2. OUTLINE What is the Government Legal Service (“GLS”)? What do we do?
Why choose a career in the GLS?
Training in the GLS.
Any questions.

3. WHAT IS THE GOVERNMENT LEGAL SERVICE?
Total population – around 2000 lawyers (barristers and solicitors) and trainees.
30 government departments and agencies.
Anything from 1 to around 500 lawyers in a single organisation – TSol being the largest.

4. WHAT IS THE GOVERNMENT LEGAL SERVICE?

5. WHERE IS THE GLS BASED? Scotland 0.5% Yorkshire & Humberside 0.5%
North West 2%
West Midlands 1%
London & the South East
89%
Wales 5%
Majority of posts in and around London
Training contracts/pupillages (and vacation placements) also normally in London
Possible to move to regional posting post-qualification
Overseas opportunities/secondments (post- qualification)
South West 2%

6. STRUCTURE AND GOVERNANCE
Paul Jenkins QC, the Treasury Solicitor, is Head of Profession for the GLS.
Paul is also Head of the Treasury Solicitor’s Department (TSol) - the biggest legal team in the GLS.
The Treasury Solicitor is accountable through the Attorney General to Parliament.

7. WHAT DO WE DO?
We advise Ministers and policy colleagues on their legal powers and responsibilities.
We help develop primary legislation (i.e. Bills, which become Acts of Parliament);
We draft secondary legislation (i.e. Statutory Instruments).
We help negotiate and draft EU statutes and international treaties
We have only one client; the government of the day.
********************************************
We turn policy into law from conception to birth.
Primary leg: policy development, Instructions to OPC, parliamentary debates.
Secondary leg: policy development (often with industry, draft, parliamentary debates, if nec.
EU leg: UK policy developments, attend Council Working Groups in Brussels, draft UK amendments, negotiate with Cion & CLS, attend JL, implement leg.

8. WHAT DO WE DO?
We litigate for the Government, including proceedings in:
The Administrative Court (Judicial Review);
The European Court of Justice (ECJ);
The European Court of Human Rights in Strasburg (ECtHR); and
The Court of Appeal and Supreme Court.
Prosecute in areas not covered by the CPS.
Many of our cases enjoy a high public profile and involve new and interesting points of law.
What happens when the law we have nurtured takes on a life of its own ie after it has come into force?
Advise Ministers and policy colleagues on its effect.
Litigation. Tsol instructed in around 1000 new cases p.a.
Train policy colleagues, incl servicer personnel, so that they are aware of their legal duties & responsibilities.

9. From Aviation to Zoology via:
Banking
Bona Vacantia
Charities & trusts
Climate change
Commercial
Constitutional & Administrative law
Criminal
Education
Employment
Environmental
European
Financial Services
FOI & Data Protection
Human
rights
Government involved in almost every aspect of our lives & so the GLS is too.
One of the unique features of the GLS: opportunity to work in huge variety of areas.

10. HOW ARE WE SIMILAR TO OTHER LEGAL ORGANISATIONS?
We provide our client with legal advice
We represent our client in court
We recruit lawyers and trainees
We provide a clear career path

11. HOW ARE WE DIFFERENT?
We only have 1 client – the government of the day
We advise Ministers and colleagues on their legal powers and responsibilities
We turn policy into law – this is unique to government legal work
We work with a large variety of colleagues (from PM to prison officers) in hugely varied areas of the law (from aviation to zoology).

12. WHY CHOOSE THE GLS ?
Early involvement in high quality, high profile legal work at the cutting edge of law and government.
Lawyers and trainees take responsibility for their work, clients and the public service they provide.
No requirement to specialise – GLS lawyers encouraged to work in different departments on different areas of law throughout career.
Knowledge shared between lawyers and legal teams. Coordination across Whitehall is crucial.
High quality training throughout.
Dynamic and stimulating environment
Range of legal points, factual / policy backgrounds
Range of skills to develop
Opportunity to move around depts
Working with people
Making a difference on a macro level
Independence & responsibility
unique constitutional role in assisting government of day in formulating policies, carrying out decisions & administering public services.
Must do so with integrity, honesty, impartiality & objectivity.

13. WHO DOES IT APPEAL TO? Anybody interested in the development of law
Anybody interested in the interaction of politics and law
Anybody with a motivation for public service
Anybody who wants early responsibility

14. MY LEGAL CAREER SO FAR
TSol 1: employment litigation for most OGDs
transsexuals seeking legally recognition in new gender for purposes of employment
service of homosexuals in HM Forces
continued service of pregnant women
service of women in front line of HM Forces
HMPS equal pay cases
independence of part-time judge

15. MY LEGAL CAREER CONT. TSol 2: Home Office public law and national
security litigation:
transsexuals, children and mothers & babies in prison
CRB role following Soham
MDP conduct and discipline
Opportunity to work with medical experts, social services, Official Solicitor & HMPS staff

16. MY LEGAL CAREER CONT. MoD advisory:
Advising SSD, Ministers, policy clients (and once No 10) on service personnel issues from cessation of Operation Banner to Gurkha TACOS review
Colleagues:
Operational and International Humanitarian Team (from PJHQ to piracy)
General team (from inquiries and inquests to dolphins and other protected species (environment and planning))
Legislation team

17. MY LEGAL CAREER CONT. HM Treasury Advisory EU financial stability
EU financial supervision
EU litigation
Regulatory work eg regulation of Islamic finance for the first time
Work is predominantly EU.
Advise Ministers & policy colleagues on EU proposals.
Represent UK at meetings in Brussels about proposals.
Draft UK amendments.
Implement EU legislation, generally by drafting secondary leg.
Attend parliamentary debates on secondary leg.
Colleagues working on:
Banking
Financial sanctions & asset freezing
Financial crime
New FS Bill

18. TRAINING WITH THE GLS
Based in “Home Department”, but usually seconded during training
Trainee Solicitors - 4 six-month seats; at least one litigation seat
Pupil Barristers – 12 months; either 8 months in Home Dept and 4 months in Chambers or 6/6
‘On the job’ training, supplemented by comprehensive internal training programmes

19. POST-QUALIFICATION Usually qualify into your Home Department
Opportunities to move around and within Departments in the years following training
Secondments available to other Departments and the private sector
Every opportunity to build the career which best suits you

20. KEY BENEFITS 1st year salary range: £23,280 - £25,600
On qualification: £32,000 - £40,000
1 year PQE: £43,000 +
Vocational course fees paid and substantial bursary for vocational year
 Generous annual leave entitlement (25-30 days per year)
Flexible working pattern encouraged

21. THE SKILLS YOU’LL NEED…
Intellectual and analytical ability
Written Communication
Oral Communication
Judgement
Constructive and innovative thinking
Team working
Drive and determination
Motivation

22. 2011 LEGAL TRAINEE SCHEME DEPARTMENT POSTS ON OFFER
BUSINESS , INNOVATION AND SKILLS
2 trainee places
Trainee Solicitor/Pupil Barrister
COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT
1 Trainee Solicitor
WORK AND PENSIONS / HEALTH
2 Trainee Solicitors
HM REVENUE AND CUSTOMS
4 trainee places
(3 Trainee Solicitors, 1 Pupil Barrister)
MINISTRY OF JUSTICE
SERIOUS ORGANISED CRIME AGENCY
TSOL
9 Trainee places
(7 Trainee Solicitors, 2 Pupil Barristers)

23. LEGAL TRAINEE SCHEME APPLICATION PROCESS
ONLINE APPLICATION FORM
Verifies Eligibility
2800+ candidates applied in 2010 for posts
ONLINE SITUATIONAL JUDGEMENT TEST
Assesses candidates’ judgement required for solving problems in work-related situations
candidates reached this stage in 2010
ONLINE VERBAL REASONING TEST
Assesses candidates’ analytical skills
400 + candidates reached this stage in 2010
Application process
Stage 1 – Application form. Candidates are required to provide evidence that they meet the minimum nationality and academic criteria.
Stage 2 – Online tests. Candidates who meet the minimum criteria will be asked to sit two online tests.
The situational judgement test (which replaces the previous ‘challenging question’ is a psychological aptitude test which is used to assess candidates’ judgement required for solving problems in work-related situations.
The verbal reasoning test presents candidates with a number of passages of text. Candidates are required to analyse these and answer a series of questions about the text.
The highest scoring candidates at following these stages will be invited to the Assessment Centre.

24. LEGAL TRAINEE SCHEME ASSESSMENT CENTRE
The highest scoring candidates at the application stage are invited to attend an Assessment Centre (AC).
They are assessed against the core competencies through two exercises:
In candidates were invited.
Written Exercise
Candidates required to provide written advice on a scenario.
Technical Interview
Competency based interview with two senior GLS lawyers.
Assessment Centre
Candidates are assessed in three exercises over half a day.
Written exercise – a practical legal problem, which candidates are asked to analyse and on which they are asked to advise by providing a written reply. This is not a test of legal knowledge and candidates must not be given credit for any evidence of legal knowledge beyond the information included in the supporting material provided.
Behavioural Interview - This interview tests constructive and innovative thinking, influential communication, team working, drive and determination and potential for self development.
Technical interview - This interview tests analytical ability, judgement, influential communication, motivation for the law and motivation for the GLS.

25. GLS APPLICATION PROCESS
THE GOVERNMENT LEGAL SERVICE
Eligibility Criteria
Nationality – under Civil Service nationality rules, applicants must be UK,EEA or Commonwealth citizens.
Immigration – successful candidates must be legally entitled to reside and work in the UK.
Academic - Candidates studying law cannot apply any earlier than the penultimate year of their degree.
Candidates studying a non-law degree cannot apply any earlier than their final year. All applicants must have, or be predicted to obtain, a minimum 2:1 degree which does not have to be in law.
The GLS is part of the wider Civil Service and therefore the Civil Service nationality rules apply.
Applications can be accepted from nationals from: - the United Kingdom - the Republic of Ireland - the Commonwealth - the European Economic Area (EEA) & Switzerland (Please note that there are may be some conditions/restrictions on the entitlement of nationals of those member States who acceded to the EU in 2004 and Nationals of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia may be affected by the Worker Registration Scheme; Romanian and Bulgarian nationals by the Workers Authorisation Scheme). - Turkish nationals are required to meet certain conditions which are detailed in the Civil Service nationality rules. - Certain family members of EEA, Swiss and Turkish nationals who are not themselves EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals, may also be eligible to apply. Please see the nationality rules for details of the provisions. - Individuals with dual nationality are in principle eligible for employment in the Civil Service provided that they meet the requirements of these rules in relation to one of their nationalities.
Full guidance on the requirements can be found at the website below

26. FURTHER INFORMATION? Pick up a brochure
Visit the web site:
Visit Departmental web sites
Join the mailing lists:
For 2013 training contracts or pupillages: