Trainee Solicitor
Lewes District Council and Eastbourne Borough Council
Lewes and Eastbourne Legal Services
Base: Lewes, Newhaven and Eastbourne
Trainee Solicitor
Contract – fixed 2 - 4 years depending on qualifications
Salary: £24,286-£29,769
37 hours per week, including 1 day spent on self-guided study for SQE qualification where applicable.
Lewes and Eastbourne Councils are delighted to be recruiting a Trainee Solicitor to its busy and experienced legal team.
Our Legal Practice spans both councils, providing expert advice to our shared body of officers, both sets of councillors and several council-owned companies.
We are seeking a Trainee Solicitor to work with the Legal team via the LPC route or the new Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE) route.
We are a small collaborative team of 18 staff working across a variety of practice areas, such as commercial property, contracts and procurement, planning, civil litigation, housing, regulatory, Freedom of Information and Data Protection.
Working across two councils, our geographical area is unique in its mix of environments, including the larger urban area of Eastbourne, the historic county town of Lewes, small towns and villages in and around the National Park and a large area of coastal strip, making the work varied and interesting.
The postholder can expect to gain wide-ranging practical experience, as well as training relevant to the solicitor qualification. This will include research, assistance with legal matters and transactions, advising various clients, attending court, meetings and committees, as well as drafting simple agreements, notices and other legal documents.
You will have a dedicated supervisor and specialist mentors for the duration of the training contract. The Legal Services department is supported by a practice manager and case management system and we have a proven track record in supporting and training legal staff towards successful qualifications.
The Legal team works predominantly from the Lewes office, but the successful candidate may be required to work from the Newhaven and Eastbourne offices, as the need dictates.
The successful candidate will be a motivated self-starter with the ability to apply self-directed learning, ability to demonstrate excellent verbal and written communication and a genuine interest in a career in local government. You will have completed the LPC or SQE 1 https://sqe.sra.org.uk/about-sqe/what-is-the-sqe
The closing date for the receipt of applications is midday Sunday 28th July 2024.
Interviews to be held week commencing 12th August 2024
Anticipated start date September 2024.
How to apply
Please apply online via the link provided.
Please note, we do not accept CVs submitted without a fully completed online application form.