Principal Legal Officer (Adult Social Care Lawyer)

Overview

As Principal Legal Officer, you will lead high-quality legal work in Adult Social Care, handling a substantial personal caseload and advising the Council. You will represent the Council in court and tribunals, providing clear legal guidance to departments and committees. You will work collaboratively with partner organisations to support the Best Council Plan and, where appropriate, generate external income. This role offers flexible, hybrid working and a clear pathway for professional development, with opportunities to shape practice in a high-impact public sector setting.

Pay / Benefits

• competitive salary
• annual leave entitlement
• generous pension contributions (West Yorkshire Pension Fund)
• flexible and hybrid working arrangements
• clear career pathway
• continuing professional development opportunities

Responsibilities

• Undertake a substantial personal caseload of complex Adult Social Care matters
• Draft and issue court proceedings and other legal documents
• Advocate for the Council in court, tribunals, and inquiries
• Provide clear legal advice to clients and committees/board meetings
• Draft instructions to Counsel and manage engagement in court proceedings with Counsel
• Advise on case progression and strategy; monitor legal developments
• Collaborate with internal teams and external stakeholders to improve service delivery
• Contribute to generation of external income and support flexible cross-service work
• Mentor/coach staff and provide training on law and practice
• Adhere to Council health, safety, equality, and diversity policies

Key requirements

• Knowledge of Adult Social Care law or strong willingness to specialise
• Ability to plan and organise workload with minimal supervision
• Advocacy experience in courts/tribunals and handling contested hearings
• Drafting clear legal documents and agreements
• Strong teamwork and stakeholder relationship skills
• Ability to conduct effective legal research and problem solving in a local government context
• Experience managing a personal legal caseload and contributing to external income
• Experience of Windows based IT systems
• Experience working in a team-oriented environment
• Commitment to ongoing professional development and compliance with SRA requirements

• values-driven
• enthusiastic
• outcome-focused
• Advocacy in courts/tribunals
• Drafting legal documents and agreements
• Legal research

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