Trainee Solicitor (Graduate)
Our Values
It’s great to know that you are interested in working with us at Coventry City Council. As a prospective employee, it is important that everyone who works for us is committed to our One Coventry values and shares our commitment to becoming a more diverse and inclusive organisation.
Our Values are:
About the team we are recruiting to
Coventry City Council’s Legal Service is part of the public sector providing in-house legal support to Coventry City Council. The team offers a professional comprehensive, tailor-made service to address legal issues of every description. The team is highly motivated, eager to develop and face challenges head on.
What is the job role?
Coventry City Council, Legal Services, are looking to recruit 8 graduates who wish to qualify as solicitors.
This is an exciting and innovative opportunity to access first rate training in a friendly and supportive working environment, whilst being supported to complete a solicitor apprenticeship and ultimately qualify. If successful, you will undertake a fixed term training contract (to a maximum of 36 months) in one of the following teams within Legal Services: Place, Corporate & Commercial, Regulatory, Case Management, People, or Advocacy.
Although you will be based within one of the above teams, the variety of specialisms covered by each of our teams, means that you will have the opportunity to experience considerable diversity of work during your training period.
About us
We are a public sector legal service providing in-house legal support to Coventry City Council. The team offers a professional, comprehensive, tailor-made service to address legal issues of every description, is highly motivated, eager to develop and faces challenges head on.
Now is an exciting time to join Coventry; a lively, multicultural city, which embraces both old and new. We are firmly focused on the needs of our citizens, regeneration with major developments and new projects taking place across the city, and proud to be City of Culture 2021.
Information regarding each of the Teams
Place Team
The Place Team deals with non-contentious freehold and leasehold property matters connected to the Council’s vast commercial property portfolio, planning and highway related matters. The team provides specialist advice, attendance at decision making meetings and document drafting in all these areas. You will have opportunity to learn and develop skills in each area and become involved in more complex matters as your experience grows.
Corporate & Commercial Team
The Corporate and Commercial Team deals with multi-million-pound major capital projects delivered by the Council. The team provides varied advice which is required to deliver a major project: this includes but is not limited to complex property matters such as commercial leases, acquisitions, shareholder agreements, loan agreements, setting up joint ventures etc. The team also undertakes drafting and advising on all contractual and corporate matters across the Council. The team work very closely with property surveyors and internal procurement and provide advice on procurement and subsidy control. It is very exciting team to part of which holds a team of 6, so there will be a great opportunity to get involved in key major projects with the ability to shadow and learn accordingly.
Regulatory Team
Being a member of this team will allow you to be involved in litigation conducted by the Council. This will mainly be criminal prosecutions in areas such as environmental services, health and safety and trading standards but with some civil and employment work. You will submit cases to the Magistrates Court, serve documents, prepare cases for hearing, draft letters and case results and accompany advocates to court, eventually being granted rights of audience in cases such as unlawful encampments. You will be able to carry out legal research into a variety of issues.
Case Management Team
The Case Management Team predominately deals with the care and adoption proceedings for the Council, plus other proceedings on behalf of Childrens Services. Children’s public law is a fast moving and challenging, but very rewarding area of law within which to build your career. No two cases are the same and you will quickly develop good skills in advising the client department, drafting, negotiation, and advocacy, as well as overall case management skills through having your own supervised caseload of gradually increasing complexity as you progress.
People Team
An exciting mix of work awaits you in the People team, working alongside experienced colleagues, covering all aspects of children’s social care (including pre-proceedings work), adult’s social care, mental health, immigration support, deprivations of liberty, Court of Protection work and education law. You will quickly develop all aspects of your professional skills, working with your colleagues to advise and support our diverse client departments.
Advocacy Team
You will have the opportunity to learn, develop and apply advocacy and communication skills whilst carrying out court work across the family court. This will involve learning and developing necessary skills essential in making submissions and representations regarding children, adults and capacity issues. The hearings will involve appearing before Magistrate and Judges.
Who are we looking for?
What do we look for in a Trainee Solicitor?
To be eligible to apply for these roles you will have either a law degree at 2:2 or a Graduate Diploma in law. Your degree needs to have been attained within the last 4 years in order to be eligible, at the start of your Apprenticeship training course (i.e., completed no earlier than 2018), together with Maths and English at GCSE 4/C or above, or Maths and English Functional Skills level 2.
- You will need to be enthusiastic, possess a strong desire to learn, have good research and analytical skills, excellent IT and communication skills and the ability to relate well to others.
- You will also need to demonstrate an ability and commitment to completing the Level 7 Solicitor Apprenticeship Standard, which will take approximately 27 months to complete (commencing September 2022).
In addition, we offer you working arrangements that will enhance your work-life balance, including a new purpose-built modern office environment, within 1-minute walk from Coventry Train Station, agile working arrangements that can include working from home (subject to project/service area requirements), flexitime and a generous holiday allowance (starting at 35 days including bank holidays).
Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an interview on a date to be confirmed.
Applications should be made by submission of the application form, in which relevant experience, academic qualifications and how you meet the Job Description/Personal Specification should be demonstrated.
Please state which 2 teams are your most preferred teams to be considered for – the first being the dominant preference. Your application will be shortlisted aligned to your suitability for these teams.
Should we be inundated with application forms - your first preference will take precedence in the selection process.
For an informal discussion around the role, please contact Janice White (Janice.White@coventry.gov.uk) or Andy Hyland (Andy.Hyland@coventry.gov.uk).
We will be holding an open information session for applicants to meet the Team Leaders and our Workforce Planning & Apprenticeship Advisor, and for you to ask any questions on the opportunities and training available on 19th January 2022, at 4.00 p.m. via Microsoft Teams. To book a place, please e-mail apprenticeships@coventry.gov.uk
For full details on the application process please read the attached document on our jobs page labelled 'Coventry City Council Application Process'
About Coventry
Coventry is a lively, multicultural city, which embraces old and new. Around the modern city centre there are traces of history everywhere – in the old city walls, the timber-framed buildings and the reconstructed medieval Spon Street. But Coventry has always had an eye on the future, and is now firmly focused on regenerating and re-inventing itself to meet the challenges of the 21st Century. With major developments and new projects taking place right across the city, Coventry City Council is the place to be!
There's a huge buzz about the city – Coventry ranks as the 8th best city to live, work and do business in the UK, and is the UK City of Culture 2021 ! We believe this will help put Coventry on the map for all the right reasons. You can feel the sense of local pride throughout the city as we build towards this momentous year. It also offers a unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to those joining us to play their part in it.
We genuinely believe that Coventry City Council is a special place. You will be joining Coventry City Council during an exciting time to become part of a team that contribute to achieving our visions for the city. We have made our council a place where we look after our people, making sure you're happy in your work and given everything you need to succeed. We've created friendly, welcoming workplaces where everyone is working towards the same cause, providing the best possible services for the city of Coventry.
As a council with improvement at its heart, we’re committed to making life better for the people who live and work in Coventry. We’re equally concerned with the quality of life enjoyed by our people, so by joining us, you won’t just be helping the community, you’ll be helping yourself too.
Not only do you get to work alongside great people that are helping to improve services for our community we offer great benefits too! For your valued contribution we will provide a fantastic benefits package including;
- Flexible working arrangements
- Generous annual leave allowance starting at 27 days and rising to 32 days
- Pay progression through multiple increments
- Outstanding local government pension scheme
- Learning & Development with access to certified courses.
- Access to an award winning Occupational Health Team
- Vibrant employee networks
Coventry City Council
