JOB DESCRIPTION: SUPERVISING IMMIGRATION SOLICITOR

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1 LGAL PRACTIC UNIT JOB SCRIPTION: SUPRVISING IMMIGRATION SOLICITOR epartment Reporting to irect reports Location Start date Term Salary / AL Hours of work Job purpose and role Legal Practice Unit (LPU) irector of Legal Practice N/A Coram Community Campus, London As soon as possible 12 months from the date of commencement Salary: 32-35,000 pa Annual leave: 28 (with 3 to be taken during Christmas office closure) 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. with evening work until 8 p.m. required approximately once a week (Wednesdays) and early morning work to deliver training, including some lunchtime working Coram Children s Legal Centre (CCLC), the UK s leading children s legal organisation and part of the Coram group of children s charities, is looking for an experienced immigration solicitor to lead its Children s Pro Bono Legal Services (CPBLS) project which is situated within CCLC s LPU. This is an exciting opportunity for a solicitor with expertise in immigration and nationality law to take the project forward. This project, set up with funding from Unbound Philanthropy and in partnership with leading corporate law firms, Allen & Overy and LA Piper, provides free legal advice and representation to children, young people and families with out-of-scope immigration and nationality cases. Where cuts to legal aid have left a huge gap in the provision of legal services, the project assists children, young people and families in need of legal representation with certain types of case outside of the legal aid regime where they would otherwise be unable to realise their legal rights. The successful candidate will be able to steer the direction of this relatively new, innovative project and make the role their own. They will provide supervision to a team of pro bono lawyers working in the partner firms and will manage the overall caseload of the project from CCLC, providing training and ongoing expert legal support to the pro bono lawyers. Candidates should be committed to children s rights, should be confident in managing a project and supervising a team of lawyers, and should be able to independently oversee the delivery of high-quality work on a large caseload. It is expected that the successful candidate will have an interest in the future of the immigration legal services landscape and be enthusiastic about new models for delivering legal services involving pro bono lawyers. The role would be suitable for

2 an experienced immigration practitioner looking for a new challenge. The project will create opportunities for strategic litigation and will feed into CCLC s policy advocacy to effect positive change and promote the rights of children and young people subject to or affected by immigration control. The project ties in with the Supported Options Initiative, a programme of the Paul Hamlyn Foundation and Unbound Philanthropy, which supports innovation in helping children and young people with irregular immigration status to live full lives. Main duties and Responsibilities Legal casework, supervision and training Processing all referrals into the project and undertaking an initial legal analysis of the work needed in each case. Working closely with partner law firms including: o Providing training for all pro bono lawyers recruited to the project. o Passing referrals on to the pro bono teams in partner firms. o Attending client s with and providing ongoing supervisory support for pro bono lawyers, including via telephone and . o Regular feedback to pro bono coordinators and visits to partner firms to meet with pro bono coordinators and volunteers. eveloping a strategy for completing applications for exceptional case funding from the Legal Aid Agency for out-of-scope immigration cases. Seeking out opportunities for strategic litigation on issues of children and young people s rights. Onward referral to other solicitors and services as appropriate. Working closely with and supporting the immigration team in CCLC s LPU. nsuring that own legal expertise is as up to date as possible in the relevant fields of law, including immigration, asylum and nationality law, as well as child law and child-related community care law and education law and relevant areas such as access to health care. Maintaining standards of professional service in line with the CCLC s standards and procedures documents and complying with all CCLC policies. Complying with accreditation and professional standards. Project management Co-ordinating and overseeing the delivery of all project work. Monitoring the working methods of the project and trouble-shooting problems. Steering the direction of the project and its potential expansion.

3 Initiating, developing and maintaining positive relationships with partner firms, referral organisations and funders/potential funders. Revising as necessary a volunteer manual, procedures, policies, a referral form, letters of authority, a pro form attendance note, template letters etc. Revising and maintaining record-keeping systems and ensuring compliance with data protection procedures/policies. Outreach and raising awareness of the project and building referral streams, including organising publicity events and workshops to promote the project. Coordinating with a project advisory board on the progress and development of the project. nsuring all targets are met and reporting to funders on project outcomes. Raising awareness of the delivery model at relevant external events and among the legal services community. Seeking out opportunities to develop the project and contributing towards funding applications. Managing the project budget, including allocating, tracking and managing disbursements on files. Other Ongoing monitoring and evaluation of the project, including outcomes and impact for clients, and reporting to the Steering Committee. Proactively contributing to CCLC s policy and research work through observations made and cases seem through the project and its working methods. Contributing positively to the day-to-day work of CCLC. As appropriate, collaborating and sharing knowledge with other practitioners seeking to develop similar pro bono models in the UK. This job description is not exhaustive and as such the post holder will be expected to be flexible. However, changes will only be made following discussions with the post holder.

4 LGAL PRACTIC UNIT PRSON SPCIFICATION: SUPRVISING IMMIGRATION SOLICITOR Requirements: The post-holder must be able to demonstrate: Support for CCLC s aims and a commitment to promoting children and young people s rights, and understanding of working within a human rights and child rights framework. An excellent educational background, which should normally include at least an upper second class honours degree or equivalent. ssential () or esirable () Requirements Measured by: a) Application form b) Test c) Interview test, Application form A valid SRA practising certificate. Application form Level 2 accreditation with the Immigration and Asylum Accreditation Scheme. Supervisor accreditation with the Immigration and Asylum Accreditation Scheme. Up-to-date expertise and experience in immigration, asylum and nationality law. xperience representing destitute migrant families to make immigration and nationality applications. Application form test, xperience in public law. xperience of providing advice on support, accommodation and community care and/or education issues and an understanding of how immigration law intersects with other areas of law. Knowledge and understanding of the issues affecting migrant children, young people and families. A sensitive approach to working with children, young people and families, including those without regular immigration status. test, test, A commitment to high quality legal casework and client care. test,

5 xperience managing the legal casework of others, including dealing with urgent work. Ability to manage and deliver a project. Supervisory experience and an ability to command authority. Ability to liaise and work effectively in partnership with a wide range of stakeholders, including private law firms. Highly developed interpersonal skills. test, Ability to work flexibly including at least one evening per week and sometimes outside office hours, with some travel to partner firms. Interview Understanding of the pro bono sector. Interview