Solicitor - Litigation - Legal

Description

Role Purpose

To provide legal advice and assistance routine/standard housing management and landlord & tenant matters and on more complex matters, with support as appropriate to your level of skill and experience from more senior or experienced team members.

To include conducting efficient and effective litigation to include 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, briefing Counsel and/or conducting advocacy where appropriate in order to protect the interests of Southern Housing and its Group partners.

Dependant on your level of skill and experience, to provide or assist in the provision of advice on and conduct of other contentious matters with support as appropriate to your level of skill and experience from more senior or experienced team members. To include 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. Responsibilities

To assist with instructing external solicitors for matters that cannot be dealt with in house.

To assist in developing the in-house legal provision to meet the needs of Southern Housing and its Group partners.

To ensure that legal work is carried out in house where this is more cost effective including preparing and drafting all own pleadings on routine/standard matters and more complex matters, with support as appropriate to your level of skill and experience from more senior or experienced team members to include but not limited to, 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 communication between instructing officers and the legal team is effective and efficient.

To comply with the approved processes and procedures, including maintaining data records and registers as required by the Director of Legal Services. Ensure sound data management, both in case management and in passing on key data to other departments in a timely fashion.

To keep up to date with the constitutional, legal and regulatory framework within which Housing Associations operate. This also includes keeping up to date records in requirements. To ensure that such knowledge is shared to encourage a knowledgeable and compliance focused culture.

To support more junior legal team members and volunteers and provide assistance to the more senior team members and general assistance to the wider legal team. Liaising with clients, suppliers, and staff at all levels across the organisation. Build and maintain effective working relationships with external contacts and partners including updating colleagues in respect of changes in law.

Ensure confidentiality, sensitivity, and a professional approach in all activities.

To provide cover for other solicitors in the litigation side of the team and, dependant on skills and experience, for the Legal Services Manager (Litigation) in their absence

Requirements

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 confirmed (if a Barrister).

Experience of undertaking routine/standard housing management litigation casework, particularly for housing associations or other public sector bodies.

Experience of drafting pleadings and conducting litigation including advocacy A thorough understanding of legal processes, Housing and Landlord & Tenant law

Experience of developing and implementing processes and procedures within housing management litigation or contentious property legal work

Experience of developing talent and supporting and up-skilling junior staff

Experience of conducting and advising on complex contentious litigation

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