Trainee Legal Advisor - MOJ 2023

On vacation at the moment and out of the country.

No contract, no knowledge of a base court, etc., like the rest of you.

When I filled in my health questionnaire, there was a name of a 'supervisor'. As s/he did not have any LinkedIn profile, no idea who s/he was/is and where s/he was/is based.

It's great we keep updating each other though!

Best of luck with your exam results!

Guys, any movement at your end?

I am getting a bit worried now.

Thanks,

Guys, any movement at your end?

I am getting a bit worried now.

Thanks,

I was told two weeks ago that I would receive an official offer letter soon after passing back ground. As of yet, nothing. Which means I can’t hand in notice etc. I guess they’re just processing a lot of new roles

There’s no need to worry. You need to remember that this was a national recruitment campaign that was broken down into regions for the sake of making it easier for applicants to identify the region they want to work in. The team in the background still has to go through all the necessary steps for each and every successful applicant, wait for DBS checks, etc etc. It all takes time. I appreciate it isn’t very helpful to you when trying to figure out next steps with current employers etc but trust me, if there was an issue or something to worry about - you’d know!

Hi Everyone,

I had my start date agreed, and I'm now really excited to dive into my new role. However, I have not received my contract yet, and anticipate that it might 'arrive' (at the MJ Application Centre, I mean!) on Monday next week or may be later today.

I wanted to reach out with a few questions:

1. Non-Drivers: Are there any of you who don't have a car or don't drive and have managed well with all the movements between different locations and courts? Any tips and insights would be greatly appreciated!

2. IT Knowledge: For those experienced in working for the Ministry of Justice in current or previous employment, what kind of IT knowledge do you recommend brushing up on before starting work?

3. Operating System: Does the Ministry of Justice/courts predominantly work with Windows 10 or have they transitioned to Windows 11 yet?

4. Access to Lexis Nexis/Westlaw: When can I expect to be given access to these?

5. Microsoft Suite: In practical terms, which Microsoft Suite software is most frequently used - Word, Excel, One Note?

6. Multiple Screens: Is it allowed to have two screens at work? Are you allowed to bring your own keyboard or is this frowned upon? Can you order an additional screen to work from two screens at work (three, including the laptop, or just close the laptop and work on two screens)?

7. Tech and Work Conditions: Can someone expand on the work conditions regarding tech? I've heard they use Lenovo laptops - any specifics I should know about? Never used one in my life.

8. Are there any personal lockers available at the courts where I can securely store my clothes if I'm using public transport and want to keep them clean and odour-free at the locker and travel with another set of clothes (in case of rain/snow, etc)?

I appreciate any advice or insights you can provide.

Thanks, guys.

Guys, have you started your job yet?

If yes, how do you find it? What court have you chosen; Family or Crime?

Thank you so much for responding!

Each time I pose a question, there's a small fear of receiving no response at all! 😂

It's obvious that you have a good grasp/handle of your situation!

At my end, I've received my start date, selected a Family court, and had a conversation with the vacancy manager to fix a start date. However, I am still waiting for the contract, and there are a few unresolved matters such as my P45/New Starter Form (when are these arranged if you don't mind me asking; upon signing the contract?) and the pension scheme enrolment.

I am currently looking into joining a union and have chosen PCS (any opinion on my choice would be highly appreciated if you happen to be 'well versed' in 'union matters'😂).

I've been attempting to reach out to the Ministry of Justice for an update on my contract, but the process has been incredibly challenging. Navigating their Portal has proven to be a nightmare - the chat option isn't available, the phone queue is always too long, and leaving a number for a return call has not yet resulted in any response. Even generic email replies have nothing to do with the questions that I asked in my initial email.

It's a shame we are in different courts; otherwise, we could have swapped portfolios/ideas for portfolios down the line!

Yes, my first working day is quite daunting🤞🤞🤞

Thanks again for reaching out!

You made my day!

I received an email regarding my contract stating that the next step was to upload proof of qualification in the portal. The email was titled "Conditional Offer". I also received a second email, at the same time as that one, confirming that I had been enrolled into the alpha pension scheme. I went to my portal and found that I could download the Offer of Appointment Letter with Contract T&Cs. I was asked to "accept or decline within your applicant centre", but the portal did not give me this option and only provided for me to upload proof of qualification, which I have done. So I have not yet been able to "sign" any contract. I am waiting for an update in the portal (or further email).

Within the Offer of Appointment Letter I was given an address and asked to provide my p45 or Equivalent. I do not have a p45 because I am currently self employed. I was aware that I would need to provide a New Starter Checklist Form instead, so I completed this on the Gov Website (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/starter-checklist-for-paye), printed it off and sent it.

After my initial conversation with the Vacancy Manger I received confirmation of the start date and my line manager a week after. Then a few days afer that I received the Offer of Appointment requiring me to upload proof of qualification. I am now waiting for a further update and will hopefully be given an option in the portal to accept the Contract terms and conditions. I was also told that my Line Manager would contact me a few days before my start date, so there is still time to sort everything out.

I don't know anything about Unions, but I would recommend joining one. I think I will wait to start the job so I can speak my colleagues about this and then I can arrange to join one based on what they say.

When contacting recruitment I have had most success with emails. I cannot use the chat function either; it is very glitchy and does not work. I reported this to recruitment when I got through by telephone once.

My portfolio will be different to yours because I will be in Crime and you in Family. I was interested in Family, but was told the vacancy was in Crime unfortunately. My current background is in Civil, so either way I have a lot to learn! 🤞

Hopefully you will get you Offer of Appointment Letter and/or Contract soon.

Just as an FYI, whilst it isn’t the only choice of union, PCS is the main union for court legal staff. You’ll probably find 80-90% of your colleagues are PCS members.

Hi everyone,

I have my interview soon and I’d like to kindly ask the contributors on this thread for some guidance.

1. Can you refer to notes that you have made for the legal scenario to answer any questions posed during the online interview?

2. What is the structure of the interview?

3. How long does the interview last?

Thank you in advance for your assistance.

1. Yes, you can refer to notes that you have taken. You will be given some time to prepare and you can take notes and look at the notes you have prepared already. Once you start delivering your answer, I would say it is better to keep eye contact.

2. Strengths and Behaviours Questions/Answers first and then the legal scenario. They will read it to you and give you time (about five minutes or so) to prepare.

3. About an hour and a half.