Solicitor
Location: Fleet House, 59-61 Clerkenwell Road, London, EC1M 5NW
Start Date: ASAP
Contract Duration: 2+ Months
Working Hours: Mon – Fri, 09:00 – 17:00, 37 Hours per week
Pay Rate: £45.00 per hour
Job Ref: OR13203
Job Responsibilities
Provide legal advice and assistance on routine/standard housing management and landlord & tenant matters, and more complex matters with support from more senior or experienced team members.
Conduct efficient and effective litigation, including but not limited to anti-social behaviour injunctions, possession claims, committal applications, tenancy fraud possession claims, access injunctions, housing disrepair claims, and prosecutions under the Environmental Protection Act.
Conduct advocacy where appropriate to protect the interests of Southern Housing and its Group partners.
Provide or assist in the provision of advice on other contentious matters, including First Tier Tribunal cases, trespass/Right of Way/breach of Easement claims, and claims arising from contractor, Landlord, and Leaseholder non-performance or breach of contract or lease terms.
Assist with instructing external solicitors for matters that cannot be dealt with in-house.
Develop the in-house legal provision to meet the needs of Southern Housing and its Group partners.
Ensure legal work is carried out in-house where cost-effective, including preparing and drafting pleadings on routine/standard and complex matters with support from more senior or experienced team members.
Assist in developing and implementing processes and procedures for efficient housing management and litigation services, including witness support in anti-social behaviour cases.
Comply with approved processes and procedures, maintaining data records and registers as required by the Director of Legal Services.
Keep up to date with the constitutional, legal, and regulatory framework within which Housing Associations operate, sharing knowledge to encourage a knowledgeable and compliance-focused culture.
Support more junior legal team members and volunteers, providing assistance to more senior team members and the wider legal team.
Liaise with clients, suppliers, and staff at all levels across the organization, building and maintaining effective working relationships with external contacts and partners.
Ensure confidentiality, sensitivity, and a professional approach in all activities, providing cover for other solicitors and the Legal Services Manager (Litigation) in their absence.
Person Specifications
Essential: Qualified solicitor or barrister.
Desirable: Experience in routine/standard housing management litigation casework, particularly for housing associations or public sector bodies.
Experience in drafting pleadings and conducting litigation, including advocacy.
Thorough understanding of legal processes, Housing, and Landlord & Tenant law.
Experience in developing and implementing processes and procedures within housing management litigation or contentious property legal work.
Experience in developing talent and supporting and up-skilling junior staff.
Experience in conducting and advising on complex contentious litigation.
Excellent IT skills, particularly in Microsoft Office suite and Outlook.
Ability to present information to a high standard, with excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Excellent legal drafting skills.
Ability to maintain confidentiality with highly confidential and sensitive data.
Confidence in own ability, decisions, and actions, taking personal responsibility for consequences.
Seeks feedback and learns from experience, willing to admit mistakes.
Positive and upbeat attitude, engaging with all aspects of work and considering the impact of actions on others.
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