A brilliant opportunity to join a dynamic, progressive legal service where you will be given the opportunity to work on some incredible projects and cases, while learning and developing as a leading local government lawyer.

Birmingham City Council's legal service is unique and one of the largest in-house local authority legal teams. The City Council is on its journey of resetting, reshaping and restarting and everyone within legal services is essential to the Council's success and achieving beneficial outcomes for our citizens. You could be part of this. 

Legal Services covers all areas of work that the Council undertakes, from employment to property, from social care to contracts. The variety of work that our team undertakes is wide and at the highest level. The work is challenging and rewarding in equal measure. Based in Victoria Square in the City Centre, you will have excellent transport links, access to Courts and tribunals, partner organisations and all the benefits that working in the wonderful City of Birmingham brings.

Birmingham City Council is committed to achieving excellence, putting our citizens first, acting courageously and being true to our word. If this resonates with you, then we want to hear from you.

We have one Principal Advocate vacancy in our Criminal Litigation and Licensing team.

The Principal Advocate within the Criminal Litigation and Licensing Team will be a criminal advocate of the highest calibre, with the ability to represent the City Council in both the Crown Court and the Magistrates’ Court. The successful candidate will be comfortable prosecuting contested, complex hearings in the criminal courts. 

You will have excellent knowledge of criminal practice and procedure, proven drafting skills and an ability to progress a criminal prosecution from its outset to conclusion, including the preparation of all relevant documentation. You will act in a wide variety of regulatory cases - such as trading standards and environmental health - and will offer guidance and assistance to other Team members. 

Key responsibilities:

• Acting as a legal advisor to ensure compliance with statutory duties and obligations, to protect the best interests of the Council
• Providing high quality, innovative, well researched and comprehensive specialist legal advice
• Attending courts, tribunals, public inquiries or other meetings, undertaking advocacy and representing clients in negotiations and discussions
• Appearing as advocate in the higher courts representing the Council, undertaking a wide range of hearings
• Providing evidential strengths and weaknesses in a case and advise on appropriate next steps or options
• Drafting court documents, briefing notes and legal documents
• Supporting the Legal Services Management Team to meet practice management requirements and ensure compliance with policies and procedures. Play a key role in maintaining high service standards.

You will need to possess a current practising certificate as a Solicitor/Chartered Legal Executive or be a member of the Bar who has completed pupillage/registered Fellow of the Institute of Legal Executives. In addition, you will need to possess a Higher Rights Qualification or be willing to obtain one.

Benefits of working at Birmingham City Council

• 30 days annual leave – Increases to 33 days after 5 years and 35 days after 10 years, plus option to purchase additional leave
• Access to voluntary benefits providers that support health, wellbeing and making the most of your leisure time
• Family friendly policies e.g., maternity/adoption, paternity, shared parental leave, carers’ leave
• Health and wellbeing support networks e.g., independent, and confidential employee assistance and counselling, occupational health, etc.
• Employee communities and support groups including Corporate Black Workers Support Group, Disability and LGBT+ Networks, Menopause Support Forum, etc.
• We are a disability confident employer
• Membership of job-related pension scheme, West Midlands Pension Fund or Teachers’ Pensions, with generous employer contributions
• Access to ‘My Rewards’ – over 800 individual brands providing discounts and savings including high street stores, supermarkets, utility, and insurance providers, as well as great days out … to name but a few!
• Opportunities to join great salary sacrifice schemes e.g., Cycle to Work, Annual Travel and Car Parking, as well as making the most of Tax and National Insurance savings (additional schemes to launch soon)