This is an exciting opportunity to join LawWorks, a leading charity working to support pro bono and enable access to justice in the UK.
With support from the UK Law Society, LawWorks encourages, facilitates and celebrates pro bono across the profession in England and Wales. It works primarily with solicitors (firms and in-house teams), and also with law schools and law students, and other legal and non-legal volunteers and organisations. LawWorks has around 150 members including some of the largest City firms and international firms with an office in London, national, regional and local firms, in-house teams, law schools and charities.
The Not-For-Profits Programme
LawWorks help charities, voluntary organisations, social enterprises, and other not-for profits in England and Wales in the following ways:
Free legal assistance
The Not-For-Profits Programme brokers legal advice to small not-for-profit organisations on a wide range of legal issues, to support the continuation and expansion of their services to people in need. The advice is given for free (pro bono). Where a not-for-profit organisation needs help with a one-off legal issue, it matches the organisation with a volunteer lawyer from its network of member law firms and in-house legal teams who can advise on that matter. Its volunteers can advise on intellectual property, employment, property, tax, commercial/contract, insurance, insolvency, data protection, defamation, and company/charity law. Work can include drafting a contract, reviewing a lease, updating a constitution/articles, or clarifying rights in a commercial dispute.
Free resources
Free Talks are short online videos about common legal issues faced by small not for-profit organisations. The videos are all free to watch and aim to help when making important decisions.
Honorary Counsel scheme
LawWorks also creates various pilot schemes to explore how it can increase overall support to not-for-profit organisations, while harnessing the skills of its pool of volunteers. For example, the Honorary Counsel scheme matches small not-for-profit organisations with volunteer lawyers on a longer-term basis, to carry out Health Checks and to give initial advice when needed.
Caseworker role overview
The Caseworker is integral to the Not-For-Profits Programme and works closely with the Head of Not-For-Profits to ensure that the programme's services are delivered effectively to its stakeholders (small not-for-profit organisations on the one hand, and member law firms and in-house legal teams on the other).
The position will suit someone with sound legal knowledge and strong relationship management skills, who is genuinely interested in the legal and not-for-profit sectors and enjoys working in a busy and close-knit team. The role offers the right candidate valuable experience, variety, intellectual stimulation, and job satisfaction.
This is a permanent position and therefore unsuitable for applicants looking for short-term or interim work only.
Role description
The role primarily involves assessing applications for legal help received from not for-profit organisations and working with the applicants to understand the legal advice they need for their organisation (rather than the legal needs of their individual beneficiaries). Relevant areas of law are primarily business law (e.g. employment, contract, and property law), with some understanding of charity issues. The Caseworker then writes clear and accurate background briefs for potential volunteer lawyers and offers the opportunities to member law firms and in-house legal teams with a view to securing pro bono advice for each not-for-profit organisation.
The role also involves supporting all aspects of the programme, including developing the ‘Honorary Counsel’ scheme for longer term pro bono assistance, and keeping resources such as their ‘Free Talks’ video series up to date and developing new pilot projects to extend the help it offers. The Caseworker additionally leads on monitoring and evaluation of the programme and supports the wider team with member relations, publicity and stakeholder engagement.
Main purposes of role:
Key responsibilities:
Click here to download the role and person specification.
To apply please return a completed caseworker application form and equal opportunities form.
The closing date for applications is 5.00pm Wednesday 14th March.