Job Vacancy

Midlothian

Working within Legal Services, you will assist in the provision, delivery and management of the Council’s in-house court service. The successful candidate will have good experience of the full range of civil court work carried out on behalf of a local authority. The postholder will be expected to manage their own caseload, to supervise and assist junior members of staff and to provide advice and guidance to other Council staff. The workload will involve all tasks from pre-litigation advice, drafting court documents, to court and tribunal appearances covering aspects of the Council’s core businesses and, in particular: adult social care; children and family social work; heritable actions; and, education advice. The majority of the court service is focused on in-house advice and representation, with staff also providing input to policy and procedure reviews, governance matters and acting as legal advisers to Council committees and subcommittees.

KNOWLEDGE

It is essential that the postholder possesses a Law degree, post graduate Diploma and a practicing certificate from the Law Society – this is the only qualification route for this post.

Organisational knowledge, interpersonal skills, an understanding of public sector legal issues and a proven track record to offer junior staff advice and guidance.

The jobholder should be aware of the initiatives which affect council services in order to be aware of the pressures and influencing factors on the client before giving legal advice.

CLOSING DATE - Monday 21st September 2026

INTERVIEW DATE - week beginning 5th October 2026

Job Advert

Position Title: Solicitor - Court

Directorate: Place

Location: Hybrid/Fairfield House

Contract Status: Fixed Term until 31/7/27

Hours of Work: 36

Working Pattern: Flexible

Weeks per year: 52

Please note that it is Midlothian Council’s policy that successful applicants will be appointed to the first point on the salary scale.

Based on 36 hours over 52 weeks per year, the minimum actual salary for this position is £56,391.97 per annum.

Requirements

Compliance with the mandatory Cabinet Office PSN (Public Sector Network) Code of Connection requires the Council to meet a basic personal security standard. This requires completion of a disclosure check for all employees who can access official information. This post requires a standard disclosure check (Level 2) due to the nature of the role. The fee for this Disclosure check will be met by you.

Please note that Disclosure Scotland has changed the way certificates are issued. You will be notified by email from Disclosure Scotland that your certificate is available to view. Once you have viewed your certificate you will be allowed to share this with your employer and it is only available for 14 days from the first day you have viewed the certificate. If you do not grant access to Midlothian Council to view before access is removed, a further application will need to be generated, and this will incur an additional cost.

Please note: If you have spent more than 3 months working or living outwith the UK in the last 5 years then you will also be required to present a copy of an overseas criminal record check. Details of how to apply and contact details can be found on the GOV.UK website.

Additional Information

If you have difficulty applying for this post or accessing attached documents, or if you have a disability and reasonable adjustment is required, please email recruitment@midlothian.gov.uk to discuss with member of the Recruitment Team stating the post reference number.

Midlothian Council is currently undergoing a period of transformation, changing and improving the way it delivers services in Midlothian. As a consequence, there are a number of existing employees for whom we are committed to seeking suitable alternative employment within the Council in accordance with our legal obligations. Candidates are advised that, for some vacancies, internal candidates in this situation will be interviewed before the wider selection pool and a slightly longer delay may be experienced before application outcomes can be advised to you. Thank you for your patience in this matter.

If you are a trainee of a Midlothian Council Training Programme, have a disability or you are a care experienced young person who has previously been a looked after child, you are eligible for a guaranteed interview if you meet the essential criteria for the post.

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