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Closes : 11:55 pm on 23 September 2025This position is based at CANTERBURY MAGISTRATES CANTERBURY, CT1 2UE, MEDWAY MAGISTRATES COURT CHATHAM, ME4 4JZAbout the jobJob summaryPlease refer to Job DescriptionProud to serve. Proud to keep justice going.The role of the legal adviser is vital to the smooth running of HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) and is a highly rewarding position within our organisation. You’ll be surrounded by learning opportunities every day, so if you have a passion for law, this could be the right role for you.You’re an excellent communicator with the ability to inspire confidence in everyone you work with and the self-assurance to speak in court.&nbsp;&nbsp;You’ve passed the academic stage of qualification to become a barrister or solicitor in England or Wales, or you’re a graduate member of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives. You’re enthusiastic about the responsibility that comes with being on the front line of the justice system. And now you're ready to take your career to the next level and make a positive difference to society and the communities we live in.Our work at HMCTS is vitally important to the smooth running of a fair, accessible and efficient justice system, as we are responsible for the administration of criminal, civil and family courts and tribunals in England and Wales. Right now, we’re looking for trainee legal advisers to join our exceptional legal team and develop the skills to provide magistrates with advice on points of law, practice and procedure, and assist with the formulation and drafting of the reasons behind their judgments.Learn new legal skills as you develop your careerWhen you join us as a trainee legal adviser, you’ll quickly discover that this isn’t your normal 9 to 5 role, as no two days are the same.You’ll learn new skills every day as you work at pace in a fast-moving, fluid environment, and help to keep the courts running smoothly and efficiently. Working on everything from minor motoring offences to serious crimes, you’ll be supported and mentored throughout your two-year training period. Once you’ve completed this, you’ll then have the opportunity to further develop your legal career within HMCTS.&nbsp;Work as the qualified, professional face of the courtsRather than acting for a client you’ll be offering impartial and objective legal advice, so you’ll need to be passionate about the law and the issues that must be considered when magistrates are delivering judgments and sentences.Helping to conduct case management hearings will be another key part of your role, as will liaising with outside agencies who are involved in specialist court work. Once you’re qualified, you’ll act as the professional face of the court, so we’ll expect you to work with integrity, empathy and understanding, and ensure that everyone who attends is treated with humanity and respect at all times.Apply all your skills as you increase your knowledge of the lawIn addition to your academic qualifications and excellent communication skills, you’ll be committed to increasing and maintaining your knowledge of the law. Open, approachable, professional and supportive, we’ll expect you to have excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to think on your feet in a busy court. Important decisions will be made, and these can have a profound effect on the people who come to court, so you’ll be confident, impartial and capable of considering a wide range of risks and implications. Flexible and adaptable, and with a high degree of personal responsibility, there are times when you’ll be faced with challenging situations. With this in mind you’ll be resilient and remain calm under pressure and have a diplomatic and tactful approach to everyone you work with.This is an office based/court based frontline role. You’ll be allocated to your work base location that has been agreed between yourself and line manager as part of the recruitment process.You’ll be expected to spend the duration of your training at your agreed base location to fulfil the demands of the training and the business needs in that location.All our employees have to be security cleared before being appointed so you’ll undergo a vetting process if your application is successful.Enjoy a healthy work/life balance with our range of benefitsWhen you join us, you’ll be making an important contribution to HM Courts and Tribunals Service – but how will we help you in return?In addition to a competitive salary, generous holiday entitlement and a Civil Service pension, we’ll support your development with training opportunities to help you advance your career with us. We also understand the importance of a healthy work/life balance and with this in mind we offer flexible working schemes, paid maternity and paternity leave and excellent childcare benefits.The vital work we do takes an incredible community of colleagues with different skills, backgrounds, cultures and identities. We support every individual, so you’ll always know you’re welcome and valued. We have strong and proactive staff networks, reasonable adjustments for those who need them and diversity talent programmes to help everyone, irrespective of their background, to achieve their potential.Your benefits with us&nbsp;Upon successful completion of the full training and submission of your training portfolio (usually completed within two years), a Trainee legal adviser will then progress to a SEO Tier 1 Legal adviser role (with the associated increase in pay, in line with the HMCTS Legal adviser Tier Progression Framework). You’ll have access to a variety of legal careers in HMCTS and beyond.&nbsp; As part of the Ministry of Justice, you’ll be entitled to a range of benefits including a civil service pension, flexible working arrangements, generous annual leave, childcare and travel allowances and numerous staff networks and clubs.&nbsp;Base locationYour base location can be either Medway or Canterbury -&nbsp;Travel to other Magistrates’ Courts across Kent as required by business needs.It is desirable but not essential to visit your local Magistrates’ court prior to applying in order to better familiarise yourself with the role and the work of the Magistrates’ Court.If this sounds like you, use our online application form to apply for the role of the trainee legal adviser. If you have any queries about the role, then please contact:&nbsp;<a href="mailto:HQlegal@justice.gov.uk" target="_blank">HQlegal@justice.gov.uk</a>&nbsp;Further InformationThe reserve list for this campaign will be managed in accordance with location preference/s, as indicated in your application.&nbsp; We will appoint in merit list order for each location outlined in the vacancy and hold a separate locational reserve list for each of these locations. After appointments have been made using this locational appointment process, any remaining candidates who met the benchmark for the role will remain on a locational reserve list in accordance with their preferences for 12 months. &nbsp;&nbsp;Please only indicate preferences where you are prepared to work.&nbsp; If you are subsequently offered a role from the reserve list for a location preference indicated in your application and decline it, you will be removed from the reserve list for the vacancy, across all locational preferences.&nbsp;Qualifications All candidates must be able to provide proof of qualification at the point of offer in order to progress their application. Candidates can apply for the role without final qualification, but certification will need to be uploaded before a final offer can be made.Person specificationPlease refer to Job DescriptionQualificationsTo be eligible to apply for this post, you must have passed the academic stage of qualification to become a barrister in England and Wales, or a solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales, or a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX) or CILEX Lawyer by virtue of — (i) having passed the necessary examinations; (example of which are listed below) (ii) having been granted an exemption in relation to the necessary examinations (example of which are listed below) by the appropriate examining body; or (iii) any combination of the two. By way of example, the following list reflects the currently approved academic qualification routes: • The Legal Practice Course (LPC) for Solicitors, or BOTH the SQE1 and SQE2 stages of the Solicitors Qualifying Exam; or • The Bar Training Course; or equivalent for Barristers; or • The CILEx Level 3 Professional Diploma in Law and Practice and the CILEx Level 6 Diploma in Law and Practice; or • The CILEx Graduate Fast Track Diploma; or equivalent for Graduate Membership of CILEx. You can apply for this role whilst you are completing the final academic stage of qualification but must be able to evidence your final certification at the point of an offer being made, to be able to proceed to appointment. If you are unable to evidence the correct certification at the point of offer, you will be removed from the process. ...LessBehavioursWe'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:<ul><li>Communicating and Influencing</li><li>Working Together</li><li>Making Effective Decisions</li><li>Leadership</li><li>Developing Self and Others</li></ul>Technical skillsWe'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:<ul><li>Technical Question - Qualification Requirements</li><li>Evidence of qualifications will be required at interview.</li></ul>BenefitsAlongside your salary of £35,335, HM Courts and Tribunals Service contributes £10,236 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.&nbsp;<ul><li>Access to learning and development</li><li>A working environment that supports a range of flexible working options to enhance your work life balance</li><li>A working culture which encourages inclusion and diversity</li><li>A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%</li><li>Annual Leave</li><li>Public Holidays</li><li>Season Ticket Advance</li></ul>For more information about the recruitment process, benefits and allowances and answers to general queries, please click the below link which will direct you to our Candidate Information Page.

1 2 year QWE - SQE route Job in Canterbury, UK