Lead Solicitor - Strategic Litigation - #1769321

Location: Edinburgh or Glasgow

Role Summary

You will maintain a caseload of strategic, complex and sometimes high-profile child and public law matters on behalf of individuals and Clan as an organisation, working closely with the Partners. You will support the Partners to develop Clan’s approach to using strategic litigation, children’s rights and the UNCRC as a tool to respect, protect and fulfil children’s rights in Scotland. You will support others in the team to conduct strategic litigation. You will ensure that service delivery aligns with the overall strategy, aim, vision and values of Clan. 

Key Responsibilities:

Management and Leadership  

• Maintain a caseload of strategic, complex and sometimes high-profile child and public law matters on behalf of individuals and Clan as an organization working closely with the Partners. 
• Work closely with the Partners to support others with strategic casework, including developing and delivering case strategies, outlining tasks, schedules, timelines and instructions to achieve goals and objectives and ensuring all strategic litigation is child-centred, conducted to the highest possible standard and complies with relevant external quality standards and regulatory frameworks.
• Ensure Clan is a centre of excellence for Strategic Litigation and Child-Centred Legal Practice.
• Ensure that there are effective systems within the Legal Team for identifying and meeting deadlines and key dates, for strategic litigation as well as managing, reporting and billing files efficiently 
• Work closely with the Head of Legal Services, Legal Director and Head of Legal Policy in the achievement of Clan’s policy aims through strategic litigation as set out in our strategic and operational plans.
• Support delivery of high-quality, child-centred legal services including our legal helpline, advocacy service and our legal casework service as required. 
• Ensure high-quality legal content and contribution from practice and in all our services and projects. 
• Support, motivate and develop others in the team to work independently with a minimum of supervision 
• Support the Head of Legal Services and Head of Legal Policy to maintain and manage workload across the team in order to meet team funder and financial targets. 
• Manage case end and feeing across the team to ensure regular legal aid income. 
• Support the Head of Legal Services to manage compliance and risk in all aspects of service delivery, ensuring compliance with relevant external quality standards and regulatory frameworks. 
• Liaising with the Partners, Head of Legal Services and Legal Director as required where there are concerns about any particular case and/or potential conflicts of interest or other professional conduct issues. 
• Ensure data, evaluation and impact reporting, is carried out consistently by the team to give reliable information about strategic litigation. 
• Ensure compliance with relevant external quality standards and regulatory frameworks.  
• Supervise solicitors as required in relation to strategic litigation. 
• Contribute to creating a culture of continuous learning and improvement 
• Deputise as required.  

Service Delivery  

• Manage your own complex caseload of strategic litigation, reporting to Partners. 
• Provide appropriate, timely, independent advice and representation to clients as required and in accordance with all professional and ethical standards and obligations. 
• Cover supervision and delivery of Clan’s legal helpline services as required, to ensure callers receive appropriate, timely, independent information on the law and children’s rights and assistance with getting legal help where required. 
• Provide specialist training and develop information on children’s rights for external partner organisations and professionals and deliver specialist training for other professionals in our areas of focus and through our Law Society of Scotland ‘Lawyers for Children’ Certification course. 
• Make specific practice-based contributions as required on agreed aspects of project and policy activity. 
• As directed by the Training Coordinator and Communications Manager, develop, implement and maintain Clan Childlaw’s accessible information on children’s rights and the law including training, training materials, Clan’s website, printed information and social media.  

General 

• Work positively and effectively as part of a team and with colleagues at every level. 
• Support and supervise others in a way that supports their development and ability to work on own initiative and in a flexible way to meet the demands of the role. 
• Maintain a flexible approach to work and adapt to changing circumstances and expectations. 
• Represent Clan at public forums and assist with the publicity and promotion of the organisation. 

Essential Criteria 

• Experienced lawyer (min 3 years) with a demonstrable track-record in strategic litigation 
• Experience working with clients who are disproportionately affected by inequity and injustice. 
• Experience in training professionals and practitioners on legal issues  
• Experience in providing helpline, outreach or other services that increase access to justice. 
• Knowledge of impact reporting, monitoring, and evaluation. 
• Effective communicator with the ability to communicate complex legal issues in a child centred way, and support others to develop their ability to do so.  
• Effective problem solver – able to work independently, seeking assistance and guidance from peers and managers appropriately and timeously. 
• consulting and instructing as appropriate and notifying other managers of risks and opportunities as they arise. 
• Ability to work on own initiative and in a flexible way to meet the demands of the role and the wider work of Clan Childlaw. 
• Well organised with the ability to complete work under pressure whilst dealing with often urgent and complex casework  
• Knowledge of IT in a day-to-day legal context including use of email, Microsoft and case management system 
• Excellent legal research skills 

Knowledge and qualifications   

• An enrolled solicitor with a full, post-qualified and unrestricted practising certificate from the Law Society of Scotland. 
• In-depth knowledge of the civil justice systems including the Children’s Hearing System 
• Experience in at least one of the following: immigration law, housing and homelessness, the law on care and social work duties to children, Children’s Hearings, judicial review, public family law, criminal law, and a motivation to develop your knowledge to advance children’s rights and child-centred working.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite and digital technologies such as SharePoint and case management systems. 
• High level of professionalism and discretion with the ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with integrity.