About the job

Job summary

From energy to security, health to human rights, we help the Government deliver life changing law for citizens.

The Government Legal Department is the largest provider of legal services across government, working on high profile matters that are frequently scrutinised in Parliament and the media. Our work includes:

• Developing and drafting legislation
• Providing legal advice on policies
• Securing our economic and trade relationships
• Ensuring value from commercial contracts worth billions of pounds
• Providing the Civil Service’s employment law advice

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, sponsored by the Attorney General. We are headed by the Treasury Solicitor, our Permanent Secretary and employ nearly 3000 people, including over 2000 legal professionals. Our offices include London, Leeds, Bristol, Croydon and Manchester as well as overseas. We provide specialist legal services including Litigation, Employment and Commercial Law as well as advising most Government Departments on the policies and services they deliver.

GLD also depends on a range of vital corporate services. These are essential to the smooth and efficient running of the Department and provide the foundation to enable GLD to deliver outstanding legal services. Our corporate functions include Strategy, HR, Finance, Digital, Data and Technology, Communications, Security, Commercial and Project delivery. 

Our vision is to be an outstanding legal organisation and a brilliant place to work where everyone can thrive and fulfil their potential. This is an exciting time for GLD, with cutting edge legal work on global issues and a transformation agenda which is ensuring the Department exemplifies the Modern Civil Service.  

To find out more about what we do visit the Government Legal Department’s webpage or have a look at this short film which showcases the breadth of work government lawyers and legal trainees are involved in.

Job description

What we expect of Government Paralegals

Problem Solvers Our role is to help support client departments in achieving their policy and operational objectives. We are problem solvers, assisting our teams in offering constructive, imaginative advice which identifies solutions.

Team Players We work as part of a team alongside our immediate colleagues, deputy directors, director and others. We work together to provide seamless advice, making use of specialist expertise at every level.

Support and advise  We support teams in giving professional assessment of legal risks and applying the risk guidance. While we can support our teams in providing advice, it is ultimately up to ministers to make decisions.

Value for money  We use our team wisely and constantly look for ways to do things better and cut down on time and duplication. We make sure our work is clear and meets GLD and external quality criteria.

The Role

This is an exciting opportunity to begin a Civil Service Career, work in fast paced and rewarding environment and join a growing Paralegal Profession within GLD. 

We are recruiting for Paralegals (EO) within our Advisory and Litigation Divisions across the Government Legal Department.

You will play a key role in working to deliver GLD’s service to clients under an appropriate level of supervision including  preparing legal documents, undertaking legal research, supporting project management and promoting knowledge management. When the business need arises, you will be expected to support Business Management colleagues with their work.

Your responsibilities will include, but not be limited to:

• Providing legal support to lawyers within Advisory and Litigation teams to help them build and maintain good relationships with clients.
• Playing an active role in legal awareness for clients.
• Liaising with Parliamentary teams, proof reading, completing keeling schedules and footnotes.
• Arranging and attending conferences with Counsel and dealing with follow up work.
• Carrying out legal research, presenting results and using it to inform notes or first drafts of advice
• Assisting with the management of large-scale projects such as secondary legislation, implementing new agreements, procurements, litigation and other dispute resolution and coordinating these elements across Government departments
• Supporting the Division’s advisory and litigation functions, which includes providing legal research and first line review in responding to queries and instructions from clients.

This list is not exhaustive; the role may involve additional duties according to business need.

Linked Vacancy

If submit an application for this role, you will not be eligible to apply for 352308 - EO Paralegal, London and doing so we will class your application as duplicates. You may only apply for one.

Person specification

Behaviours

Below are details of the Success Profiles that make up this role.

You will be expected to provide evidence to show how you meet the criteria at interview and/or selection stage.

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Delivering at Pace (lead behaviour)
• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service

 Experience

• Ability to deliver successfully in a pressurised environment.
• Ability to work independently or as part of an effective team on ad hoc tasks and projects.
• Highly organised with good time management skills and the ability to juggle multiple demands and prioritise workloads.
• Ability to communicate with senior stakeholders within the business and external clients, being able to justify the reasons behind a decision.

Technical

• Minimum 6 months demonstrable experience working in a Legal environment. Please state whether experience is from an Advisory or Litigation role

OR

• CILEx Level 3/Paralegal Apprenticeship/NALP Paralegal practice award, certificate, diploma/an award in legal studies.

Civil Service Code

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of you and other civil servants. These are based on the core values which are set out in legislation. As a civil servant, you are expected to carry out your role with dedication and a commitment to the Civil Service and its core values of:

• ‘integrity’ is putting the obligations of public service above your own personal interests
• ‘honesty’ is being truthful and open
• 'objectivity’ is basing your advice and decisions on rigorous analysis of the evidence
• ‘impartiality’ is acting solely according to the merits of the case and serving equally well governments of different political persuasions

These core values support good government and ensures the achievement of the highest possible standards in all that the Civil Service does.

For further information about Civil Service recruitment processes and Success profiles, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/success-profiles

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £26,733, Government Legal Department contributes £7,217 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, Ability and Experience.

Application 

Applicants must apply online via www.civilservice.gov.uk/jobs   

To apply for this post, you will need to complete and pass the Online Verbal Reasoning Test before you can continue with your application. If you fail this test, you will be withdrawn from the process.

If you pass the test, you will need to complete the online application form accessed via the advertisement for these roles. This should be completed no later than 12:00PM Midday on Tuesday 21st May 2024 and will involve:

- Applicants must answer and eligibility question before completing a CV outlining your qualifications, employment history and including evidence of the experience listed in the person specification. CV will be scored and accessed.

- a statement for each of the following behaviours. Each behaviour should not exceed 250 words:

- Delivering at Pace (Lead Behaviour)

- Managing a Quality Service  

If there is a large amount of applications, we will be sifting on the CV and the lead behaviour Delivering at Pace alone.

Selection Process

After the closing date, the appointing panel shall assess candidates’ suitability for the role based on evidence provided in their application against the behaviours and experience outlined in the person specification.

Interview

Should you be successful in being invited to interview, you will be assessed on your performance in all essential criteria as listed in the Person Specification, alongside strength-based questions. Candidates invited to interview will be given further information on the day and time to prepare.

• Delivering at Pace (Lead behaviour)
• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service
• Strengths
• Experience

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview.

Interviews will probably take place remotely via video conference, full details of the interview format will be provided to shortlisted candidates prior to interview. The timeline later in this pack indicates the date by which decisions are expected to be made, and all shortlisted candidates will be advised of the outcome as soon as possible thereafter.

Offer

Regardless of the outcome, we will notify all candidates as soon as possible after the final interview.

We appoint in strict order of merit. If you meet the minimum criteria for this position but are not successful for a post, you will be placed on the reserve list for up to 12 months.  We then may contact you to see if you are interested in a post at the same, or a lower grade, in GLD should one arise.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.