Ministry of Justice

Law Commission Grade 7 Lawyer – Property, Family and Trust Law Team

The Law Commission of England and Wales is recruiting up to two lawyers with property-law skills to work on challenging and high-profile reform of commercial leasehold law. We are currently examining security of tenure for business tenancies under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954, and we have highlighted other areas that might benefit from future reform, including, for example, addressing problems with the Landlord and Tenant (Covenants) Act 1995.

Working as part of a small team with the Law Commissioner responsible for property law, and engaging with a wide variety of landlords, tenants and other stakeholders, the successful candidate(s) will help to ensure the law works for today’s commercial leasehold market.

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

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 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/.

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 these roles are available as full-time, part-time or with the option to job share. 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 established job shares, who may work more than 1 full time equivalent jointly, and from people who might be interested in forming a job share arrangement. We also welcome applications from those wishing to work part-time, but if you wish to work less 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 as it may help us identify other suitable candidates. Contact details are set out below if you would like to discuss with us in advance of applying.

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

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

About our lawyers

We recruit brilliant, innovative lawyers from a wide range of backgrounds to join our teams. But our lawyers are not just lawyers. They engage in policy making, legislative procedure, project management and leadership. They examine 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 lawyers in private practice apply the law to individual cases, lawyers at the Law Commission have freedom to consider what the law should be, for everyone.

About the Property, Family and Trust Law Team

The Property, Family and Trust Law team undertakes projects that cover a wide-range of issues that have a significant impact on individuals, businesses and wider society. For example, recommendations that we made in our work on Residential Leasehold and Commonhold were included in the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 and have the potential to significantly improve the lives of millions of leasehold home owners.

Our current work includes: Business Tenancies: the right to renew, Chancel Repair Liability and Registration, Burial and Cremation, Wills and Kinship Care.

We are in the process of finalising our 14^th Programme of Law Reform and anticipate it will include several new, challenging and impactful projects.

The Role

The main duties for the role include:

• Leading, or co-leading, one or more law reform projects against an agreed timetable with the Commissioner and the Team Head, including its day-to-day and strategic management.
• Leading research of the law and how it works in practice (both in the UK and overseas).
• Analysing problems with the law, identifying options for reform and testing potential solutions.
• Engaging with stakeholders, both inside and outside Government.
• Writing consultation papers, reports and other documents in conjunction with the Commissioner, the Team Head and other team members, and preparing these for publication.
• Analysing consultation responses.
• Working with other professionals within the Law Commission including: the Head of Legal, the Head of Communications to organise publicity for our work; and potentially the Economic Adviser to analyse the impact of reform options and Parliamentary Counsel to draft legislation.
• Assisting with the promotion and implementation of recommendations from completed projects (including potentially working as part of a Bill Team to take legislation through Parliament) and contributing to the consideration of new project work.
• Managing one or more Research Assistants.
• Contributing to the corporate culture of the Law Commission, for example through supporting and leading activities on areas including: learning and development, wellbeing, diversity and inclusion, and recruitment.

Skills and Experience

Essential qualifications:

• : You should usually hold a minimum of a 2.1 undergraduate degree in any subject (or an overseas degree qualification equivalent to a 2.1 degree) but we will take into account subsequent experience if your degree class is lower than this; and
• : You must be:
• a solicitor or barrister qualified to practise in England and Wales; or
•  somebody who can demonstrate a comparable level of legal ability, for example:
• a legal academic;
• an overseas professionally qualified lawyer; or
• a legal policy expert.

Essential Experience

Demonstrable experience, career history and achievements that are relevant to the specific role.

Desirable Experience

• Experience of complex legal analysis and/or dealing with complex legal argument – this may include drafting legal opinions, undertaking legal research and advising clients.
• Experience of drafting documents – this may include experience of: drafting documents that explain complex areas of law, advance complex legal arguments, or are for publication.
• Experience of supervising others – this could include overseeing trainee solicitors or pupils and/or other lawyers, supervising staff or postgraduate students, or leading a small team.

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. once each 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.

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

This role is graded at Grade 7. New staff will normally be appointed at the starting point of the scale; higher starting salaries will be considered 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 18 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.

Application process

You will be assessed against the Civil service success profiles framework on Behaviours, Experience and Technical Skills. Please also refer to the Civil Service Behaviours framework for more details at this grade (Grade 7): Success Profiles - GOV.UK

At the sift stage you will be assessed on your Experience (see “Experience” below), Behaviours (see “Behaviours” below) and Technical Skills (see “Technical” below). Applications may initially be sifted on their demonstration of meeting the Technical Skills criteria.

Candidates who are successful at the initial sifting stage will undertake an interview and other assessments to gauge their suitability for the role. These exercises will assess your Behaviours and Technical Skills.

Experience

You will be asked to provide a CV and Statement of Suitability during the application process in order to assess any demonstrable experience in property law, and, in particular, commercial leasehold law, (together with any other “Desirable Experience” mentioned above), career history and achievements that are relevant to the role.

Behaviours

• – you must be able to take responsibility for delivering timely and quality results with focus and drive
• – you must be able to use evidence and knowledge to support accurate, expert decisions and advice, carefully considering alternative options, and the implications and risks of decisions
• – you must be able to form effective partnerships and relationships with people both internally and externally
• – you must be able to communicate with clarity, integrity, and enthusiasm.

Technical

A background in, and experience of, property law, in particular commercial leasehold law, is highly desirable.

However, we are also interested in receiving applications from lawyers or academics with a different property law background, with an interest in law reform and who can demonstrate a capacity to acquire knowledge of complex areas of law quickly.

Candidates Invited to InterviewPlease 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 between late June and mid-July 2025.

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.

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 (GLD): 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. 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.