Job Description

Position Title:

Senior Solicitor

Salary: 38,726

Location:

Edinburgh or Glasgow

You can choose the location that works best for you. We operate hybrid working with the opportunity to work from home some of the time. The role will also require travel between our office locations on a regular basis and throughout Scotland as required.

Working Hours:

Full time (35hours a week)However - we will consider applications from candidates seeking to work upwards of 28 hours.

Contract Type:

Permanent

Are you motivated by the opportunity to play a key role in delivering Clan Childlaw's vision of a Scotland where all children and young people are empowered to use their rights ? Are you a lawyer who wants to work differently, using a child-centred approach that ensures that children and young people are kept at the heart of the process?

We are looking for experienced lawyers to join our team and to role in strategic litigation and in delivering and developing our unique child-centred legal services to increase access to justice for children and young people across Scotland.

This is a fantastic opportunity for a talented lawyer, who has a strong commitment to social justice and wants to develop as child centred lawyer. You should have experience in in delivering training as well as significant experience in client casework and representation.

You should also have experience of managing a full case load including Legal Aid cases the Sheriff Court/Court of Session and or Children's Hearings. Ideally you will have worked as a lawyer within one of our areas of focus, (set out below) and have experience of delivering legal helpline services but if you bring experience of and commitment to using your legal skills to improve lives then we want to hear from you.

Comprehensive training will be provided to support you in developing your knowledge and practice in our key areas, and you will be expected to obtain certification as a lawyer for children.

Part of child-centred working is allowing our solicitors the time they need to work with clients. You will maintain a reasonable caseload to ensure that is possible.

"She [Clan lawyer] was able to ensure that the young person was placed at the centre of all decision making, instead of it being about the adults". (advocacy worker)

What we can offer you

Clan Childlaw's mission is very important to us, but our people are important too. We recognise the importance of a good work-life balance and a friendly supportive work environment. We offer:

A working week of 35 hours.

a hybrid approach to working, which gives you the flexibility to choose your work location based on suitability, business requirements and job role, with the opportunity to work from home some of the time.

33 days annual leave inclusive of public holidays that can be taken when you choose (with the exception of Christmas and New Year) increasing to 35 after 2 years' service

Auto-enrolment into our pension scheme after 3 months service.

We are happy to talk flexible working

Access to an employee counselling service

Learning and development is important to us. We hope it's important to you too. You will be encouraged to engage in learning and continued professional development. You will gain certification as a 'lawyer for children'

"I have never worked in such a lovely organisation before! I feel valued, seen and heard as an individual here."

- A member of the Clan Childlaw team

Please note that this information is provided for guidance only and does not form part of the conditions of employment.

About Clan Childlaw

Clan wants a Scotland where all children and young people's rights are respected, protected, and fulfilled. For that to happen, Scotland has to be a place where all children and young people can stand up for their rights. That means children and young people need:

Lawyers that are experts in working with children People around them who can enable them to use their rights and amplify their voices To be respected as rights-holders, who are entitled to hold duty-bearers to account if their rights are not fulfilled.
Clan is an award-winning, independent children's charity that actively supports children and young people to take ownership of their rights. We are the only charity in Scotland that provides free, independent legal representation exclusively for children and young people, which is child-centred by design. Because our lawyers work directly with children and young people whose lives are affected by legal decisions, we bring that unique practice-based knowledge to every aspect of our work. This includes our specialist training, our helpline supporting others who help children to use their voices and their rights, and our work to influence children's rights respecting changes to practice, policy and law.

What We Do

We stand with others who help children use their rights

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Through our membership and training for legal professionals and in legal education we are making being a "children's lawyer" an accredited legal skill set in Scotland. Our practical training and helpline and support for advocacy in Children's Hearings provides adults that support children and young people information and guidance that they can use to empower young people to stand up for their rights.

We stand out through the excellence of our work

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We want our work to have as much impact as possible. We listen to what children and young people tell us about what they need from lawyers and others who support them to use their rights. We use what we learn to develop and design the services they need and talk about why young people's rights matter, and why children and young people need lawyers.

We stand for change

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We are lawyers for children and young people representing children and young people in court, at Children's Hearings, and in important meetings working to give them equal opportunity to heard and use their rights. We take cases that make change for individual children and young people and help shape better rights respecting policy and practice. We use our knowledge of the law, and experience as practising lawyers for children and young people, to ask decision makers and lawmakers to change the law and the way the law is used to make sure that children and young people's rights are respected, protected and fulfilled.

Our Values

Our values are the principles we uphold in all our work, no matter what. They are the foundation of our workplace culture. Everyone who works at Clan shows our values in all they do and say.

We are supportive:

We listen and respond, we provide encouragement and emotional help to children and young people, to others who support young people, and to each other.

We are bold:

We are confident and courageous in amplifying the voices of children and young people. We are prepared to take risks when we need to, to defend children and young people's rights.

We are dynamic:

We are always active, always progressing. We are positive, full of energy and new ideas. We ask for change where it is needed.

"I love my job at Clan. It's busy and varied and no two days are ever the same. We have a great team here and everyone is really supportive." -

A member of the Clan Childlaw team

You are required to submit a CV and a supporting statement. The supporting statement should tell us about what has motivated you to apply and how your skills and experience are a match for the role. Please refer to the role description.

Closing date for application is midnight on Monday 5 May and we expect interviews to take place week commencing w/c 19 May 2025.

Clan Childlaw is an equal opportunity employer, and we are committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We welcome and encourage applications from all qualified individuals regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or any other protected status.

Please note: To become an employee at Clan Childlaw you must be able to produce evidence of your Right to Work and Membership of the PVG Scheme is essential for this role and the successful candidate will be required to apply for the scheme and produce an acceptable PVG Scheme Record.

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Pay: 38,726.00 per year

Benefits:

Casual dress Company pension Free parking On-site parking
Schedule:

Monday to Friday
Work Location: In person

Application deadline: 05/05/2025
Reference ID: SSMAY2025