Essex Legal Services (ELS) is part of Essex County Council (ECC) and offers flexible working practices in line with ECC’s policy including hybrid working – in all cases this is offered in line with business needs.

We will expect you to attend our Chelmsford offices approximately 2-3 days per week. We are currently recruiting for a Criminal and Enforcement Lawyer to be part of a specialist Criminal and Enforcement law section within the Dispute Resolution and Employment Law Team. You will work closely with colleagues carrying out high quality criminal and enforcement work for both internal and external clients to ensure the delivery of a high performing, client facing legal service which proactively embraces change.

Essex County Council (ECC) is a diverse and large organisation that strives for excellence and delivers an outstanding service for residents across Essex. As the in-house legal service, ELS prides itself on providing a comprehensive legal service to the Council – most of our work is done in-house. We pride ourselves on valuing the people who work for us and provide a supportive working environment, where people work hard to do their best for Essex.

We’re looking for someone to join a great team, who has with excellent technical legal skills and relevant experience who can quickly pick things up. You will be a qualified solicitor / lawyer, or Chartered Legal Executive, and be a member of the appropriate professional body. As part of a specialist legal team, you will provide advice and guidance to clients both in house including work for Essex Trading Standards and Essex Highways and to external public body clients. The work is interesting and rewarding and underpins effective decision making, performance management and ensuring statutory requirements are met. This is a brilliant opportunity for the right person to develop their criminal and enforcement legal skills and experience and build strong relationships with internal and external partners.

The Role

The successful post holder will be responsible for the delivery of all aspects of legal advice within the Criminal and Enforcement Section, where you will be expected to build strong relationships with internal and external partners. This position will be fast-paced and it is therefore imperative you are highly motivated and confident in handling a full caseload consisting of both contentious and non-contentious criminal and enforcement matters including, but not limited to, the following:

- Fraud and Fraudulent Trading cases

- Consumer Protection prosecutions

- Planning and Environmental Enforcement Prosecutions

- Highways Enforcement Notices and Prosecutions

Job Purpose

As a qualified criminal and enforcement lawyer you will join a team that prides itself on the provision of high-quality advice, information, analysis and interpretation to clients that underpin effective decision making, meaningful performance management and meets statutory requirements. Achieving good client service and making a real and demonstrable difference to the delivery of ELS’ business and the business of our clients is core to our ethos. You will be involved in potentially high profile and ground-breaking criminal and enforcement matters and will advise clients on all aspects of criminal and enforcement law issues in demanding circumstances which will at times have far reaching consequences.

The successful applicant will be a qualified solicitor, barrister or Chartered Legal Executive ideally with a minimum of 2 years’ post-qualification (although qualified solicitors, barristers or Chartered Legal Executives with less than 2 years’ post qualification will also be considered) and a member of the appropriate professional body. The post holder must have significant commercial awareness to contribute to the development of new external streams of business and the ability to build excellent working relationships. This role is working within the Dispute Resolution and Employment Law Team.