Lead Paralegal

In May 2021, the Prime Minister made a statement in the House of Commons that the Government will establish an independent public inquiry on a statutory basis, with full powers under the Inquiries Act of 2005.

In December 2021 Baroness Heather Hallett DBE was appointed as Chair to the Inquiry and following an initial set up phase we are now looking for exceptional staff to join the Inquiry team.

The Inquiry are seeking HEO Paralegals, to lead a team of EO paralegals, who will support the Solicitor to the Inquiry’s work of preparing for and delivering public hearings.

The Inquiry sits independent of the Government with the Cabinet office acting as the sponsoring department.

This is an exciting opportunity to join an inclusive, innovative team where you will be supported to challenge yourself in often ambiguous circumstances. The team encourages working in a flexible, collaborative manner to learn and support each other as we look to undertake one of the broadest, most publicly anticipated inquiries in UK history.

Conflicts of Interest

Please note that candidates invited to interview will be invited to declare any actual, potential or perceived conflicts of interests which could affect the independence of the Inquiry, in confidence, to the senior recruiting manager. This may include current or prior work undertaken on the COVID-19 pandemic response. Decisions on any potential conflict of interest will be made before an appointment to the role is confirmed.

The legal team which comprises Counsel and Solicitor to the Inquiry is an integral part of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry, providing advice to the Chair and secretariat to support the effective delivery of the Inquiry. The Paralegal team will support the Solicitor to the Inquiry and his team to deliver their work to fulfil the Inquiry’s terms of reference.

Working to the SEO Paralegal Manager, the HEO Lead Paralegal will work closely with the Solicitors team and coordinate a team of paralegals in the receipt, review, redaction and disclosure of material to Core Participants to the Inquiry. The HEO Lead Paralegal will be responsible for ensuring disclosure deadlines are met and that paralegal activities are completed to a high standard. The HEO Lead Paralegal will also play a key role in supporting the Solicitor and Counsel teams in the preparation and delivery of substantive hearings in accordance with the Inquiry’s hearing timetable. The role will include line management responsibility for a team of EO paralegals.

We are seeking organised, detailed focussed and proactive individuals who are confident working in a fast paced environment.

The jobholder’s responsibilities will include (but are not limited to):

• Oversee an Inquiry module(s) and manage a team of paralegals to support the Solicitor and Counsel team in the preparation and effective delivery of Inquiry hearings;
• Coordinate, assign and carry out day to day paralegal activities, including assessment, redaction and review of material using the Inquiry’s electronic document management system (EMS);
• Work closely and collaboratively with the Solicitor and Counsel teams to ensure arising tasks are delivered at pace;
• Lead regular module paralegal meetings and champion effective communication and collaboration;
• Quality assure team output and provide regular training and feedback to the paralegal team to ensure high standards are maintained;
• Line manage a team of EO paralegals and conduct regular performance reviews and discussions to encourage professional development and promote a supportive working environment;
• Attend the hearing centre and be prepared to work outside core hours prior to and during busy hearing periods;
• Work closely with the information management and paralegal team to maintain excellent information management practices.

Essential Criteria

The jobholder must demonstrate the following essential criteria in their application job history. The panel will initially shortlist based on demonstration of these essential criteria in the job history alone:

• Applicants should have a minimum of a 2:1 honours degree in their first degree (in any subject). Where an applicant holds an overseas degree qualification this should be equivalent to a 2:1 degree. We will ONLY consider applicants who do not have a 2:1 degree in very exceptional circumstance and where satisfactory evidence of equivalent high level academic and/or professional achievement can be provided (e.g. via relevant, demonstrable experience and results achieved for the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL)/CPE, Legal Practice Course (LPC), Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC)
• Experience of working in a legal environment (6 months minimum) or law clinic placement (3 months minimum)

Desirable Criteria

• Previous experience working on a public inquiry or other similar large scale inquiry or investigation
• Experience working with electronic document management systems (EMS) - please specify which EMS you have used before in your application
• Experience of leading and managing a team would be an advantage

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Leadership
• Delivering at Pace
• Working Together
• Developing Self and Others

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Leadership
• Delivering at Pace

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Redaction Exercise

• Learning and development tailored to your role.
• An environment with flexible working options.
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity.
• A Civil Service Pension which provides an attractive pension, benefits for dependants and average employer contributions of 27%.
• A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by one day per year up to a maximum of 30.

Job contact :

Name :
Joshua Terry
Email :
joshua.terry1@covid19.public-inquiry.uk

Recruitment team

Email :
cabinetofficerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk