Solicitor jobs

This is a new position within CWJ, and will involve working with our CEO, Harriet Wistrich, on potential miscarriages of justice relating to women who have offended in response to male violence. Cases will range from convictions arising from coerced offending, counter allegations, victims of trafficking and grooming gangs, to advising on appeals by those convicted of murder or manslaughter at the CACD and CCRC.

We would consider the role at 30 hours per week.

Role Purpose

To lead and supervise legal work challenging the criminalisation of women who have been prosecuted for offences that have arisen as a result of male violence, coercion or abuse. The role will provide expert oversight of complex criminal appeals and review cases, ensuring that women’s experiences are properly recognised within the legal process and that cases are progressed to the highest professional standard using a feminist, trauma‑informed approach.

Key Responsibilities

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and supervise criminal appeals and reviews for women prosecuted in the context of male violence, coercion, or abuse.

• Manage a caseload of strategic criminal appeals, ensuring trauma-informed and feminist legal practice.

• Maintain Legal Aid Agency supervisor status and compliance.

• Supervise and support junior legal staff.

• Collaborate with partner organisations and contribute to CWJ’s litigation strategy.

• Engage in training, media, and sector-wide advocacy.

Essential Criteria:

• Qualified solicitor or barrister (England & Wales) with at least three years’ post-qualification experience.

• Meets Legal Aid Agency criteria for criminal appeals supervisor.

• Strong experience in criminal law, especially appeals and legal aid casework.

• Commitment to CWJ’s feminist values and anti-oppression approach.

• Excellent communication and self-management skills.

• Understanding of issues affecting disadvantaged and marginalised groups, especially violence against women and girls.

*Women-only: We deal directly with victims of sexual violence, therefore it is a genuine requirement that this is role is carried out by women only - Genuine Occupational Requirement (GOR), Schedule 9 (Work; Exceptions), Part 1 (Occupational Requirements), of the Equality Act (2010) applies

The Woodland Trust is looking for a Principal Property Solicitor to lead the Trust property legal matters taking responsibility for a variety of cases.

The Role:
•    Manage the Trusts property legal cases including estate acquisitions, commercial leasehold, agricultural property matters and estate management matters across the UK.
•    Lead the Trusts team of property layers providing support and training where required.
•    Provide pragmatic, considered and informed legal advice.
•    Research areas of law to provide considered solutions in new contexts.
•    Monitor and manage engagement with external solicitors and oversee VFM delivery.
•    Understand and advise on legal risk to enable effective decision making within the organisation.
•    Create bespoke documentation to produce appropriate agreements.
•    This is a hybrid position with a mix of home working, and from our head office in Grantham, Lincolnshire. Head office attendance would be required no more than once every two months on average. Occasional travel to sites may also be required.

The Candidate:
•    Must be a qualified solicitor or barrister in England with significant post-qualification experience within commercial or agricultural property law and must have a current practicing certificate.
•    Strong negotiation skills with the ability to persuade and reason effectively. 
•    Experience leading on complex property cases.
•    Knowledge about commercial property law including leases, overage, pre-emption agreements, options and large scale freehold acquisitions.
•    Strong collaboration skills with the ability to build strong stakeholder relationships with a wide range of stakeholders.
•    Knowledge on agricultural law with the ability to apply in practice.
•    Experience advising stakeholders on complex property legal issues.

Benefits and Wellbeing:
Joining our team means you’ll be a big part of tackling environmental and climate issues. We take good care of our staff, offering support and training opportunities. We also offer:
•    Enhanced Employer Pension
•    Life Assurance
•    Flexible & Hybrid Working Options
•    Generous Annual Leave - 25 Days Plus Bank Holidays (pro rata’d for part-time)
•    Buy and Sell Holiday Scheme
•    Enhanced Parental Pay
•    Employee Assistance Programme

About Us:
The Woodland Trust is the UK’s largest woodland conservation charity.  We want to see a world where trees and woods thrive for people and nature. The Trust engages and inspires people to make their difference tackling the nature and climate crisis helping protect, restore and create our vital woods and trees.

Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion:
To achieve our vision of a world where woods and trees thrive for people and nature, we need to better reflect society and the communities we work in. All people, no matter their background, identity, ability, or circumstance, should benefit from trees.  
People of colour and disabled people are currently under-represented across the environment and conservation sector. If you identify as a person of colour and/or disabled, we particularly encourage you to apply. 
Please contact us to discuss any additional support or adjustments you may need to complete your application.

Application Advice:
For fairness we keep our candidates’ personal details hidden from the hiring managers, and CVs are redacted until after shortlisting is complete. Make sure that you answer the Application Questions to show your relevant skills and passion for the role. 

Acceptable Use - Artificial Intelligence (AI):
We understand that candidates may choose to use AI tools to support their job applications-for example, to help structure or edit written responses. We welcome the use of AI in this way, particularly where it helps improve accessibility, such as for neurodivergent applicants. However, we ask that any information submitted reflects your own experience, skills and understanding. During interviews, candidates are expected to respond independently without the use of AI tools. 

Apply Now:
If you're ready to make a difference and grow with us, send in your application today. We might close the job opening early if we get a lot of applications, so it's a good idea to apply soon. If we do close the advert early, and you have an application in process, we will email you prior to closing to give you time to complete.

Interviews will be held via Microsoft Teams on the 29th and 30th June 2026.

1 post available

Location: Rochdale - linked to Manchester Hub

This can be a hybrid role based on service demands

Salary: Solicitor - Grade 5 - £38,724 or Grade 6 - £44,323 depending on experience or Paralegal Grade 3 - £32,585 per annum

Hours: Full time - 35 per week

Contract: Permanent 

Closing date: Sunday 31st May 2026 at 11.30 pm

Join Shelter as a Housing Solicitor or Paralegal, in our mission to drive systemic change and fight for Justice.

If you are a dedicated legal professional with a strong commitment to addressing the housing crisis, we welcome you to apply for this role.

At a time when the housing emergency continues to deepen, your experience could help transform lives and challenge the systems that perpetuate injustice. Come and play a central role in our mission to defend the right to a safe, and secure home.

Working with Shelter means being part of a passionate team that believes a safe home is a fundamental right. Here, your legal skills don’t just change lives - they shape a fairer housing system.

About the roles

Based with our partnering organisations, you will ensure you deliver high quality legal services through casework, the Housing Loss Prevention Advice Scheme and ensuring Legal Aid contract requirements and performance targets are met.

Solicitor

You will challenge unfair housing practices and systemic causes of homelessness through strategic casework and litigation. Working closely with our Greater Manchester team and the Managing Solicitor to strengthen housing rights awareness across the region, you will support Legal Advisers, ensuring high professional standards and compliance.

Paralegal

You will help our solicitors to maintain an active caseload, enabling our clients to enforce their housing rights. Your role will be varied and will include taking instructions and witness statements, drafting letters, making applications, providing court representation and making sure time recording and income targets are met. Please note this role is being advertised as a Paralegal but on appointment the job title will be Legal Adviser.

About You

For the Solicitor role, we are open to newly qualified candidates with a demonstrable interest in social justice, as well as those who have 3+ years PQE and a strong track record in housing law and Legal Aid work. You will have experience or a demonstrable interest in legal practice in the private or not for profit sector with experience of working on a wide range of housing cases, knowledge of legal aid, housing, homelessness and welfare law. You have the ability to research, write reports, time record and meet financial targets, as well as meeting or be willing to develop to meet the Housing Supervisor Requirements (September 2023).

For the Paralegal role you will need a good understanding of litigation work, be able to carry out legal research and provide a good standard of professional service and client care. You will have excellent communication skills, both in writing/drafting and face-to-face along with proficiency using case management systems and time recording, as well as the ability to manage your time and workload. If you have housing law experience and knowledge of Legal Aid/ CCMS this would be an advantage. You enjoy collaborating as part of a team, respond quickly and positively to change and are not afraid to challenge the status quo and introduce new ideas when appropriate.

Benefits

We offer a wide range of benefits, including 30 days of annual leave, enhanced family friendly policies, pension and interest free travel loans. Our employees also have access to a tenancy deposit loan, payroll giving, cycle to work scheme and an employee assistance programme.

About The Team

Our legal Teams (Managing Solicitors, Solicitors, Legal Advisors and Trainees) are based throughout our England hubs. We are currently based in London, Plymouth, Bristol, Norwich, Birmingham, Manchester, Merseyside, Lancashire, Sheffield and Newcastle.

We are enthusiastic, driven and champions for fighting housing injustice. Whilst generating an income, we also address the housing crisis.

You will be part of an existing multi-disciplinary team that offers housing and homelessness advice and support across Greater Manchester. It consists of a solicitor led legal team providing advice and representation, and an advice service providing advice, support and guided self-help to people with housing, debt or welfare benefit issues. There is also a committed and skilled team of volunteers that offer peer support, mentoring and more general volunteering, adding significant value to our core service offer.

About Shelter

Home is a human right. It’s our foundation and where we thrive. Yet everyday millions of people are being devastated by the housing emergency.

We exist to defend the right to a safe home. Because home is everything.

We need ambitious, passionate people to join us. This is your chance to play a part in the fundamental change we are striving to achieve.

Our enemy is the social injustice at the core of the escalating housing emergency. To win this fight, we must be representative of the people we are here to help and those who support our movement. In all our people decisions, we take pride in being inclusive, equitable and transparent. We are committed to combating racism both within and outside Shelter. We welcome you on our journey to becoming truly anti-racist.

How to Apply

Please submit your CV with a supporting statement with responses to the 'About You' points 1-7 outlined in the job description of no more than 1000 words. Please provide specific examples following the STAR format and ensure you demonstrate how you address the behaviour below throughout your responses:

• We prioritise diversity and have an inclusive and open mindset

Safeguarding Statement

Safeguarding is everyone's business. Shelter is committed to protecting the health, wellbeing and human rights of those we support, and enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect. All our staff will be expected to observe professional standards of behaviour and conduct their work in line with our Safeguarding Policies.

Recruitment Agencies

Shelter does not accept unsolicited CVs from external recruitment agencies nor accept the fees associated with them.

Join Disability Law Service and help empower Deaf and Disabled people to access justice. Support our vital work by deleivering specialist housing legal advice and training.

About Disability Law Service 

Disability Law Service (DLS) is a Deaf and Disabled Peoples Organisation providing free legal advice and representation to Deaf and Disabled people across England and Wales. We work to promote equality, inclusion, and access to justice through high-quality legal advice, welfare benefits support, and systems change work. Our work is grounded in the social model of disability and is focused on tackling discrimination and structural barriers faced by Deaf and Disabled people. 

Purpose of the role 

To provide specialist housing law advice, casework, representation, and training to Deaf and Disabled people and organisations, supporting access to justice and systemic change. 

Overview 

You will deliver housing law advice via our dedicated housing helpline, undertake casework and representation where appropriate, and deliver training to external organisations. You will also contribute to policy work and wider systems change activity. 

Key responsibilities 

• Provide housing law advice and casework, including representation 

• Deliver advice via our Housing helpline and partnership sessions 

• Undertake Legal Aid casework and ensure compliance with regulatory standards 

• Deliver housing law training to external organisations 

• Maintain accurate case management and billing records 

• Contribute to policy and systems change work 

• Support service development and internal collaboration 

What we offer 

• Opportunities to develop experience across multiple areas of law and contribute to a diverse range of projects 

• A supportive and inclusive working environment within a committed and experienced team

• A varied role where your work directly supports access to justice for Deaf and Disabled people

Equality, diversity and inclusion 

We welcome applications from everyone and are particularly keen to support Deaf and Disabled people to join and develop within our organisation. We are a flexible employer committed to creating an inclusive environment in which everyone can thrive. 

To apply

To apply, please upload your CV and a supporting cover letter (up to 2 pages) outlining your suitability for the role via CharityJob. Please make sure you have read the job description and person specification fully before applying for the role. 

Overview

Not Beyond Redemption is looking for a dedicated and organised Solicitor to provide guidance and supervision to Pro Bono Solicitors and volunteers from our partner firms who assist with casework in private children law matters. The charity is seeking a Solicitor (minimum of 1 year PQE, preferably in family law) to work on a remote basis. The candidate must, however, be willing to travel to attend the in-person legal clinics in the Northeast. 

Not Beyond Redemption is a charity founded by Camilla Baldwin that provides free family legal advice and representation to women in prison. The charity's focus is to re-establish critical access and relationships between mothers and their children. The scope of the work is varied and ranges from helping women with a myriad of legal matters, including understanding their rights, negotiating with carers and representing them in courts across the country. The charity currently holds legal clinics in all 12 women’s prisons across England. 

The Role

Location: Primarily remote working. Occasional travel to HMP Low Newton  in Durham (every 2/3 months) to lead the legal clinics -with additional travel to other women's prisons as required.

Purpose of the position:To supervise a caseload of private law family cases and to assist with the Northern legal prison clinics.

Description: We are seeking a compassionate and resilient Family Lawyer to join our core team. After initial supervision you will lead prison legal clinics in the North and run a caseload of private law children matters,  staffed by a network of pro bono volunteers from partner law firms. You will work closely with the Supervising Lawyer in the North to ensure we continue to provide high quality legal advice/representation to women in the Northern prisons and maintain our pro bono partnerships in the region. You will also run a small case load without volunteer solicitors. 

Key Accountabilities: 

• Lead legal prison clinics remotely and in-person.
• Provide sensitive, non-judgemental legal advice to women facing complex barriers. 
• Supervise/manage a caseload of private Children Act 1989 proceedings, from initial instructions through to court representation. This involves overseeing and approving the work undertake by the pro bono lawyers. 
• Support the pro bono lawyers to ensure that they provide high-level legal assistance to our clients. 
• Run a small caseload independently 
• Represent Not Beyond Redemption at charity events or regional networking sessions, as required.

Person Specification: 

• Qualified solicitor (minimum of 1 Year PQE – preferably in family law) 
• Highly organised. 
• Exceptional drafting skills and the ability to explain complex legal rights to clients in a clear, accessible manner 
• Must have good attention to detail. 
• Ability to work effectively from a remote home-based environment while maintaining high professional standards and strong links to the wider NBR team. 
• A positive outlook with an ability to inspire confidence, provide vision and motivate people. 
• Sensitive manner and interest in helping vulnerable people. 

Closing date: 5th June 2026