Solicitor Advocate, Cheltenham

This position is based at CHELTENHAM REGENT HOUSE LAA PDS CHELTENHAM, GL50 9SA Job Summary Please refer to Job Description

At the Public Defender Service, we believe every person deserves skilled, compassionate, trauma‑informed representation. Our teams work across England and Wales to deliver justice with excellence, integrity, and humanity, standing beside people at the hardest moments of their lives and helping them be seen as more than the allegation they face. We are building a future‑focused, quality‑led organisation that develops brilliant lawyers, strengthens our profession, and improves the criminal justice system. Solicitors at the PDS work in a fast‑paced, dynamic environment providing representation at police stations, advocacy at the Magistrates' Court, and litigation and advocacy at the Crown Courts. We Offer:

• A unique training‑led culture with structured supervision.
• Cross‑office collaboration, shared resources and peer learning.
• Opportunities to specialise (e.g., prison law, BIOT cases, remote litigation, youth court) We invest heavily in ongoing professional development, recognising that excellent public defence requires continual learning. Training opportunities include:
• Advanced court and trial advocacy programmes.
• Youth Advocacy training.
• Prison law specialisation.
• Leadership and line‑management courses.
• Opportunities to contribute to policy work, training delivery, and national LAA projects. If you are motivated by public service, committed to criminal defence, and ready to contribute to a supportive, ambitious and values‑driven team, we can't wait to hear from you. Please see the job description attachment for full details of the role. At the Public Defender Service, we believe every person deserves skilled, compassionate, trauma‑informed representation. Our teams work across England and Wales to deliver justice with excellence, integrity, and humanity, standing beside people at the hardest moments of their lives and helping them be seen as more than the allegation they face. We are building a future‑focused, quality‑led organisation that develops brilliant lawyers, strengthens our profession, and improves the criminal justice system. Solicitors at the PDS work in a fast‑paced, dynamic environment providing representation at police stations, advocacy at the Magistrates' Court, and litigation and advocacy at the Crown Courts. We Offer:
• A unique training‑led culture with structured supervision.
• Cross‑office collaboration, shared resources and peer learning.
• Opportunities to specialise (e.g., prison law, BIOT cases, remote litigation, youth court) We invest heavily in ongoing professional development, recognising that excellent public defence requires continual learning. Training opportunities include:
• Advanced court and trial advocacy programmes.
• Youth Advocacy training.
• Prison law specialisation.
• Leadership and line‑management courses.
• Opportunities to contribute to policy work, training delivery, and national LAA projects. If you are motivated by public service, committed to criminal defence, and ready to contribute to a supportive, ambitious and values‑driven team, we can't wait to hear from you. Please see the job description attachment for full details of the role. Person specification Please Refer To Job Description Licences Confirmation from the Solicitors Regulation Authority that you hold Higher Rights of Audience (Criminal), or if a Barrister, your current practicing certificate. Behaviours We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace
• Working Together
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Managing a Quality Service Alongside your salary of £58,511, Legal Aid Agency contributes £16,950 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides .
• Access to learning and development
• A working environment that supports a range of flexible working options to enhance your work life balance
• A working culture which encourages inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
• Annual Leave
• Public Holidays
• Season Ticket Advance For more information about the recruitment process, benefits and allowances and answers to general queries, please click the below link which will direct you to our Candidate Information Page. Link: https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/candidate/cms/About%20the%20MOJ Artificial intelligence Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use. Selection process details This vacancy is using Success Profiles , and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience. https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/candidate/cms/About%20the%20MOJ Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment. This vacancy is using Success Profiles , and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience. Security Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard checks. Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard checks. Nationality requirements This Job Is Broadly Open To The Following Groups:
• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service Further information on nationality requirements Working for the Civil Service The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants. We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles . The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy. The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants. We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles . The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative. Contact point for applicants Job Contact :

• Name : SSCL Recruitment Enquiries Team
• Email : moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@resourcing.soprasteria.co.uk
• Telephone : 0345 241 5359 Recruitment team
• Email : moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@resourcing.soprasteria.co.uk Further information Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles. If you feel a department has breached the requirement of the Recruitment Principles and would like to raise this, please contact SSCL (Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com) in the first instance. If the role has been advertised externally (outside of the Civil Service) and you are not satisfied with the response, you may bring your complaint to the Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages: http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/civil-service-recruitment/complaints/ https://jobs.justice.gov.uk/careers/JobDetail/22809?entityId=22809