Role Purpose
This role will assist in the provision of a high-quality Legal Service by providing timely and accurate
legal / governance advice and assistance to the Combined Authority.
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 and
contribute to the continuous improvement of the legal service, finding efficiencies where
appropriate through the development of strategies, systems and processes.
The role holder will maintain good working relationships with the allocated business area and will
support junior staff in delivering advice and assistance across the functions they are responsible for.

Responsibilities
• Communicating in a clear, timely and professional manner when providing high quality and
sometimes complex 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 and complex
legal work as deemed commensurate with the grade including preparing and drafting complex
legal documents as required in an efficient, effective and timely manner with minimal
supervision.
• To prepare instructions and briefs to Counsel / external legal advisors and oversee their
instruction.
• To attend key meetings to provide legal, procedural and constitutional advice as required.
• To assist the Senior members of the team with high risk / complex cases and support junior
members of the team as necessary
• To promote a positive image of the Combined Authority by acting as an ambassador giving
confidence in the ability and professionalism of the postholder and team.
• To keep up to date on relevant new legislation, case law, codes of practice, guidance and policy
and maintain continuing competence in accordance with the Solicitor’s Regulation Authority
requirements. Taking ownership for own development and identifying training and development
needs to support development into a more senior role.
• To build and maintain excellent working relationships with fellow officers and foster partnership
working with external partners / agencies and leverage the relationship to generate the best
value for the Authority.
• To contribute to the development of a customer focused legal service through the development
of strategies, systems and processes and lead the design and delivery of training courses and
self help resources to support non-legal colleagues to understand and manage complex legal
issues in their roles
• 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 and appropriately overseeing work allocation where appropriate.
• Identifying risks within case load and proposing to line manager solutions or action plan to
mitigate the risks, including escalation within Legal Services or to senior managers.
• 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.
• Ensuring compliance with legal and institutional policies where supporting a project/advising on
a matter. Discreetly discussing concerns with relevant Heads of Services for projects/work in
their areas and escalating within the team as appropriate
• Representing Legal Services in cross departmental project work and leading appropriate
projects within the team.
• Pro-actively identifying areas of work where Legal Services could equip colleagues to self-serve
to secure the effective use of team resources.

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 | 25 February, 2024 | Jobs and careers with WMCA