Legal Assistant

Connect2Luton are excited to recruit a Legal Assistant on behalf of Luton Borough Council within their Corporate and Customer Services department.

Main purpose of position:

To assist the Social Services lawyers in the provision of their services to the Departments of the Council exercising social services responsibilities, with an emphasis on childcare litigation.

As a Legal Assistant you will be responsible to:

Independently manage private family court cases such as applications for Special Guardianship Orders, section 7 reports and section 37 investigations and ensure that such requests are complied with.
Read such reports and ensure they are compliant with law and guidance and factually correct. Independently manage proceedings to adoption by liaising with client department and the court to ensure timescales are me.
Instructing and arranging counsel and taking instructions from the client department. Assist client to prepare and process criminal injuries compensation applications on behalf of eligible children who are looked after by the Council.
Advise on low level legal queries received from the client department.
Independently manage with minimum supervision contentious cases: simple public care cases; discharge of care applications; local authority designation cases involving disputes as to local authority responsibility for care cases; and forced marriage protection cases.
Independently draft legal documents such as social work chronologies and briefs to counsel, take statements from witnesses, sit behind counsel and take a note of proceedings where required.
Occasionally assist counsel at court.
Draft applications, letters, letters of instructions to experts and other legal documents.
File and serve documents, deliver documents, arrange meetings (including advocates' meetings). Correspond with court, parties, experts, clients and counsel.
Ensure compliance with court directions and timescales on general matters referred to team; supervise people on work experience and support trainee solicitors.
Independently draft legal documents such as social work chronologies and briefs to counsel, take statements from witnesses, sit behind counsel and take a note of proceedings where required. Occasionally assist counsel at court. Draft applications, letters, letters of instructions to experts and other legal documents. File and serve documents, deliver documents, arrange meetings (including advocates' meetings). Correspond with court, parties, experts, clients and counsel.
Ensure compliance with court directions and timescales on general matters referred to team; supervise people on work experience and support trainee solicitors.Skills and Experience:

Demonstrable experience of working in a legal environment
Undertake routine legal and administrative tasks in a busy office with minimum supervision
Able to work effectively in a team in a busy office environment
Able to communicate effectively (orally and in writing) with client departments, external legal advisers and court staff, with a high level of integrity, whilst able to deal with matters confidentially and sensitivity
Able to prepare accurate and grammatically correct legal documentation and correspondence and clearly present information
Able to make effective decisions in determining appropriate court action or alternative plan
Demonstrable knowledge of key social services legislation, in particular the Children Act 1989 and the Adoption and Children act 2002 as well as Data Protection legislation
Knowledge of the Family Procedure Rules relating to Family Proceedings
Part 2 ILEX or Part 1 ILEX, or be willing to study to achieve qualifications
A high level of integrity - able to deal with matters confidentially and with sensitivityAbout Us:

Luton Borough Council have partnered with Kent County Council to create Connect2Luton, a recruitment managed service for all contingent temporary agency, contract, and interim roles at the Council.

Our heritage and being local government owned which means we have a wealth of knowledge and expertise within the public sector, with many of our employees having previously worked for the Council or have supplied previously into the Council, for several years.

We are an equal opportunities employment agency and business that positively encourages applications from all suitably qualified and eligible candidates.

Connect2Luton, part of Luton Borough Council & Kent Commercial Services LLP, is an equal opportunities Employment Agency & Business and positively encourages applications from all suitably qualified and eligible candidates