Role Purpose
This role will support the provision of a high-quality Legal Service by providing timely and accurate
legal / governance advice and assistance to the Combined Authority and will assist the work of senior
colleagues within the team with more complex case management.
Working collaboratively with all members of the Law and Governance Directorate to enable the
delivery of advice and assistance across all functions of the Legal Team, the role will support the
continuous improvement of the legal service and will maintain good working relationships with the
allocated business area.

Responsibilities
• Communicating in a clear, timely and professional manner when providing legal advice and
representation on a variety of matters within the designated legal team to Members and
Officers of the Combined Authority and their service areas.
• To conduct and manage a mixed and wide-ranging caseload of straightforward legal work
including preparing and drafting legal documents as required in an efficient, effective and
timely manner with little supervision.
• To prepare instructions and briefs to Counsel / external legal advisors.
• To attend meetings to provide legal, procedural and constitutional advice as required.
• To assist more Senior Lawyers with complex cases
• To promote a positive image of the Combined Authority by developing and maintaining
professional relationships and representing the Legal Service in the best possible light.
• To keep up to date on relevant new legislation, case law, codes of practice, guidance and
policy and maintain continuing competence in accordance with Solicitor’s Regulation
Authority requirements. Taking ownership for own development and working with line
manager to identify training and development needs.
• To build and maintain good and effective working relationships with fellow officers and foster
partnership working with external partners / agencies.
• To contribute to the development of a customer focused legal service.
• Actively challenge and seek to eliminate any directly or indirectly discriminatory practice or
behaviours.
• Demonstrate awareness/understanding of your own and other people’s behavioural,
physical, social and welfare needs. Ensure that reasonable care is taken at all times for the
health, safety and welfare of yourself and other persons, to certify compliance with policies
and procedures relating to health and safety within the service.
• To independently and proactively progress matters allocated to you seeking support where
appropriate.
• Managing own workload in accordance with office procedures and ensuring all files
maintained regularly and matters are regularly reviewed. Prioritising work according to
business need. Delegating appropriately where appropriate
• Escalating emerging risks or legal issues with case work within the Legal Services team at
an early stage to secure early resolution or mitigation. Promptly seeking guidance where
needed
• Providing clear summaries of current position on case work to senior members of the team
and contributing to any reports on the team’s work.
• Considering the practical, financial, reputational and legal issues arising in case work and
identify mitigations to the risks. Escalate where issues are not mitigated or managed down.
• Identifying issues of non-compliance with legal or institutional policies, procedures or
requirements and escalating within the team.
• Taking responsibility for key tasks within departmental project work and projects which cross
professional services.
• Designing and delivering training courses and self-help materials to support non-legal
colleagues to self-serve on common legal issues.
• Ensuring self-help resources provided by the Legal Services team are current and arrange
for updating as appropriate.
• Ensuring own resources are applied in a proportionate way to any particular task, to ensure
the best value can be derived from the postholder’s time.
• Identifying areas where improvements to existing processes could generate efficiencies for
the Legal Services team.

This job description reflects the major tasks to be carried out by the post holder and identifies a level
of responsibility at which they will be required to work. In the interests of effective working, the major
tasks may be reviewed from time to time to reflect changing needs and circumstances. Such reviews
and any consequential changes will be carried out in consultation with the post holder.

Apply here: Lawyer - Newly Qualified | 25 February, 2024 | Jobs and careers with WMCA