Lawyer / Senior Lawyer – Housing & Civil Litigation

Job Description

HB Public Law is an innovative and ambitious shared legal service operated by and based in the London Borough of Harrow and providing legal support to the London Boroughs of Harrow, Barnet and Hounslow, together with Slough Borough Council.

HB Public Law are looking to recruit a Lawyer or Senior Lawyer to join their highly regarded Housing and Civil Litigation Team. This is an exciting opportunity to undertake a varied and rewarding caseload across four local authorities, advising on matters that have a direct impact on local communities.

Applications from newly qualified lawyers are welcome, as well as applications from those with experience in housing law or broader civil litigation.

Whether you are currently working in local government, private practice, a housing association, or another relevant environment, we would be keen to hear from you.

The Housing and Civil Litigation Lawyer will manage a diverse caseload of matters and provide practical, solution-focused advice to our clients.

The team's work includes:

• Possession proceedings and general housing advice
• Homelessness advice and challenges
• Anti-social behaviour injunctions
• Housing disrepair claims
• Judicial review proceedings
• Debt recovery
• Civil litigation
• Commercial property litigation and related disputes
• Advising on client policies and procedures

The Housing and Civil Litigation Lawyer will work closely with officers and senior management across our client authorities and will have opportunities to undertake advocacy where appropriate.

Depending on experience, the lawyer will also support and mentor junior colleagues, contribute to training initiatives and help develop best practice across the team.

We are looking for individuals who are motivated, collaborative and committed to delivering high-quality legal services.

You will be:

• A qualified Solicitor, Barrister or Chartered Legal Executive (CILEX) with litigation practising rights, or soon to qualify
• Experienced in one or more of housing law, homelessness, disrepair, anti-social behaviour, judicial review, debt recovery and/or civil litigation
• Able to provide practical and commercially focused legal advice
• Comfortable managing your own caseload and prioritising competing demands
• A strong communicator with excellent client care skills

We welcome applications from:

• Local authority housing lawyers
• Housing association lawyers
• Private practice housing litigators
• Civil litigators interested in developing a housing law specialism
• Newly qualified lawyers with relevant training or pupillage experience

This is an opportunity to develop your career within a supportive, friendly and highly experienced team that values collaboration, learning and professional development.

Working across four local authorities provides exposure to a breadth of work rarely available within a single organisation, allowing you to develop a wide range of expertise and gain experience of complex and challenging cases.

HB Public Law are committed to supporting lawyers' development and have a strong track record of helping people progress throughout their careers.

In addition, HB Public Law offer:

• Local Government Pension Scheme
• Excellent learning and development opportunities
• Cycle Scheme
• Green Car Benefit Scheme
• Civil Service Sports Council membership
• Staff discounts and wellbeing support initiatives

HB Public Law operate from a hybrid office and lawyers typically attend the office two days per week, together with any required court attendance and client meetings (where these are not held remotely)

For more information, please refer to Role Profile/Selection Criteria

About us

Harrow Council is the 12th largest London borough and one of the most culturally diverse local authorities in the UK, making it a great place to live, work and visit with a range of cultures, religions and opinions that come together to produce high achieving schools and a close and friendly community. Located 10 miles from the city centre and just 13 minutes to Euston from Harrow & Wealdstone station there are great transport links via the Metropolitan Line, Watford DC Line and national rail service. It is easily accessible to the M1, M25 and A406.

Other information

Support for candidates visit:Harrow.gov.uk Our behavioural indicators roles below G11 and above G11 Here at Harrow Council, the vision is one of 'Working together to make a difference for Harrow' Please click here to view Harrow Council's benefits

Important Note

To deliver our commitment to equality of opportunity in service provision, all staff are expected to promote equality in the workplace and in the services the Council delivers. All sections of the population will have equal access to jobs at the London Borough of Harrow. No applicant or employee will receive less favourable treatment because of age, disability, gender, reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy, or maternity unless a Genuine Occupational Qualification applies. As such, we value diversity and welcome applications from all backgrounds. For further information, please read our equality statement.

As a disability-confident employer, we are committed to making our recruitment practices barrier-free and accessible to everyone. This includes reasonably adjusting the recruitment process for those with disabilities or long-term health conditions. For further information, please contact us at resourcing@harrow.gov.uk

London Borough of Harrow is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Harrow operates stringent, safer recruitment procedures.

Due to the high number of applications received for some posts, we may close vacancies before the stated closing date if sufficient applications are received. Therefore, please apply as soon as possible.

Harrow redeployees will be given priority consideration.

The personal information we have collected from you will be shared with Cifas who will use it to prevent fraud, other unlawful or dishonest conduct, malpractice, and other seriously improper conduct. If any of these are detected you could be refused certain services or employment. Your personal information will also be used to verify your identity. Further details of how your information will be used by us and Cifas, any your data protection rights, can be found by visiting www.cifas.org.uk/fpn