Social Care (DHSC)
• Department for Education

Should you be successful you will be matched to a role within one of the teams outlined, based on your CV and business needs.

Government Legal Profession (GLP) Trade Lawyers

It’s also important to note that you’ll be a part of a wider network of Government Legal Profession (GLP) Trade Lawyers.

There are government trade lawyers housed in the Attorney General’s Office (AGO), Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), Trade Remedies Authority (TRA), and the UK’s Missions to the European Union and to the World Trade Organization (WTO) (UKM is Brussels and Geneva respectively).

In gist, there is a complex ecosystem of lawyers advising on international trade matters across GLD and the wider GLP.

This mirrors a complex ecosystem of interrelated policy and operational responsibilities across government.

Welcome from Adrian Roberts, Legal Director (International Trade)

International trade law is crucial for UK growth, global prosperity, and harmonious international relations.

In this role, you will be joining a team of exceptional lawyers, in terms of collegiality, expertise and professionalism, doing a unique and important job.

Since I joined the Government Legal Profession (GLP) 24 years ago from the self-employed bar, I have never looked back: the breadth and depth of legal work covered in the GLP is amazing, whether you are negotiating and drafting treaties, advising ministers, literally making new law, or running litigation in the national or international courts.

Now is an especially interesting time but throughout your career you will often be doing the law that other people read about in the news. That’s why we are investing in GLP’s Trade Law Profession, by rolling out the GLP’s Trade Law Career Pathway.

This will ensure (1) clear professional development opportunities, and (2) that His Majesty’s Government has the right expertise to deliver for the citizens of the UK.

Adrian Roberts, Legal Director (International Trade)

Career Offer

For some roles, travel may be required. If you join us with less than three years of post-qualification experience (PQE), your starting salary will be £51,541.00 per annum. This will increase to £63,189 (Croydon/London) or £61,124 (National) per annum once you have successfully completed your probation period and either reach three years of PQE or complete one year of service, whichever comes first.

While previous experience or knowledge may be relevant to some vacancies, Government work is likely to involve a rapid learning curve to acquire legal skills and knowledge not required in private practice. Strong intellectual and analytical skills are important. We will provide support to help you acquire the necessary expertise and have a thriving CPD-accredited in-house training programme.

GLD encourages its people to develop their skills and provides opportunities to move between advisory, litigation, employment and commercial law services during their careers.

Trade Law Career Pathway

As mentioned in Adrian’s welcome, we are investing in a Trade Law Career Pathway for government trade lawyers. Its aim is to provide create a clear and supported career pathway in trade law, one that enables progression from paralegal all the way to Deputy Director. For example, right now we are piloting a scheme which enables G7 lawyers to move on secondment between government trade law teams. This supports their professional development and exposure. We also ran a GLD G6 Trade Lawyer campaign last year.

It is important to emphasise that all GLD Advisory Trade Lawyers are expected to advise on both Trade Law and Public Law, as government lawyers. The mix will vary from role to role.

There are broadly four areas that GLD Trade Lawyers advise on and engage in:

• Negotiation and implementation of international agreements, e.g. Free Trade Agreements, WTO plurilateral and multilateral agreements;
• EU relations, including EU reset, rights and obligations under the TCA, and the Windsor Framework;
• Policy and implementation advice in the context of trade law, e.g. sanctions, trade remedies , export controls;
• Dispute resolution in international and domestic forums, e.g. WTO and ISDS disputes, judicial reviews.

Case study: Negotiation of international agreements

• Several government lawyers will form part of the negotiating team for a free trade agreement (FTA). Many more government lawyers will be involved in providing legal advice that supports the development of the negotiated text.
• BIST leads on a number of chapters – for example, in relation to goods, services, intellectual property, sustainability and disputes. HMT leads on financial services, HMRC on customs and trade, DEFRA on Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS).
• Each chapter has a ‘chapter lead lawyer’ who advises the chapter policy lead.
• Legal input to stand-alone agreements on trading arrangements also flows from lead policy responsibility, e.g. HMRC Legal leads on negotiation of agreements on customs and borders.

Key Responsibilities

• Providing targeted trade law and public law advice in a flexible range of formats (written, verbal, comment boxes etc).
• Drafting and analysing treaty text and legislation.
• Building and maintaining strong relationships with key stakeholders (policy and legal, including negotiating partners).
• Managing a legal workstream and client relationships.
• Advising on negotiations, disputes, dispute risks, and/ or policy development.

Person specification

Behaviours

Below are details of the Success Profiles that make up this role. Demonstrating all the behaviours listed below is essential at either application or interview. You can read more about Success Profiles and how they are used as an assessment method before completing your application .

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

• Developing self and others (Lead Behaviour)
• Communicating and influencing
• Working together

Lead behaviour will be used when there is a need to distinguish between candidates who are closely tied or the same after the initial consideration of essential criteria at sift/interview.

Key Skills & Experience

Essential - must be demonstrated at application and/or interview

• Strong organisation skills, with the ability to manage a busy and varied workload to meet demanding deadlines with high quality output.
• Exceptional attention to detail, producing legally sound written work.
• Ability to multi-task and prioritise when faced with competing deadlines

Desirable - will be used when there is a need to distinguish between candidates who are closely tied or the same after the initial consideration of essential criteria, at sift and interview.

• Knowledge or experience of advising on Trade Law
• Knowledge or experience of advising on Public Law

Technical Legal Professional Skills

Essential - must be demonstrated at application and interview

• Reliable legal judgment and appreciation of legal risk.
• The ability to think strategically and creatively, see legal issues in their wider context and advise accordingly. The ability to conduct sound analysis and secure legal research to produce timely and fit for purpose advice.
• The ability to communicate advice effectively both in writing and orally.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the role of lawyers in government.

Security Clearance Level

All GLD employees must hold BPSS . If successful for this post, you must hold or be willing to obtain SC level clearance for this role. You cannot start this position until you have obtained the higher security clearance. This usually required a five-year footprint in the United Kingdom. However, some departments can consider a three-year footprint. Your application will not be considered if you don’t have a UK footprint of at least three years. With less than three years, you won’t be able to obtain SC clearance. If you don’t have SC clearance, you can’t commence in the roles.

More information can be found about th e vetting and clearance levels before completing your application.

Sponsorship and Visas

There is the possibility that GLD can provide sponsorship for skilled workers, as long as they meet the eligibility criteria set down under current immigration legislation. GLD does not guarantee sponsorship will be provided or that an applicant will be successful in gaining a skilled worker visa.

It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that they meet the criteria for sponsorship. They also have the responsibility to notify the Resourcing Team that they require Sponsorship at the start of the onboarding process into GLD. This applies to existing civil servants as well as external candidates.

Qualifications

Academic and Professional

Applicants should have a minimum of a 2:1 honours degree in their first degree (in any subject). Where an applicant holds an overseas degree qualification this should be equivalent to a 2.1 degree. GLD will consider applicants who do not have a 2.1 degree but only where satisfactory evidence of equivalent high level academic and/or professional achievement can be provided (e.g. via relevant experience and results achieved for the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL)/CPE, Legal Practice Course (LPC), Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC)).