10 x Lawyers Home Office (HOLA)

Job summary

About the Government Legal Department

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 you 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 Home Office Legal Advisers (HOLA)

Home Office Legal Advisers (HOLA) provides legal advice to the Home Office. The Home Office mission is to keep the public safe and our country secure. Its priorities include controlling immigration, cutting crime and preventing terrorism.

The Home Office plays a fundamental role in the security and economic prosperity of the UK.

The Directorate is comprised of some 120 plus lawyers and business management staff based in 2 Marsham Street, London SW1, Croydon, Leeds, Manchester and Bristol. It has nine legal teams and a business management team. HOLA has two Legal Directors, Henry Ripley who oversees the five immigration teams, and Gary Howard, who oversees the four security, crime and policing teams.

At HOLA, you’ll be part of a dynamic, nurturing and high-performing legal Directorate with a strong emphasis on collaborative working. With a keen emphasis on personal development, there is ample opportunity for colleagues to represent HOLA in the Government Legal Department (GLD) corporate activities and to take part in diversity and inclusion groups and undertake training opportunities relevant to their work and career.

Through interesting, fast paced, and challenging work, HOLA provides great opportunities at all levels for professional stretch and development – all with the help of supportive, friendly colleagues.

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 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.

For Newly Qualified lawyers with under one year’s experience, GLD operates a ‘2+2’ scheme, whereby these lawyers are allocated to two, 2 year postings over their first 4 years working with GLD; 2 years in a contentious team (litigation or employment), and a further 2 years in a non-contentious advisory post, or vice-versa. The scheme is voluntary and is intended to help Newly Qualified lawyers to develop a broader range of skills and stay ‘fresh’ in working on different areas of law and in new environments.

The Role

You will be providing legal advice to support the delivery of the goals of the Home Office by drafting legal advice to Ministers and providing written and oral briefings to officials. There may be the opportunity to provide oral briefings to ministers. You will be advising on high profile, complex, precedent-setting legal issues with significant political and reputational implications, frequently attracting significant media attention. You may be required to provide advice at short notice in response to Parliamentary questions and media briefings. The legal teams across Whitehall frequently work together, creating opportunities to work cross-Whitehall with policy and legal partners.

We have a substantive portfolio of primary and secondary legislation in HOLA The role of the advisory lawyer is to support policy leads in developing fit for purpose legislation. This includes testing proposals to ensure they are robust and workable, and - for primary legislation - drafting instructions to Parliamentary Counsel. Secondary legislation is drafted both in-house within HOLA and also through working closely with specialist drafters within the wider GLD.

The Department is frequently involved in litigation, and you will be required to work closely with litigation colleagues within the GLD to ensure the Departments are fully equipped to respond to those challenges.

Our teams cover a broad spectrum of work. On the immigration side of HOLA, we advise on a whole range of migration issues, including asylum, refugees, resettlement schemes, border control, small boats, international strategy, EU cooperation and reset, work and study routes, passports, and appeals reform. On the security and public safety side, HOLA advises on crime reduction, creating safer neighbourhoods, supporting victims and protecting vulnerable people including tackling violence against women and girls and modern slavery. We also advise on national security, AI, online harms, police powers and integrity and efforts to combat serious, organised crime.

The exact role will depend on the experience and interests of the candidate as well as the Departmental priorities at the time of appointment.

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:

• Communicating and Influencing (Lead Behaviour)
• Managing a quality service
• Working Together

Key Skills & Experience

Essential - must be demonstrated at application and/or interview

• Excellent public law skills.
• Experience of giving fast-paced advice in a legal environment

Desirable

Desirable criteria 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 / or interview.

• A keen interest in one or more of the areas HOLA advises on, including immigration law

Technical Skills

Essential - must be demonstrated at application and/or interview

• Sound understanding of general public law.
• Reliable legal judgement and appreciation of legal risk.
• The ability to think strategically and creatively, see legal issues in their wider context and advise accordingly.
• Sound analysis, using secure legal research to produce timely and fit for purpose advice.
• Ability to work in a technical area alongside both policy and operational colleagues

Desirable

Desirable criteria 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 / or interview.

• Knowledge and experience (whether academic or in practice) of one or more of the areas HOLA advises on, including immigration and/or nationality law.

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. More information can be found about the 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)).

Applicants must be qualified to practise as a Solicitor, Barrister or Chartered Legal Executive in England and Wales however, we also accept applications from overseas qualified candidates. You must have completed a training contract/pupillage/qualifying employment or have been exempted from this by the Law Society, the Bar Council or CILEx.

Please note that candidates cannot apply more than 3 months before their qualification date.

Professional entry criteria for Chartered Legal Executives (i.e. Fellows): Chartered Legal Executives are eligible to apply where (i) a Qualifying Law Degree (QLD) is held; or (ii) the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL)/CPE has been completed; or (iii) where exams have been passed.

(i.e. a score of 50% or above achieved), at CILEx Level 6*, in all of the following seven foundation subjects in law:

• 1. Contract Law
• 2. Criminal Law
• 3. Equity and Trusts Law
• 4. European Union Law
• 5. Land Law
• 6. Public Law
• 7. Law of Tort

*Note: There are specific requirements relating to academic achievement in the CILEx Level 6 exams where these are being used to demonstrate 2.1 degree equivalence as set out below.

Chartered Legal Executives should note that GLD will be willing to accept an, overall, average score of 65% or above across exams passed in the seven foundation subjects in law (where studied at CILEx Level 6) as demonstrating 2.1 degree equivalence (where a 2.1 degree is not held).

Behaviours

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Se