Senior Legal Adviser

Contract Type   Permanent Working Pattern   Full time - flexible working may be considered Working Hours   35 hours per week Salary   £63,742.42 per annum for Birmingham and Cardiff and £70,116 per annum for London Location Options   Hybrid - home based and Birmingham, Hybrid - home based and Cardiff, Hybrid - home based and London, Old Broad Street Function Type   Legal  

The SRA is the independent regulator of solicitors and law firms in England and Wales. We regulate in the public interest to ensure solicitors and law firms adhere to high professional standards, to take action against those who fail to comply with their regulatory obligations and to protect the public against risk.

 The in-house Legal & Enforcement team at the SRA deals with contentious regulatory proceedings before the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal and other related litigation. It also provides legal advice and case direction to our investigation teams and other internal teams at the SRA.

 

We are currently growing our Legal & Enforcement team and are recruiting to several legally qualified roles including Senior Legal Adviser, Triage Lawyer (same level as Senior Legal Adviser), Case Manager and Legal Adviser.

 The following advert relates to the Senior Legal Adviser

 Visit the SRA jobs if you would like to find out more about the other roles we are currently recruiting for within the Legal & Enforcement team to decide which one may be most suited to your skills and interest.

The role

 

You will be working within the Legal & Enforcement team, providing high quality legal and regulatory advice and supporting investigations at an early stage, developing and delivering case strategy in complex and/or multiple cases and conducting disciplinary proceedings before the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.

 

Using your experience of mentoring and coaching you will help to develop and support team members to make sure that our Enforcement Strategy is applied to disciplinary proceedings in a consistent and proportionate way.

 

With previous practical experience of complex case analysis, you will utilise your strong case management skills and extensive knowledge of law, framework and rules within regulation to lead and deliver successful outcomes.

 

The successful candidate will be a self-starter who is proactive, has excellent attention to detail and can demonstrate a track record of delivering quality results.

 

We are seeking to recruit multiple Senior Legal Advisers, some of whom will be specialist advocates. You are encouraged to apply if you have significant advocacy experience gained in courts or tribunals, even if not in a regulatory setting. Our advocates have the opportunity to conduct contested hearings before the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal as well as prosecutions in the Magistrates and Crown Court.

 

What’s in it for me

 

• Represent the SRA in courts and tribunals, including conducting your own advocacy.
• Showcase your legal expertise giving high quality legal and regulatory advice across operational units.
• Opportunity to be part of a fast-moving team who are at the cutting edge of legal regulation.
• Be responsible for running high profile and complex prosecutions before the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.
• Mentor and coach team members, encouraging a high-performance culture.

 

What we are looking for

• A solicitor, barrister or Chartered Legal Executive qualified to practice in England and Wales.
• Experience of conducting substantial litigation
• Experience of mentoring and coaching other professionals
• Practical experience of complex case analysis and legal drafting in a regulatory or other public law context
• Understanding of regulatory and operational risk
• Some experience of advocacy in courts or tribunals

Useful and additional information

Please see the attached Role Profile for more detailed information on the role and requirements.

 The role is offered on a hybrid basis. It is predominantly home-based with attendance in the office 1 to 2 days a week. Many of the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal hearings are now held remotely but there may also be occasional travel to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal in London as required for in-person hearings. We would consider a request to be based at either of our other offices (London or Cardiff), though travel to our main office in Birmingham will be required at least once per month.If you are offered a London based role an additional 10% weighting would apply on the advertised salary; the London weighted salary is £70,116.

 This is a full-time role working 35 hours per week. We are supportive of helping you achieve a balance between your personal and professional life and are happy to discuss flexible working arrangements at interview.

 If you have any questions that aren’t in this advert or on our website, please contact us via recruitment@sra.org.uk

 

To apply

 

Please click ‘apply’ to complete the online application form and upload a CV and cover letter, addressing how you meet the essential criteria listed under the ‘What we are looking for’ section above. The Cover Letter should be no longer than 2 pages

 

To find out more about the recruitment and selection process and how to make the most of your application, please visit our jobs pages.

 

Closing date for applications is 3rd of March 2025 at 9am GMT

The SRA is the independent regulator of solicitors and law firms in England and Wales, protecting consumers and supporting the rule of law and the administration of justice. We do this by overseeing all education and training requirements necessary to practise as a solicitor, licensing individuals and firms to practise, setting the standards of the profession and regulating and enforcing compliance against these standards. We offer an inclusive, supportive and friendly working environment and the chance to develop your career within a professional organisation. We are committed to the health and wellbeing of staff, helping everyone to strike a good balance between personal and professional life.

Additionally, we provide a generous flexible benefits package, including gym membership with a tax only cost, an excellent defined contribution pension scheme and an additional 3% of annual basic salary upon successful completion of probation. Attached Role Profile   Senior Legal Adviser Role Profile 2025.docx – 546KB Opens in a new window
Converted File Senior Legal Adviser Role Profile 2025.docx.pdf – 73KB Opens in a new window Vacancy closing date: 03/03/2025, 09:00

The Solicitors Regulation Authority is an Equal Opportunities Employer.

Diversity and inclusion is central to everything we do. We are actively committed to promoting and participating in good practice in the way that we attract, recruit and retain staff.

Everyone is encouraged to bring their whole self to work because we appreciate the value that a truly diverse workforce brings to an organisation. We celebrate difference, recognising the benefits this brings to our inclusive culture, including age, disability, gender identity and expression, religion, race, sex, sexual orientation and socio economic background.

 We are a Stonewall Top 100 Employer, a member of ENEI, a disability confident employer and we are happy to talk flexible working.

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