Careers & vacancies
Careers in Local Government
Why Choose to Work in Local Government?
Local authorities by their very nature can be found in every major town and city in England and Wales. They play an important part in the democratic arrangements for their areas and are significant public bodies with many responsibilities. In addition, they tend to be large and significant employers in their areas. There are over 400 local authorities in England and Wales.
Local authorities are involved in wide ranging and frequently changing work (local authorities respond to central government priorities as well their own) and each area of work has a body of law that needs a solicitor to advice upon.
All local authorities are likely to be involved in Commercial/Contracts, Conveyancing/Property, Employment issues, Information Management, Administrative Law and Governance. Additional work will depend on the type of local authority involved - Litigation/Prosecution, Social Care, Children, Consumer Protection, Environmental, Highways and Planning, Education and Housing to name but a few.
There is just so much choice of work to make sure the local government solicitor has a very rewarding career, the good quality work and the opportunity to practice to the highest professional standards.
In additional to legal work, many local authorities provide an opportunity to be involved in management, policy, administrative, company secretarial and project work.
Despite all this there is still an emphasis on having a proper work – life balance, a strong commitment to equality and diversity and access to the final salary Local Government Pension Scheme.
Types of Local Authorities
In Wales all the major local authorities are single tier meaning that they deal with all local authority functions. In England, there is a mixture of 2 tier (County Councils and District Councils) and single tier (Metropolitan Boroughs, London Boroughs and Unitaries).
In addition there are a number of specialist local authorities covering National Parks, Fire and Rescue, Police Authorities and Waste Disposal.
London has a unique set of arrangements with the Greater London Authority comprising the Mayor of London and the London Assembly to deal with strategic issues affecting the whole of the capital e.g. transport, fire and the police.
Serving the Community
Local authorities exist to serve their communities by being a direct provider of services, a commissioner services, working in partnership with other public and private bodies and discharging regulatory functions. The local government solicitor supports this by clearing any legal hurdles that may be encountered – a problem solver, a counsellor and enforcer – a complex role with a set of challenging yet satisfying relationships.
What Makes a Good Local Government Solicitor?
- Are you a team player?
- Do you have good communication & interpersonal skills from the top of an organisation to the bottom?
- Are you creative & innovative?
- Do you have a problem-solving approach?
- Do you have something extra to bring to local government?
There is strong competition for jobs as trainees and solicitors in local government so if you can answer “Yes” to the above questions a career in local government is definitely for you. Come and join us.
Click here for our Careers Brochure produced jointly with the Law Society
