Job Information

Job Category: Legal
Job location: Fleet House, 59-61 Clerkenwell Road, London, Greater London, EC1M 5NW
United Kingdom
Southern Housing
Hours per week: 35
Start date: Immediate start
Salary: £45.00 per hour

Working Arrangement

First week: full-time office attendance; thereafter 3 days office, 2 days remote.

Qualifications

Employee must have a valid and current Law Society Practicing Certificate (if a solicitor) or a Bar Council certificate with the ability to conduct litigation (if a barrister). Enhanced DBS and driving licence requirements are not applicable to this role.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide legal advice and assistance on routine/standard housing management and landlord & tenant matters and more complex matters, with support as appropriate.
• Conduct efficient and effective litigation, including but not limited to anti-social behaviour injunctions, anti-social behaviour possession claims, committal applications, tenancy fraud possession claims, access injunctions, housing disrepair claims, prosecutions under the Environmental Protection Act, applications to the Court of Protection and money claims; brief Counsel and/or conduct advocacy where appropriate to protect Southern Housing and its Group partners.
• Provide or assist in advice on and conduct of other contentious matters such as First Tier Tribunal cases, trespass/Right of Way/breach of Easement claims and other claims arising from contractor, landlord and leaseholder non-performance or breach of contract or lease terms.
• Assist with instructing external solicitors for matters that cannot be dealt with in-house.
• Assist in developing the in-house legal provision to meet the needs of Southern Housing and its Group partners.
• Prepare and draft all own pleadings on routine/standard matters and more complex matters, including notices of seeking possession, claim forms, particulars of claim, defences, reply to defences, part 20 counterclaims, injunctions, committal applications, witness statements, case summaries, lists of issues, chronologies and trial bundles.
• Ensure effective and efficient communication between instructing officers and the legal team.
• Assist in developing and implementing processes and procedures to ensure efficient and effective provision of housing management and other litigation services and advice on landlord & tenant law, including witness support for anti-social behaviour cases (requiring out-of-office hours visits to witnesses’ homes where required).
• Maintain data records and registers as required by the Director of Legal Services; ensure sound data management and timely transfer of key data to other departments.
• Keep up to date with constitutional, legal and regulatory framework within which Housing Associations operate; keep records up to date and share knowledge to foster a compliance-focused culture.
• Support junior legal team members, volunteers and senior team members; provide general assistance to the wider legal team.
• Liaise with clients, suppliers and staff at all organisational levels; build and maintain effective working relationships with external contacts and partners; update colleagues on changes in law.
• Ensure confidentiality, sensitivity and a professional approach in all activities.
• Provide cover for other solicitors in the litigation side of the team and, where appropriate, for the Legal Services Manager (Litigation) in their absence.

Additional Information

Utilise approved processes and procedures, maintain data records, and cooperate with cross-functional teams as required.