About the Government Legal Department

From healthcare to artificial intelligence, energy to national security, we provide legal advice to government departments on nation-changing subjects.

At Government Legal Department we have a vital, single-minded purpose: an outstanding legal organisation, committed to the highest standards of service and professionalism and a brilliant place to work where we can all thrive and fulfill our potential. Our work touches almost every aspect of public life.

We are the largest provider of legal services across government, working on high profile matters.

Our respected professionals are involved in everything from regulation and litigation to advice on drafting legislation. They provide expertise to the full range of government departments. We are at the heart of delivering the government’s priorities and our success depends on our people.

GLD is a non-ministerial government department headed by the Treasury Solicitor, our Permanent Secretary, and employs nearly 3000 people, including over  Faheem a legal professionals. We have offices nationwide, in Bristol, Leeds, inner and outer London and Manchester. Our lawyers can also be located within other departments and overseas.

GLD also depends on a range of cross-government professionals to provide our corporate services. These play an essential part in helping GLD to achieve its purpose of helping the government to govern well, within the rule of law.

This is an exciting time to join GLD, with cutting edge legal work on global issues and a transformation agenda which is ensuring the Department exemplifies the Modern Civil Service.

About the Litigation Directorate

The Litigation Directorate currently comprises four divisions with over 750 staff based in Bristol, Leeds, London and Manchester. GLD Litigation lawyers conduct public and private law litigation on behalf of Government in a wide range of often high-profile cases, frequently involving questions of constitutional importance. As the largest unit within GLD, delivering for clients across Government on a daily basis, handling thousands of cases and interacting with the courts, counsel and other litigants, Litigation Group is key to delivering GLD’s core purpose, vision and strategic outcomes.

The actions and decisions of Government are under increasing scrutiny and challenge. COVID-19, Brexit and the future partnership, military action overseas, immigration policy, welfare, climate change and energy policy are just a few of the issues that generate legal challenges that can hit the headlines. Litigation lawyers cover a full range of judicial review challenges in areas such as immigration, planning and national security as well as the Government’s wide ranging reform agenda. Litigation Directorate also has a large private law practice representing large Government departments such as the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in personal injury, clinical negligence, misfeasance in public office, false imprisonment, and other claims. Litigation lawyers also provide expert representation in relation to inquests and public inquiries. They regularly litigate through the higher courts to the Supreme Court and handle cases at the forefront of the developing law.

A word from our Director

Thank you for your interest in these roles. We can offer an unparalleled range of work, in a directorate which prides itself on its welcoming, inclusive culture. We prioritise wellbeing and development so that all of our people can thrive and achieve their full potential.

The work of our directorate is critical to ensuring the government is able to govern well, within the rule of law. We are at the heart of many of the cases you will hear about in the media on a daily basis and our lawyers take great pride in knowing that their work has real impact for wider society.

If you have the skillsets to help us deliver outstanding legal services, please do apply!

Diane Wills

Director of Litigation

About the Four Litigation Divisions

Defence and Security Division

The Defence and Security Division is made up of five teams, amounting to around 160 lawyers, paralegals and business support colleagues.

The Division is responsible for public and private law litigation, inquest and inquiry work for the Ministry of Defence in two private law teams and one public law team. The Division also handles public law litigation (and some private law litigation) for a range of other government departments and public bodies including the UK Intelligence Community, Foreign, Common and Development Office (FCDO), National Crime Agency (NCA), Attorney General’s Office (AGO) ), Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), Home Office (non-immigration public law work). We also have a specialist team dealing with private law and inquest work for the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), Department for Transport (DfT) and National Highways Limited, as well as some Companies House work. Some of our work requires Developed Vetted clearance.

Home Office and Immigration Division 

The Home Office and Immigration Division is currently made up of seven teams comprising around 255 people (including lawyers, paralegals and business management colleagues). 

The Division is responsible for public law litigation for a range of government departments and public bodies including Cabinet Office, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), and the Parole Board and immigration public law challenges for the Home Office (HO). We are also responsible for private law litigation for the HO, FCDO, Department for Education (DfE), Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). We also do unusual specialist work for the Attorney General supporting his public interest function which is not available anywhere else inside or outside of the government.

Justice and Development Division

The Justice and Development Division is currently made up of six teams comprising around 220 people (including lawyers, costs draftspersons, paralegals and business management colleagues). 

 The Division is responsible for all public and private law litigation for the Ministry of Justice (including HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) and HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS)) and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) as well as public law litigation for: the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) including the Planning Inspectorate (PINS), the Department for Transport (DfT), the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), the Department for Education (DfE), the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), HM Treasury (HMT), the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The Division also has a specialist Costs Team that provides support in relation to costs across all the divisions of Litigation Directorate as well as the wider GLD and our client departments. The Special Advocates Support Office (SASO) is also part of the Division, providing an invaluable service in respect of National Security litigation.

Public Inquiries Division

The Public Inquiries Division is currently made up of five teams, amounting to around 150 lawyers, paralegals and business support and project management colleagues. The Division is responsible for providing legal support and advice to government departments in respect of numerous public inquiries and government reviews. We also provide legal support to Inquiry Chairs filling key roles on Inquiry Legal Teams in a few public inquiries. Members of the Division have provided, or are providing, support in respect of many important public inquiries including the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, the Infected Blood Inquiry, the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry, Undercover Policing Inquiry and The UK Covid-19 Inquiry.

The Role

Grade 6 lawyers have important leadership roles across our organisation. In the Litigation Directorate, post-holders will line manage up to 5 Grade 7s and/or lead a mini team of up to 10 people including paralegal and litigation support staff. They will be expected to provide strong professional leadership while holding a caseload of complex and challenging cases in both the private and public law teams.

If successful, you will lead, manage, develop and supervise the work of other lawyers within your mini-team. You will need to be comfortable working at pace and exercising judgement in relation to matters of national importance. You will be expected to role model sound professional skills and to provide strong professional leadership, helping to build capability in the organisation in line with corporate objectives.

Key Responsibilities:

As a litigator and dispute resolution specialist you will be involved in:

• conducting litigation on behalf of government.
• providing legal advice on litigation, disputes, contentious and some advisory matters, for example intellectual property, across the full range of clients. Litigation experience or aptitude is an essential requirement .  
• supporting the other Senior Lawyers and Deputy Director for the team in successfully delivering the work of the team and being part of the senior leadership of that team  .
• proactive and collaborative working with external delivery partners; helping to quality control their input, and helping to hold them to account for delivery to time, cost and quality in relation to their litigation and disputes work.

You will be expected to demonstrate strong communication and leadership skills as well as strong skills of legal and strategic analysis, sound judgement, pragmatism and pro-activity. You will also be expected to make a valuable contribution to the wider team and the Litigation Directorate as a whole through playing a proactive role on matters such as knowledge management, training, projects and other corporate opportunities that demonstrate GLD Values.