Legal Officer, Anti-Poverty (Social Security Rights) Project
Legal Officers at the Law Centre (LCNI) take forward LCNI’s mission of using the law to change lives by providing high quality legal advice, casework and representation across NI. The post-holder will manage a caseload and contribute to strategic litigation, policy advocacy, training, and legal information resources.
Responsibilities
This Job Description is not exhaustive and will be subject to review from time to time in line with the changing business needs of the organisation.
- Provide legal advice to the public and other agencies including through LCNI’s advice line, outreach and community-based legal work.
- Provide legal advice and casework as required, advocating on behalf of and representing LCNI’s clients before tribunals and other courts.
- Prepare instructions and work with counsel in cases in the higher courts, as required;
- Identify strategic legal issues and subject to direction, initiate and conduct appropriate cases in accordance with LCNI’s Casework Strategy.
- Comply with regulations governing legal aid as required and ensure compliance with all professional standards of the Law Society of Northern Ireland and with Lexcel Quality Standard and keep records to an appropriate standard for management purposes and to comply with professional standards.
- Contribute to the development and delivery of training and information resources to meet the needs of LCNI members and the voluntary advice sector.
- Assist in the delivery of the undergraduate Clinical Law placement.
- Prepare and contribute to public legal information including briefings and legal information papers and other legal resources and written material for publication, including on the LCNI website.
- Represent LCNI at appropriate seminars, conferences and meetings with key stakeholders as required.
- Identify law, policy and practice issues and engage effectively with LCNI’s policy specialists to progress these, including by contributing to consultation documents and policy statements.
- Contribute to and participate in media interviews, as required.
- Provide support, guidance and/or supervision to volunteers and trainees, as required.
- Develop and maintain effective relationships with LCNI members and other external stakeholders that support the overall work of LCNI.
- Continuously maintain and develop professional expertise, including ensuring compliance CPD requirements, in consultation with line manager.
- Act as ambassador for LCNI, upholding its public image in its legal work.
- Be available to work outside standard business hours to meet the demands of the role.
- Undertake relevant administrative duties in the performance of the above and ensure compliance with all Law Centre policies and procedures.
- Undertake such other duties as may be required from time to time.
Qualifications and experience
Please see our candidate information booklet for a complete Person Specification.
- A qualified solicitor, eligible to practice in Northern Ireland by the date of appointment
- AND able to demonstrate 12 months experience of providing advice and representation to members of the public.
Benefits
- 35 hour working week;
- Opportunity to develop and deepen discrete subject expertise through
- Excellent professional learning and support;
- Flexible working arrangements;
- Excellent development opportunities;
- Being part of making change happen;
- Employee Assistance Programme;
- Health & Wellbeing initiatives
The Anti-Poverty (Social Security Rights) Project
The Anti-Poverty (Social Security Rights) Project works to address poverty in NI by ensuring the social security system delivers an effective safety net for people when they need it. Our impactful litigation in the public interest has been at the cutting edge of changes to law and policy, making life better for many people and not just in NI. As a second tier support organisation we support frontline advice organisations by delivering an advice line and boosting capacity by providing extensive legal information resources and specialist training on all aspects of social security law. Our important policy interventions includes the convening of the Cliff Edge Coalition to advocate for the retention and strengthening of the NI Executive’s ‘welfare reform mitigations’ that are an essential bulwark against some of the harshest elements of social security change.
Apply
Closing date for applications: Friday 20th June 2025 at 12pm.
Anticipated interview date: Friday 4th July 2025.
Salary: £33,820 – £38,296 (PO1 – PO2) + 5% employer pension
Files:
We are an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons. However, as Protestants are currently under-represented in our workforce, we would particularly welcome applications from the Protestant community.