Legal adviser to the Master of the Rolls

Salary £63,343 - £70,725

Number of jobs available 1

Detail of reserve list 12 months

Region London

City/ town London

Building/ site London CTS Royal Courts of Justice, WC2A 2LL

Grade Grade 7

Organisation Grade for MoJ Grade 7

Post type Permanent

Working pattern Full time

Role type Legal services, Policy

Job description - overview

This is an exciting opportunity for a lawyer to work directly with the Master of the Rolls and other members of the senior judiciary.

In addition to his duties as President of the Court of Appeal’s Civil Division, the Master of the Rolls is Head of Civil Justice. He is chair of the Civil Justice Council (the statutory body responsible for scrutinising the operation of the civil justice system and advising on its improvement), of the Civil Procedure Rule Committee (the body responsible for the rules of court that govern the practice and procedure in the civil courts of England and Wales) and of the new Online Procedure Rule Committee (the new body that will oversee the development of rules for online proceedings across the Civil, Family and Tribunals jurisdictions). His office’s historic responsibility for public records is today reflected in his overall responsibility for judicial data and in his chairmanship of the Advisory Council on National Records and Archives and of the Forum on Historical Manuscripts and Academic Research.

As the Master of the Rolls’ lawyer you will advise him and the Deputy Head of Civil Justice, and the judges to whom they delegate, on the development of policy, rules and procedure; identify and advise upon legal risks that may emerge from the development of civil justice policy; and assist with the preparation of lectures, speeches and articles on both legal and policy matters. As the Master of the Rolls is currently First Vice President of the European Law Institute, you will also support him in that work by keeping abreast of current and prospective ELI projects and working with the ELI secretariat in Vienna. Further to the Master of the Rolls’ responsibility for judicial data, you will also be expected to advise him, the wider judiciary and your Judicial Office colleagues on data protection issues.

This is a high-profile role for a lawyer and offers the opportunity to become a recognised and respected voice at the heart of the justice system. You will need to be confident in advising all of the senior judges with responsibility for civil justice, including the Master of the Rolls, the Deputy Head of Civil Justice and the Vice-President of the Court of Appeal (Civil Division), as well as the judicial members of the Judicial Data Protection Panel.

You will have a large degree of autonomy in undertaking your work and will need to be able to work independently to provide high quality legal, strategic and policy advice to the senior judiciary.

You will also need to be able to form strong working relationships with members of the judiciary (at all levels), with the lawyers in other senior judges’ private offices, and with a wide range of key officials across the civil justice system.

There may be opportunities for travel, both within the UK and internationally, supporting and participating in judicial engagements such as conferences and court visits.

You will be an essential member of the Master of the Rolls’ busy private office team. You will work closely with his Private Secretary to support the Master of the Rolls in fulfilling his wide and varied responsibilities. Part of the enjoyment and challenge of working within a private office is that work can be fast paced and unpredictable, particularly during the judicial termtime. The Master of the Rolls’ private office is a small and friendly team, with a sociable outlook, that enjoys supporting each other.

Job description - specific responsibilities

Specific responsibilities will include:

• Advising the Master of the Rolls on the development of the digital justice system, in particular supporting him as chair of the new Online Procedure Rules Committee;

• Supporting the Deputy Head of Civil Justice in preparing for meetings of the Civil Procedure Rules Committee and advising on amendments to the Rules and on new Practice Directions;

• Supporting the Master of the Rolls in preparing for meetings of the Advisory Council on National Records and Archives and advising on the law relating to public records;

• Advising the Master of the Rolls on appointments to statutory tribunals for which he has responsibility;

• Advising the Master of the Rolls in relation to the duties delegated to him by the Lady Chief Justice under the Constitutional Reform Act 2005;

• Conducting legal research and assisting with the preparation of lectures, speeches, and articles for the Master of the Rolls on both legal and policy matters;

• Advising the Master of the Rolls, the Judicial Data Protection Panel and the Judicial Office’s Data Privacy Officer on the application of data protection law to the judiciary and the Judicial Office;

• Deputising for the Private Secretary to the Master of the Rolls on occasion.

Qualifications and experience

The successful applicant must:

• Be qualified to practice as a solicitor or barrister in England and Wales and hold a valid practising certificate (if required) or be able to obtain one;

• Have experience of the operation of the civil justice system and an interest in legal policy issues;

• Have a sound knowledge and understanding of the Civil Procedure Rules and the work of the civil courts;

• Be able to provide high quality legal advice (both written and oral) which fits into the wider policy and operational context.

Desirable professional qualifications and experience include:

• Experience of data protection law, and an interest in the legal, practical and strategic policy issues surrounding data.

Selection criteria

Technical legal skills

The successful candidate will be required to provide evidence of:

• Sound understanding of the civil law and procedure;

• Expertise in or an understanding of public law and constitutional law;

• Sound analysis, using legal research to produce timely and fit for purpose advice;

• Ability to communicate advice effectively both in writing and orally, with little formal legal supervision;

• Reliable legal judgment and appreciation of legal risk, being able to identify and explain legal options, giving a steer as appropriate, and extracting key legal issues;

• Understanding of the role of an advisory lawyer.

Behaviours

During the application process you will also be asked to provide an example of how you have met the following behaviours:

• Communicating and influencing;

• Making effective decisions;

• Delivering at pace.

Should we receive a large number of applications we will sift primarily on the lead behaviour of communicating and influencing. Successful applicants will then be invited to an interview. The above technical skills and behaviours will be tested at the interview, alongside strengths-based questions that are not shared in advance. (See the Civil Service Strengths Dictionary for more details. Candidates invited to interview will also be required to do a short presentation or scenario test.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.