Graduate Solicitor Apprentice - 2025 - West Midlands Police

Deadline: 01/04/2025, 23:59

Please note this will be a 3 year FTC

Joint Legal Services are excited to announce an opportunity for an Apprentice (Trainee) Solicitor to join the Team. This apprenticeship will allow the development of practical legal skills whilst satisfying the academic requirements required to qualify as a Solicitor via the graduate apprenticeship route.

You will be supported and learn from our experienced in-house lawyers and provide, under the general direction of the Director of Legal Services, the services of an apprentice solicitor in the provision of a comprehensive legal service to the Chief Constable and Police and Crime Commissioner for both Staffordshire and West Midlands Police.

Role & Responsibilities

• To assist in the provision of legal advice and assistance, under supervision, to the Chief Constables, their officers, their staff and The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioners
• Review and prepare legal cases, under supervision
• Correspond with Force partners and external lawyers, under supervision
• Attend conferences with police officers, police staff and legal counsel, under supervision
• Research law and report back to supervisor and other lawyers
• Maintain records of work and link to relevant regulatory bodies
• Plan and review training contract with supervisor
• Arrange and attend professional courses and undertake all activities to ensure that all training requirements are met
• Shadow lawyers and legal advisors at Magistrates, County and Crown courts to gain experience of advocacy by observation
• Assist lawyers and legal advisors at court by preparing cases, liaising with witnesses, and supporting counsel where required

Experience and Qualifications

Essential:

• Must hold a minimum of a 2:2 university undergraduate degree.
• Those with a university undergraduate degree at a minimum of a 2:2 in a subject other than law must have completed one of the following conversion courses either the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) OR Common Professional Examination (CPE)
• A sound knowledge and understanding of legal principles or, a potential to develop such knowledge and understanding
• Ability to research and assimilate unfamiliar areas of knowledge, including technical areas of law
• Ability to analyse a set of facts, to identify the relevant factual and legal issues
• Ability to apply principles logically, precisely and with sound judgement
• High level of computer literacy skills with a good working knowledge of Microsoft Office primarily, Outlook, Word & Excel
• Ability to understand and adhere to deadlines
• Efficient and effective written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to prioritise competing demands of work and study (effective time management)
• High degree of accuracy and attention to detail
• Demonstrable client care skills

Desirable:

• A strong focus on continuous learning with the ability to apply knowledge of criminal and other relevant law gained from study and experience
• Have a demonstrable interest in law enforcement and be motivated by public service
• Demonstrate a knowledge & understanding of the work of police lawyers
• Demonstrate a commitment to a career as a lawyer practicing in the field of law enforcement
• Previous experience with a case management system

The post holder will be required to work out of both West Midlands and Staffordshire offices, depending on the demands of the service.

The post holder will be required to travel to locations throughout the Force areas and may be required to work at weekends and on Bank/Public Holidays on occasions.

This post will be a fixed term contract for the duration of the apprenticeship (approximately 3 years).

West Midlands Police Vision and Values:

The WMP Vision is to be recognised as a police service that is big enough to cope with everything that is asked of us, while showing we are small enough to care about the things that really matter to people.

Effective policing is built upon public trust and confidence which depends on officers and staff serving the public with integrity, professionalism, compassion, and fairness to earn that trust and confidence. Our WMP Values work alongside the Policing Code of Ethics to support an ethical policing culture which demonstrates professionalism throughout the organisation.

To work for Joint Legal Services, you must share the West Midlands Police values:

• Service – We put people first
• Integrity – We always do the right thing
• Compassion – We see the person needing help
• Professionalism – We lead by good example
• Equality, Diversity and Human Rights – We treat everyone fairly

Staffordshire Police Values:

We are a welcoming police family that has a values-based culture where officers and staff are empowered to make decisions in line with the values of the force.

To work for Joint Legal Services, you must share the Staffordshire Police values:

• Caring - We care about our communities, our staff and each other. Every single member of the Staffordshire policing family plays an important part by making the biggest difference they can
• Collaborative - Partnership is critical to the delivery of the policing plan and the vision within this plan. We will work closely with our partners (including surroundings forces and other emergency and public services) to tackle crime, reduce harm, improve safeguarding, and resolve the issues that matter most to our communities.
• Accountable - We will be accountable to our communities, acting with integrity and professionalism. We are committed to innovation and creativity where we try out new ideas and learn from them

Prospective officers and staff must be held to a higher standard of behaviour and accountability than members of the public, and that therefore their right to privacy can be fettered in certain circumstances. This is to ensure that members of the police are fully aware and accountable for the unique powers entrusted to them and the standards of professional behaviour they swear to uphold.

Hours: The post holder will be required to work core service hours..

Location: Lloyd House, Birmingham.

Vetting: Successful applicants will be required to pass Management Vetting and Security Clearance scrutiny prior to commencing their role, this will include a full background & financial disclosure as part of the vetting process.

Medical: Appointment to this role will be dependent upon successfully medical checks, which may include a drugs test and if required a fitness test.

Interviews: Interview dates to be confirmed.

West Midlands Police is a Disability Confident Leader - the highest level an organisation can achieve under the scheme run by the Department of Work and Pensions. As part of our commitment we operate a ‘Disability Confident Interview Scheme’ - all candidates who declare a disability and meet the essential criteria for the role will be offered an interview.

It is important to note that there may be occasions where it is not practicable or appropriate to interview all disabled people who meet the essential criteria for the job. For example: in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. In these circumstances, the employer could select the candidates who best meet the essential criteria for the job, as they would do for non-disabled applicants.

“Diversity and Inclusion Vision: Maximise the potential of people from all backgrounds through a culture of fairness and inclusion to deliver the best service for our communities”

By choosing to join West Midlands Police you will receive an enhanced benefits package including:

- Fair remuneration with progression opportunities, and access to a very competitive pension scheme

- Enhanced annual leave in additional to public holiday entitlements

- Discounts across travel, parking, daily costs of living and leisure activities

- A comprehensive wellbeing package including 24/7 support, free eye tests and flu jabs

About Us

West Midlands Police is the second largest police force in the country, covering an area of 348 square miles and serving a population of almost 2.8 million.

The region sits at the very heart of the country and covers the three major centres of Birmingham, Coventry and Wolverhampton. It also includes the busy and thriving districts of Sandwell, Walsall, Solihull and Dudley. Leisure, retail and conference amenities, together with Premiership and Championship football teams, attract millions of visitors annually.

The West Midlands is an area rich in diversity, with 18 per cent of its population from ethnic minority backgrounds.

An average of 170,000 motorists travel through the region daily, making its motorways some of the busiest in Europe.

Against this backdrop, the force deals with more than 2,000 emergency calls for help every day, as well as patrolling the streets and responding to incidents 24-hours-a-day, seven days a week.