Job Description

Job Introduction

Trainee Solicitors

Salary range - 29,093 - 32,654

Permanant

Fixed Term for 2 years (37 hours per week)

Flexible: working from home with 2 days in a council location

Our Team

We are a multi-award winning, Lexcel accredited Legal Services team, ahead of the game when it comes to legal excellence, offering the opportunity to excel as individuals and as part of a team.


The Civic Centre where Legal Services have dedicated office space, has been modernised in recent years offering an attractive and pleasant place to work.


The City itself has seen rapid development with major projects of which more are planned to further enhance Wolverhampton as a place where people come to work, shop, study and enjoy our vibrant City.


For those traveling into the City, Wolverhampton benefits from being in a prime location; with excellent transport links to Birmingham, Shropshire and neighbouring Black Country towns.


This is an exciting period for the City of Wolverhampton, the Council and our Legal Services team and a fantastic time to join us.

What The Role Offers You

A career with our team offers opportunities to develop beyond qualification. Every member of the team has a learning and development plan personal to them and running alongside that an annual appraisal which combined with being mentored and developed within the wider leadership team, means that by joining us will see you set your career on the right path for success. For details of the various routes to qualification that may be available, please see the accompanying Additional Information.


Legal Services are at the heart of the Council's functions and are vital to its work. This role gives you the opportunity to play an integral part in the City of Wolverhampton Council achieving its goals and aspirations.


Our team continues to go from strength to strength and with that, to grow and expand providing more opportunities, such as this, for the best people to join us.

What We Are Looking For From You

We want Trainees who have a passion to excel in a Legal career and who have:

Excellent oral and written communication skills; An organised, practical and commercial approach with an eye for detail; Ability to work confidently and effectively either alone or as part of a team; Desire to develop legal skills to enable you to achieve technical excellence; Willingness to take on challenges; A solutions and outcome focused approach, seeking to provide practical options by removing or working around what may be regarded as barriers;

The work will be varied and include but not be limited to the following:

Undertaking legal research and advising on specific legal matters; Preparing and drafting legal documents including agreements, statements court papers and affidavits; Receiving instructions from and providing advice to clients; Attending internal Committee meetings; Appearing in the Magistrates, County and other Courts where appropriate to observe and undertake hearings in chambers in relation to undefended matters; and Other duties and responsibilities commensurate with the role and as detailed in the accompanying .

Our Benefits - What We Can Offer You

Competitive salary with pay progression through multiple increments; On qualification and subject to NQ roles being available, a salary increase and upon successful completion of a portfolio of work gathered during your Training Contract and first 12 months of Post Qualifying Experience, the possibility to progress further. Flexible working including hybrid working; combined with flexi-time to enable you to put your health and wellbeing first and make work fit around your life, not your life fit around work; Generous annual leave, starting at 26 days and rising to 35 days (plus bank holidays) in line with length of service; The opportunity to join the Local Government Pension Scheme; and Wellbeing and lifestyle savings though our benefits App.

Responsible Business

We care about each other and in 2022 unveiled our Wellbeing Pledges:

Our People Wellbeing Pledge

We recognise our people are the foundation and greatest asset of our organisation



The Manager Wellbeing Pledge

Managers are integral to our organisation and essential in maximising the wellbeing of our people



The Organisation Wellbeing Pledge

The Council are dedicated and committed to the wellbeing of its people



We pride ourselves on the diversity and inclusivity of our team where colleagues can be themselves and succeed regardless of their gender, sexuality, ethnicity, culture, age or disability.


We are committed to supporting local people starting out in their legal career and are proud of our commitment to providing work experience placements and supporting apprenticeships within the team.


Our volunteering scheme, which enables everyone to undertake 2 days fully paid volunteering for a local cause per year, also provides the opportunity for us as individuals and as an organisation, to give something back to the local community.

Additional Information

If you want to progress your legal career with a successful, innovative and forward-looking organisation and team, then look no further than the Legal Services Team and the City of Wolverhampton Council and apply today.


To learn more about this role then please contact Joanne Hartshorne on 01902 550086 for an informal chat.



Closing Date: 27th July 2025


Interviews: TBC


For full details of the responsibilities and requirements of this role please see the attached and Person Specification.

Our working arrangements

All council roles are allocated to either a fixed, field or flexible work style. Some roles are agile which enable and empower employees to maximise their performance and productivity, whilst maintaining a healthy work life balance. Roles with a fixed workstyle work in a fixed permanent council location. Roles with a field workstyle are usually allocated where employees are required to be out working in the community with a minimum requirement for 'touch down' space at any council location. Roles with a flexible workstyle have a flexible base location to meet the needs of the business and employees can work from a mixture of home or any council office, partner/client, or external location, as required to meet service requirements.


Please refer to the for further information on the workstyle assigned to the role you are applying for.


For more information about working for our organisation including the culture of the Council, the Council plan and vision, staff equality forums, core HR policies and much more please click

here

.

Diversity

We are committed to building a workforce that is reflective of the diverse community we serve. We want to attract the best applications from people of all backgrounds and underrepresented groups because we strongly believe in adding value through diversity, inclusion, and equality. Our employees enable us to deliver services that are accessible, inclusive, and reflective of Wolverhampton residents.


Our status as a Disability Confident Employer showcases our commitment to people with disabilities or health conditions, advocating for their opportunities and potential.


We've received the Stonewall Gold Award, emphasising our dedication to the LGBT+ community by nurturing an inspiring, inclusive, and equal workplace.


As of March 2023, the RACE Code Quality Mark signifies our active engagement with racial equality. These recognitions validate our continuous efforts towards fostering an inclusive work environment that respects and values our diverse employees.


As part of our commitment as a Disability Confident employer, a Gold Award Armed Forces employer and our commitment to supporting care leavers - we offer a guaranteed interview as long as your application meets the essential criteria for the post.


We encourage, inspire and value an inclusive culture here at the council where employees can flourish, thrive and be themselves. We have four staff equality forums for employees to join. These help to ensure our employees have a voice, they feel empowered to speak up and where everyone is treated with respect - Learn more about the staff equality forums

here

Recruitment of Ex-Offenders

We are committed to the fair treatment of all our employees, potential employees, or users of our service regardless of offending background. The Council uses the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) for any vacancies that require a DBS check to obtain information about applicants to assess their suitability for employment in positions of trust. We do not discriminate unfairly against any individual on the basis of a conviction or any other information revealed as a result of a DBS disclosure -

Learn more here

Employment Information & Support

If you are considering applying for an apprenticeship or a role where the salary is (Grade 2-5), and would like to visit us to learn about the application, interview process and what it is like to work for the council, please click on this link to find out more -

Learn more here