19581 - Law Commission Law Reform Assistant Lawyer - Commercial and Common Law Team - 19581 - Ministry of Justice

Descriptions & requirements

Job description

Law Commission SEO Law Reform Assistant Lawyer – Commercial and Common Law Team

The Law Commission of England and Wales is recruiting Law Reform Assistant Lawyers to join the Commercial and Common law team. This is an opportunity to make a real difference to the law in England and Wales, working on challenging and high-profile law reform.

This role will primarily involve work on our upcoming project on consumer class actions. There may also be an opportunity to be involved in other ongoing and future work, including on product liability, objects in museum collections, private international law in the context of digital assets, trust law arbitration and deeds.

Working as part of a small team with Professor Solène Rowan, the Law Commissioner responsible for commercial and common law, and engaging with a wide variety of stakeholders, the successful candidate will help to ensure the law is fit for the modern world.

This campaign is open to all candidates who meet the eligibility criteria outlined in the Civil Service Jobs advert.

About the Law Commission

The Law Commission offers an unrivalled opportunity to work on some of the most complex legal and policy questions facing our society. It offers stretching, high quality work, the chance to make a positive difference to our society, access to fulfilling learning and development, and a positive work-life balance.

The Commission has, for 60 years, had a unique role – independent, but at the heart of Government. Its aims are:

To ensure that the law is as fair, modern, simple and as cost-effective as possible.
To conduct research and consultations in order to make recommendations for reform.
To codify the law, eliminate anomalies, repeal obsolete and unnecessary enactments and reduce the number of separate statutes.

The Law Commission is an independent non-departmental body sponsored by the Ministry of Justice. It has a judicial Chair, four Commissioners, and around 80 members of staff. Its work is organised into four areas: Commercial and Common Law; Criminal Law; Property, Family and Trust Law; and Public Law and the Law in Wales.

Further information about the Law Commission and its work can be found at www.lawcom.gov.uk/.

About our assistant lawyers

We recruit brilliant, creative legal minds from a wide range of backgrounds to join our teams. But our law reform staff do not just apply the law. They engage in policy making, stakeholder engagement and legal research. They work as part of a team, examining legal and policy issues from every angle, engage closely with a huge range of stakeholders from all walks of life, draft clear and compelling consultation papers and reports, and work with Government officials to take our work forward in Parliament. While those in private practice apply the law to individual cases, law reformers at the Law Commission have freedom to consider what the law should be, for everyone.

About the Commercial and Common Law team

The Commercial and Common Law team undertakes projects that cover a wide range of issues that have a significant impact on individuals, businesses and wider society. In recent years, Parliament has passed laws based on our recommendations relating to crypto-assets and other digital assets, arbitration, electronic trade documents, and consumer savings clubs.

Our work on consumer class actions will start later this year, and will run alongside our existing projects on product liability and private international law. Once our projects on Co-operatives and Friendly Societies are completed in 2026/26, we expect to undertake work on projects considering museum collections, trust law arbitration, and reform of the law of deeds.

The role

A typical Law Commission project team consists of one or more law reform lawyers, assisted by assistant lawyers and law reform assistants.

The postholder will work alongside the Commissioner, Team Manager, lawyers and law reform assistants, primarily on one law reform project. The successful candidate will be expected to work on the following three main areas with some independence, decision-making responsibility, and a level of leadership:

legal analysis and drafting;
stakeholder engagement; and
project management.

The role requires strong communication skills and good use of professional judgement to ensure all work aligns with the overall project plan and strategy as set by the Commissioner and the lawyer(s) leading the project.

The role might suit, for example, newly qualified lawyers, experienced paralegals or legal researchers, those with experience in a legal policy role, or early career academics.

Main duties

The main duties of the role will be to work in a team to support the delivery of a project to the agreed timetable. This may include:

Assisting with – and leading where appropriate – project management to support efficient delivery of a project within the planned timescales.
Engaging constructively – and in a lead role where appropriate – with stakeholders (both outside and inside the Government).
Directing and reviewing research and other work conducted by law reform assistants.
Line management of one or more law reform assistants.
Analysing problems with the law, identifying and developing options for reform, and testing potential solutions as part of the team.
Conducting detailed legal and policy research and analysis in complex and novel areas of law, sometimes with limited oversight, working both independently and with the Commissioner and other team members as required.
Drafting consultation papers, reports and other documents for publication, sometimes with limited oversight, working both independently and with the Commissioner and other team members as required.
Analysing consultation responses with limited oversight, and supporting law reform assistants to analyse consultation responses.
Undertaking general administrative work (eg responding to email queries, and filing documents) with limited oversight, and supporting law reform assistants in their general administrative work.
Role modelling positive and inclusive behaviours and the Law Commission’s values.
Supporting the corporate culture of the Law Commission, for example in areas including learning and development, wellbeing, diversity and inclusion, and ways of working.

Essential and desirable skills and experience

Essential

You must meet both the following academic and professional qualification requirements:
1.1 Academic: You must hold:
1.1.1 a minimum of a 2.1 undergraduate degree in law; or
1.1.2 a 2:1 undergraduate degree in any subject including (or in addition to) at least two years’ undergraduate or postgraduate full-time study in law. If the two years’ study are made up of a law conversion and professional legal practice course, such as the SQE, GDL, LPC or BPTC, then you will need to demonstrate substantial additional skills or knowledge that are relevant to the work that you will be undertaking at the Law Commission. You may also have an overseas degree qualification equivalent to a 2.1 degree, to replace that element of the academic specification.

1.2 Professional: By the time the role starts you must have at least one year’s experience of legal work, or policy work with a substantial legal element, whether gained within the Civil Service, private or in-house legal practice, academia or in the third sector.
You must have demonstrable skills in interpreting and analysing law and legal policy, and in communicating complex legal analysis.
You must have demonstrable understanding of the work of the Commercial and Common law team at the Law Commission, and relevant motivation to work as part of it. We are looking for people who have an interest in law reform and working at the Law Commission.

Desirable

It would be useful to have:
1.1 demonstrable experience, career history and achievements, and skills that are relevant to the main duties of the role listed above
1.2 prior experience and knowledge relevant to class actions or consumer law and/or litigation more generally.

Salary

This role is graded at SEO (Senior Executive Officer). New staff will normally be appointed at the starting point of the scale; higher starting salaries will be considered only in exceptional circumstances.

If you are already a civil servant and are successful in an external recruitment competition for a role with us, your starting pay will be the better of:

promotion terms or transfer terms, as appropriate; or
pay on appointment arrangements (minimum of pay range)

Duration

The post(s) is fixed term for 24 months. Subject to business needs, there is a possibility that the fixed term could be extended, or that in due course the post could be converted to a permanent position. Successful applicants may join on loan from another Government Department, or on secondment.

Location

This is a national role, and successful candidates can work from their nearest regional hub (their “base location”). In order for the Law Commission to meet its evolving business needs, all full-time Law Commission staff are expected to attend their base location at least 2 days a week. This hybrid working arrangement is not contractual and as a result staff could be asked to attend their base location more frequently. Informal hybrid working arrangements may be available as agreed with the line manager and in line with the requirements of the role. Arrangements may be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate(s) and will be subject to regular review.

However, candidates are also expected to attend the London office regularly (e.g. once each month) in line with business and team needs. Many of our in-person meetings take place in London, for example at Parliament, with officials and Ministers across Whitehall, and with legal stakeholders in and around the City of London and the Royal Courts of Justice.

Please be aware that this role can only be worked from within the UK and not overseas.

We are committed to treating people openly and with respect. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce and pride ourselves as being an employer of choice. To find out more about how we champion diversity and inclusion in the workplace, visit: Diversity and inclusion – Law Commission

Ways Of Working

At the Law Commission we believe in and promote alternative ways of working in order to recruit and retain the best talent, so this role is available as full-time, part-time or job-share (where the application is made by a job-share partnership). We also offer flexible working patterns including a flexi time scheme and the opportunity to work compressed hours, subject to business needs.

The way our projects are resourced means we plan in terms of full-time equivalents, but we welcome applications from job-share partnerships, who may work more than 1 full-time equivalent jointly. We also welcome applications from those wishing to work part-time, but if you wish to work fewer than four days / week then we would regard that as a job share and need to be satisfied that a second job share applicant was available. It would be helpful to know in advance if you wish to work in a job share arrangement. Contact details are set out below if you would like to discuss with us in advance of applying.

Application and assessment process

You will be assessed against the Civil service success profiles framework on Behaviours, Experience, Abilities and Technical Skills. Please refer to the Civil Service Behaviours framework for more details at this grade: Success Profiles - GOV.UK

Application

At the application stage, you will be asked to provide a CV and Statement of Suitability (750 words) which will be used to assess your experience. The statement of suitability should cover how you meet the essential academic and professional qualification requirements and essential and desirable experience set out above.

You will also be asked to demonstrate your motivational fit for the role.

For your CV, include only a brief overview of your career to date setting out each employer, the dates of employment, and a short factual description of your role and key responsibilities. Please keep your CV brief and factual; you will have the opportunity to explain how your employment history applies to the experience required by the role in your Statement of Suitability.

Interview

Those successful at the application stage will be invited to interview. Before the interview you will be asked to complete a written test. You may also be asked to prepare a short presentation to be delivered during the interview. These will be used to assess your legal skills and your ability to work with complex information.

The behaviours (working together; and communicating and influencing), technical skills (legal skills and motivational fit) and ability (ability to work with complex information) will all be tested at interview.

Please note that interviews will be carried out in person. We will consider requests for an online interview if your circumstances require.

Interviews are expected to take place in the {August 2026}.

Please refer to Annex A for a description of the STAR method which can help you to structure your answers at interview.

If your application is successful, you will receive a formal letter offering you an appointment that will explain your terms and conditions of service in detail. Your appointment will include a period of probation.

If appointed, you will become a civil servant and will be subject to the Civil Service Code and there will be restrictions on your ability to undertake private practice.

Suitable candidates who are not successful will be held on a reserve list for future posts; such posts may be available in the next 12 months and offered to suitable candidates on the reserve list.

Further information can be found at: Current vacancies - Law Commission

Membership of the Government Legal Profession

The Government Legal Profession (GLP) networks together Government lawyers and trainees, who between them provide legal services across the whole spectrum of Government activities. Some are members of the Government Legal Department. Others (like Law Commission lawyers) are part of the wider GLP network.

A solicitor or barrister qualified to practice in England and Wales will, on joining the Law Commission, have access to the networking benefits and opportunities of the wider GLP. This will also apply to overseas qualified lawyers who fulfil the nationality requirements and are eligible to practice in England and Wales under the Qualified Lawyers Transfer Scheme (QLTS). Information about the QLTS can be obtained from the SRA (www.sra.org.uk).

Contact information

If you have any questions about the role or have any reasonable adjustments, please email: recruitment@lawcommission.gov.uk. Please quote the Job Role in the subject line.

If you require any assistance, please call 0345 241 5359 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or email: Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com

Annex A - The STAR method

Using the STAR method can help you give examples of relevant experience that you have. It allows you to set the scene, show what you did, and how you did it, and explain the overall outcome.

Situation - Describe the situation you found yourself in. You must describe a specific event or situation. Be sure to give enough detail for the job holder to understand.

Where are you?
Who was there with you?
What had happened?

Task - The job holder will want to understand what you tried to achieve from the situation you found yourself in.

What was the task that you had to complete and why?
What did you have to achieve?

Actions - What did you do? The job holder will be looking for information on what you did, how you did it and why. Keep the focus on you. What specific steps did you take and what was your contribution? Remember to include how you did it, and the behaviours you used. Try to use “I” rather than “we” to explain your actions that lead to the result. Be careful not to take credit for something that you did not do.

Results - Don’t be shy about taking credit for your behaviour. Quote specific facts and figures. Explain how the outcome benefitted the organisation or your area. Make the outcomes easily understandable.

What results did the actions produce?
What did you achieve through your actions and did you meet your goals?
Was it a successful outcome? If not, what did you learn from the experience?

Keep the situation and task parts brief. Concentrate on the action and the result. If the result was not entirely successful describe what you learned from this and what you would do differently next time. Make sure you focus on your strengths.

Additional Information

Working Arrangements & Further Information

The MoJ offers Hybrid Working arrangements where business need allows. This is an informal, non-contractual form of flexible working that blends working from your base location, different MoJ sites and / or from home (please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas). All employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estate capacity.

Some roles will not be suitable for Hybrid Working. Similarly, Hybrid Working will not suit everyone’s circumstances. Arrangements will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate(s) and subject to regular review.

For nationally advertised role: all successful candidates will be appointed to the nearest viable office nearest to their home postcode and on its respective pay scale. This will be at either a HQ building (subject to desk allocation, a Justice Collaboration Centre (JCC) or a Justice Satellite Office (JSO) – See Map. All employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estate capacity).

For current MoJ employees, your base location will need to be changed to the nearest viable office (to your home postcode), either at a HQ building, JCC or JSO within the National Office Network and moved its location’s respective pay scale (any legacy arrangements/locations will need to be amended).

Some of MoJ’s terms and conditions of service are changing as part of Civil Service reform. The changes will apply to staff joining MoJ who are new to the Civil Service. Staff joining MoJ from other civil service employers will transfer onto the new MoJ terms if they are already on 'modernised' terms in their current post or onto 'unmodernised' MoJ terms if they are on 'unmodernised' terms at their current post. Details will be available if an offer is made.

MoJ candidates who are on a specialist grade, will be able to retain their grade on lateral transfer.

All candidates who are currently in receipt of Mark Time / Pay Protection should ensure they are familiar with the new policy on permanent and temporary promotion which can be found on the employee intranet.

Flexible working hours

The Ministry of Justice offers a flexible working system in many offices. Standard full time working hours are 37 hours per week. MoJ welcomes part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns, where they meet the demands of the role and business needs. All applications for part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns will be considered in accordance with the MoJ’s Flexible Working policy.

Benefits

The MoJ offers a range of benefits:

Annual Leave

Annual leave is 25 days on appointment and will increase to 30 days after five years’ service.

There is also a scheme to allow qualifying staff to buy or sell up to three days leave each year. Additional paid time off for public holidays and 1 privilege day. Leave for part-time and job share posts will be calculated on a pro-rata basis.

Pension

The Civil Service offers a choice of pension schemes, giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best.

Training

The Ministry of Justice is committed to staff development and offers an extensive range of training and development opportunities.

Networks

The opportunity to join employee-run networks that have been established to provide advice and support and to enable the views of employees from minority groups to be expressed direct to senior management. There are currently networks for employees of minority ethnic origin, employees with disabilities, employees with caring responsibilities, women employees, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees.

Support

A range of ‘Family Friendly’ policies such as opportunities to work reduced hours or job share.
Access to flexible benefits such as voluntary benefits, retail vouchers and discounts on a range of goods and services.
For moves to or from another employer or moves across the Civil Service this can have implications on your eligibility to carry on claiming childcare vouchers. You may however be eligible for alternative government childcare support schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. More information can be found on www.GOV.UK or Childcare Choices. You can determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.
Paid paternity, adoption and maternity leave.
Free annual sight tests for employees who use computer screens.

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles. Should you feel that the recruitment process has breached the recruitment principles you are able to raise a formal complaint in the following order

To Transformative Business Services (0345 241 5359 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@resourcing.soprasteria.co.uk);
To Ministry of Justice Resourcing team (resourcing-management-office@justice.gov.uk);
To the Civil Service Commission (details available here)

As a Disability Confident employer, MoJ are committed to providing everyone with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills, talent and abilities, by making adjustments throughout all elements of the recruitment process and in the workplace. MoJ are able to offer an interview to disabled candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns.

For more information on applying for a role as a candidate with a disability or long-term condition, please watch our animated videos.

You will be able to request reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process within the application form. If you need additional help completing the application form, please contact the TBS Recruitment Enquiries Team.

Diversity & Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.

A Great Place to Work for Veterans

The "Making the Civil Service a Great Place to work for veterans" initiative includes a guaranteed interview scheme to those who meet the minimum criteria to provide eligible former members of the Armed Forces with opportunities to secure rewarding jobs. Allowing veterans to continue to serve their country, and to bring highly skilled individuals with a broad range of experience into the Civil Service in an environment, which recognises and values your previous service in the Armed Forces.
For further details about the initiative and eligibility requirements visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/making-the-civil-service-a-great-place-to-work-for-veterans

Redeployment Interview Scheme

Civil Service departments are expected to explore redeployment opportunities before making an individual redundant. The MoJ is committed, as part of the Redeployment Interview Scheme, to providing opportunities to those who are 'at risk of redundancy'.

MoJ is able to offer an interview to eligible candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns. Candidates will not be eligible for the Redeployment Interview Scheme if they are applying on promotion.

Civil Service Nationality Rules

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

UK nationals
nationals of the Republic of Ireland
nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window) https://www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families
nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules

Reserve list

A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made for the same or similar roles.

Contact Information

MoJ:

If you require any assistance please call 0345 241 5359 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@resourcing.soprasteria.co.uk

Please quote the job reference: 19581

HMPPS

If you require any assistance please call 0345 241 5358 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@resourcing.soprasteria.co.uk

Please quote the job reference: 19581

Ministry of Justice