DOWSE & CO SOLICITORS- DALSTON LONDON E8

RECRUITING A HOUSING LAWYER/ CASE WORKER

Role: Full or part time Housing Law Solicitor / Case worker based in Dalston, London E8.

Salary: £30,000 to £50,000.

Summary : 

We are expanding our Housing Law department by recruiting an enthusiastic solicitor/caseworker. We represent clients on a range of housing matters including possession actions, disrepair, homelessness, injunctions, unlawful eviction, leaseholder disputes and succession matters. We act almost exclusively for tenants and leaseholders.

Responsibilities:

• Advising clients about their housing law rights and remedies
• Advising clients on funding options- including CFAs- and legal costs throughout their case
• Preparing Legal aid applications and all subsequent housing franchise requirements, including issuing emergency certificates
• Negotiating with landlords and their representatives to settle cases pre-action, where possible
• Instructing experts
• Preparing pleadings and schedules
• Pursuing civil actions up to trial
• Recovering inter partes costs and efficient billing
• Team work alongside other Solicitors will be key,
• Maintaining case management systems and contributing to practice management
• Providing in house training to colleagues on housing law and civil procedure

The candidate:

• Applications from NQ to solidly experienced solicitors and housing caseworkers will be considered
• Experience in legal aid work and billing legal aid will be useful (but training will be provided to the right candidate).
• Demonstrate commitment to legal aid work and social welfare law
• Good knowledge of civil litigation procedure
• A willingness to develop advocacy skills and to attend court for applications and case management
• Evidence of commitment to professional development and interest in housing law and tenants rights

The Firm:

Dowse & Co has been a partnership for 125 years. We have a longstanding commitment to our community and a reputation for excellence and professionalism. We believe in access to justice and do our best to provide first class legal representation and advice irrespective of our client’s means and circumstances. We recruit to retain and many of our lawyers and partners have been trainees at the firm.

Our terms of employment are good and we try to be as flexible as possible to accommodate the different needs of employees: we practice equality in the workplace but always strive to do better. We actively recruit part time employees .

Closing date: Friday 18 March 2022

Please send CV and covering letter ps@dowse.co.uk and/or call Patrick Spence on 020 7254 6205 to discuss the role.  See our website at www.dowse.co.uk

Shelter

Managing Solicitor – Housing Litigation

c£43,573 pa plus excellent benefits

Manchester or Liverpool

Closing date: Thursday 10th March 2022 at 11.30 pm

Are you a qualified solicitor with a good understanding of housing and homelessness law , proven relevant experience and supervisor status for legal aid purposes? Then join Shelter as a Managing Solicitor and you could soon be playing an important role at the heart of our legal team.

About Shelter
A home is a fundamental human need, as essential as education or healthcare. Yet millions of people across Britain struggle on a daily basis with homelessness, bad housing conditions, soaring rents, discrimination and the threat of eviction. So, we are striving for change, with individuals, in communities, across society, and leading the way to a safe home. We need ambitious, best-in-class individuals who are passionate about our cause to join us at this exciting time. This is your chance to play a part in the fundamental change we are striving to achieve.

At Shelter we are united by our purpose to defend the right to a safe home. Our enemy is the social injustice at the core of the escalating housing emergency. We believe that to win that fight, we must be representative of the people we are here to help and those who support our movement for change. In all our people decisions, we take pride in being inclusive, fair, equitable and transparent.

We have committed to combat racism both within and outside Shelter and welcome you on our journey to becoming a truly anti-racist organisation.

Our legal team in Manchester consists of three solicitors, two paralegals and legal admin and is part of a wider hub which has advice and support teams. In Liverpool, the team consists of two solicitors and one paralegal and legal admin and is part of a hub that’s focused on working in the community to deliver advice and try to bring about change. Whoever joins us could be based at either office, with travel between the two required.

About the role
This  key role will see you ensure we deliver high quality legal services. As well as working closely with our Hub managers, you’ll be responsible for managing a team of solicitors, dealing with personnel issues, providing professional support and supervision and carrying your own caseload of housing litigation. Contributing to the strategic direction of Shelter legal services nationally will be an important aspect of the role too, as will taking the lead on delivering strategic change aligned to Shelter’s strategy and ensuring Legal aid contract requirements and performance targets are met. And, as a key member of the management team, you’ll also get to play your part in the management of our offices, including attending management team meetings and collaborating with other teams across the Liverpool and Manchester hubs.

About you

Ideally, you’re used to working under a housing legal aid contract and have experience of managing and supervising others. What’s for certain is that you have the experience it takes to deliver a wide range of legal services and legal services support for the public, partners and Shelter staff, including litigation and consultancy work. You’ll also need the ability to balance various, and often competing, demands, so that casework responsibilities and financial billing targets can be met.

Benefits
We offer a wide range of benefits, including 30 days of annual leave, enhanced family friendly policies, pension and interest free travel loans. Our employees also have access to a tenancy deposit loan, payroll giving, cycle to work scheme and an employee assistance programme.

Shelter helps millions of people every year struggling with bad housing or homelessness through our advice, support and legal services. And we campaign to make sure that, one day, no one will have to turn to us for help. We’re here so no one has to fight bad housing or homelessness on their own.

To find out more about the role and the benefits of working for Shelter please visit our website. Apply to be part of our team and be the change you want to see in society.

Safeguarding is everyone’s business. Shelter is committed to protecting the health, wellbeing and human rights of those we support, and enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect. All our staff will be expected to observe professional standards of behaviour and conduct their work in line with our Safeguarding Policies.

We are happy to talk about flexible working, personal growth, and to promote a workplace where you can be yourself and achieve success based only on your merit.

Shelter does not accept unsolicited CVs from external recruitment agencies nor accept the fees associated with them.

Shelter

Housing Litigation Solicitor
£37,999 pa + excellent benefits including flexible working
Liverpool or Manchester

Closing date: Thursday 10th March 2022 at 11.30 pm.  

If you’re an experienced Solicitor who is passionate about standing up for people’s rights and committed to achieving positive outcomes for clients, Shelter’s legal team is the ideal environment to put your skills to good use.

About Shelter
A home is a fundamental human need, as essential as education or healthcare. Yet millions of people across Britain struggle on a daily basis with homelessness, bad housing conditions, soaring rents, discrimination and the threat of eviction. So, we are striving for change, with individuals, in communities, across society, and leading the way to a safe home. We need individuals who are passionate about our cause to join us at this exciting time. This is your chance to play a part in the fundamental change we are striving to achieve.

At Shelter we are united by our purpose to defend the right to a safe home. Our enemy is the social injustice at the core of the escalating housing emergency. We believe that to win that fight, we must be representative of the people we are here to help and those who support our movement for change. In all our people decisions, we take pride in being inclusive, fair, equitable and transparent.

We have committed to combat racism both within and outside Shelter and welcome you on our journey to becoming a truly anti-racist organisation.

About the Role
With an enviable national reputation for excellence in the provision of housing law and over 100 fee earners and support staff, including over 40 solicitors nationally, Legal Services at Shelter is career enhancing to say the least. You’d be part of a legal team based in either Liverpool or Manchester which holds a legal aid contract and a contract to deliver Birkenhead’s court duty scheme. Your role will be to deliver quality legal advice and to represent tenants at courts in St Helen’s, Birkenhead and Wigan under the housing possession duty scheme. Join us and you could be part of a team which is looking to deliver strategic change to improve services for homeless people in Merseyside and to help prevent homelessness.

We are happy to talk about flexible working, personal growth, and to promote a workplace where you can be yourself and achieve success based only on your merit.

About you
An experienced solicitor with proven experience of housing and homelessness law, you will ideally have experience of working under a housing legal aid contract and hold supervisor status for legal aid purposes. The ability to establish priorities and develop clear plans to achieve your goals is also required, as are excellent listening, communication and problem solving skills, sensitivity to the needs of others and a genuine interest in their views.

Benefits
We offer a wide range of benefits, including 30 days of annual leave (pro rata), enhanced family friendly policies, pension and interest free travel loans. Our employees also have access to a tenancy deposit loan, payroll giving, cycle to work scheme and an employee assistance programme.

Shelter helps millions of people every year struggling with bad housing or homelessness through our advice, support and legal services. And we campaign to make sure that, one day, no one will have to turn to us for help. We’re here so no one has to fight bad housing or homelessness on their own.

To find out more about the role and the benefits of working for Shelter please visit our website. Apply to be part of our legal team and be the change you want to see in society.

Safeguarding is everyone’s business. Shelter is committed to protecting the health, wellbeing and human rights of those we support, and enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect. All our staff will be expected to observe professional standards of behaviour and conduct their work in line with our Safeguarding Policies.

Shelter does not accept unsolicited CVs from external recruitment agencies nor accept the fees associated with them.