Law Reform Social Researcher (Loan)

Introduction

The Law Commission is looking to appoint an SEO grade social research role on loan in our Corporate Services Team. Applications are invited from members of the Government Social Research (GSR) profession across the Civil Service. This opportunity is offered as a loan for a 6-month period, with the possibility of extension for up to 12-months. Candidates should discuss the opportunity with their line manager before applying.

The role is Civil Service grade SEO which is equivalent to SRO in the GSR profession. Please note that this is not a GSR badged position, but the requirements and recruitment process have been designed to align with the Government Social Research Technical Framework.

Deadline: 12th August

This is an opportunity to make a real difference to the law in England and Wales by working on challenging and high-profile law reform projects, starting with an important project on the Accessibility of Transport for Disabled People. The role offers a new and unique opportunity to embed social research in the law reform process, helping to ensure that our recommendations are informed by robust research and the lived experiences of those affected by the law.

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 alongside expert lawyers, 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 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: Property, Family and Trust Law; Commercial and Common Law; Public Law and the Law in Wales; and Criminal Law.

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

Further information on working at the Commission can be found at https://lawcom.gov.uk/working- at-law-commission/.

The role

You will be situated within the Corporate Services Team with our in-house economist, but you will work closely with the four legal teams on their law reform projects, starting with the Accessibility of Transport for Disabled People project, led by the Public Law and Law in Wales Team. The project started in March and is in its early stages, so this is an excellent time for a social researcher to have real influence in shaping the work. There is a large body of literature and evidence out there about the difficulties faced by disabled people in accessing transport and our team of lawyers need help in the first instance to:

• understand and thematically analyse the existing evidence base to help them to identify where legal change is needed;
• structure their interviews and focus groups with disabled people and disabled people’s organisations and analyse the qualitative data from these sessions

This is a vitally important project, sponsored by the Department of Transport, which is expected to have a real and tangible impact on the 10 million disabled people in England, changing the law for the better.

While the Accessibility of Transport project provides the immediate starting point, we are at an early stage in our 14th Programme of law reform, which encompasses projects ranging from the defence of insanity in the criminal law to the management of housing estates. This means there is a broader pipeline of suitable work across projects, allowing us to make optimal use of social research across a broad range of law reform projects with the potential to bring about significant legal change.

The main duties for the role include:

• Conducting evidence reviews across academic, policy and behavioural research
• Producing internal reports, synthesising the evidence and identifying key findings and gaps
• Designing and delivering qualitative interviews, workshops, seminars and focus groups
• Consultation and/or survey design
• Analysing qualitative and quantitative data
• Translating complex evidence into clear insights accessible to a range of audiences including legal colleagues within the Commission, policy colleagues outside the Commission and the general public
• Developing reusable research tools and templates
• Working closely with lawyers, economist and external stakeholders

Qualifications and experience
Essential criteria

You should:

• Be a substantive SEO or SRO and badged member of the Government Social Research Profession.
• Have experience of planning, designing and managing a complex social research or evaluation project to ensure the delivery of robust results on time
• Have strong analytical skills, in particular qualitative methods, and the ability to synthesise complex information
• Have experience supporting stakeholder engagement or qualitative research
• Have excellent written communication skills
• Have the ability to work effectively in multidisciplinary teams
• Familiarity with Government Social Research (GSR) standards

Desirable criteria

Ideally, you will also have:

• Experience of quantitative analysis of survey/consultation data.
• Experience in disability, equality or public law research.

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. This is a full-time role, but we offer flexible working patterns including a flexi time scheme and the opportunity to work compressed hours, subject to business needs.

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 https://lawcom.gov.uk/diversity-inclusion/.

Location

This is a national role, and successful candidates can work from their nearest regional hub (their “base location”). However, candidates are also expected to attend the London office regularly (e.g. twice a month) in line with business and team needs. In addition, some 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, and candidates would be expected to attend such meetings as necessary. Arrangements may be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate(s) and will be subject to regular review.

All full-time Law Commission staff are expected to attend their base location (or the London office) 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.

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

Salary

The role is Graded at SEO. Existing Civil Servants will have their salary calculated in accordance with the Department’s pay on transfer rules.

Duration of role and return to home department

The posting is for an initial period of six months, with the possibility of extension up to twelve months, subject to agreement between the Law Commission, the successful candidate and their home department.

In-line with the Ministry of Justice Loan Policy guidance, the successful candidate will be required to obtain approval from their home department and required to sign a loan agreement before taking up the role. Therefore, candidates are strongly recommended to seek and gain approval from their line managers before applying.

At the end of the appointment, the successful candidate will return to their home department at their substantive grade and pay.

Application process

There will be a two-stage application process.

Stage 1: statement of suitability and CV

At the first stage, candidates will be assessed on their experience. You are invited to provide a CV and a statement of suitability setting out your experience.

The statement of suitability (maximum of 750 words) should explain how you meet the essential and desirable criteria set out above. You are also 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.

Stage 2: interview

If you are successful at the first stage, you will be invited to interview, where you will be assessed against the Civil Service success profiles and the elements of the GSR technical framework set out below. Please refer to the guidance on the success profiles and the GSR technical framework to familiarise yourself with what is required.

Behaviours

• Communicating and influencing: you communicate in a straightforward, honest and engaging manner choosing appropriate styles to maximise understanding and impact.
• Working together: you encourage joined up teamwork within your own team and across other groups; you establish professional relationships with a range of stakeholders and collaborate with these to share information, resources and support.
• Managing a quality service: you develop, implement, maintain and review systems and services to ensure delivery of professional excellence, and work with stakeholders to set priorities, objectives and timescales.

Strengths

• You will be assessed on a Civil Service Strength

Technical expertise

You must meet the requirements of Government Social Research Technical Framework – Senior Research Officer, Technical Skills and Using and Promoting Social Research. In particular, you will be assessed against the following requirements from this framework.

• Knowledge of research methods, techniques and application of these in more complex projects.
• Leading, communicating and championing social research.

To help us evaluate these skills, you will be invited to deliver a 5-minute presentation at interview. Details of this will be sent to candidates invited to interview.

Interview format

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

Interviews are expected to take place late August 2026. 

After the 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.

Contact information

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