Government legal department qualified lawyer positions
Hello,
In case anyone is thinking about applying for the qualified lawyer position at the GLD, what do you make of the “sound understanding of public law” technical requirement and how do you demonstrate you possess it? It sounds so vague to me.
Sure, we all know what public law is. But how do you demonstrate a sound understanding of this as a technical skill in a personal statement?
This for me is one of the vaguest aspects of the application. The other technical criteria are “understanding of legal risk” and ability to think creatively. Those are fine. Those are skills that can be easily demonstrated with examples of past actions, scenarios, etc. But “sound understanding of public law”??
In case anyone is thinking about applying for the qualified lawyer position at the GLD, what do you make of the “sound understanding of public law” technical requirement and how do you demonstrate you possess it? It sounds so vague to me.
Sure, we all know what public law is. But how do you demonstrate a sound understanding of this as a technical skill in a personal statement?
This for me is one of the vaguest aspects of the application. The other technical criteria are “understanding of legal risk” and ability to think creatively. Those are fine. Those are skills that can be easily demonstrated with examples of past actions, scenarios, etc. But “sound understanding of public law”??
Original post by Future_FCILEX
Hello,
In case anyone is thinking about applying for the qualified lawyer position at the GLD, what do you make of the “sound understanding of public law” technical requirement and how do you demonstrate you possess it? It sounds so vague to me.
Sure, we all know what public law is. But how do you demonstrate a sound understanding of this as a technical skill in a personal statement?
This for me is one of the vaguest aspects of the application. The other technical criteria are “understanding of legal risk” and ability to think creatively. Those are fine. Those are skills that can be easily demonstrated with examples of past actions, scenarios, etc. But “sound understanding of public law”??
In case anyone is thinking about applying for the qualified lawyer position at the GLD, what do you make of the “sound understanding of public law” technical requirement and how do you demonstrate you possess it? It sounds so vague to me.
Sure, we all know what public law is. But how do you demonstrate a sound understanding of this as a technical skill in a personal statement?
This for me is one of the vaguest aspects of the application. The other technical criteria are “understanding of legal risk” and ability to think creatively. Those are fine. Those are skills that can be easily demonstrated with examples of past actions, scenarios, etc. But “sound understanding of public law”??
Did you ever apply to this BTW?
I will say I am pretty familiar with this aspect of the application, having had discussions with civil servants recently. The requirement is exactly what it says on the tin - tell us you know public law. However, here is the kicker: the scope of public law is extremely wide and it covers such areas like administrative law [here, you'll be talking about judicial review], human rights, data protection, equality act etc. These are what I can think off the top of my head. In essence, you just have to demonstrate that you have excellent knowledge or experience in this area.
Hope this helps?
Hope this helps?
Reply 3
I got a first in Public Law and was one of my favourite modules. I've been put off applying for GLD due to many discouraging reviews such as a dead work environment and lawyers feeling underpaid. The only decent department seems to be HMRC but that's also the most competitive to secure.
Reply 5
Original post by Minion19
GLD pay more and HMRC are just as busy as GLD. No opportunity to move inside HMRC to try new areas, like GLD. Honestly, I see no benefits, unless you like tax law
I thought it was the other way around and HMRC lawyers were making bank? I know that they pay trainees more than GLD(40k vs 32k). Also, I think tax law is interesting and more convertable to working in commercial law in the future if you ever decide to switch. Working in CMA would also be equally interesting.
Original post by Academic007
I thought it was the other way around and HMRC lawyers were making bank? I know that they pay trainees more than GLD(40k vs 32k). Also, I think tax law is interesting and more convertable to working in commercial law in the future if you ever decide to switch. Working in CMA would also be equally interesting.
GLD is £59 and HMRC is £54. GLD has a massive pay rise because of retention of staff concerns. I did 4 years at HMRC and honestly tax law is mundane. Plus if you want commercial law, there's an actual commercial law group in GLD.
Reply 7
Original post by Minion19
GLD is £59 and HMRC is £54. GLD has a massive pay rise because of retention of staff concerns. I did 4 years at HMRC and honestly tax law is mundane. Plus if you want commercial law, there's an actual commercial law group in GLD.
Those PQE salaries are atrocious especially for London. I read that the maximum is £74k why can't every PQE hit that? Is it based on hours? Now I'm even more put off than I was.
(edited 6 months ago)
Original post by Academic007
Those PQE salaries are atrocious especially for London. I read that the maximum is £74k why can't every PQE hit that? Is it based on hours? Now I'm even more put off than I was.
This is outside of London, sorry, I have no idea what it is in London. I recon around few grand more. Defo not the best salary but I get 30 days of holiday and don't work past 5pm. I take a pay cut for work life balance anyday 🤷*♀️
Reply 9
As a barrister, I worked closely with the TSols/GLS/GLD for over two decades (circa 1990 to circa 2013). My observation of Government lawyers was that they obtained hands-on experience of big issue cases when at a relatively junior level, whereas in big law firms they would still be carrying a bag at the same level of seniority.
Some Government legal work is mundane and tedious, but some of it involves major issues of policy, and acting for and reporting to senior civil servants, Junior Ministers, Secretaries of State, and sometimes even Number Ten itself.
Towards the end of my period as Treasury Counsel, I had security clearance and got to do Secret Squirrel stuff with Five and sometimes even Six, and worked with some quite junior GLD lawyers who had the same security clearance as me. I could tell you about that but then I'd have to get Six to kill you (and I'd go to jail, but not for murder).
There were and no doubt still are big issues with under resourcing, and the pay is not what it should be, but as noted above the work/life balance beats that in the big law firms, and the quality of the work can be very stimulating.
As for showing ability in public law, you would probably need to demonstrate experience in JRs, or advisory work on public law in its wide sense.
Some Government legal work is mundane and tedious, but some of it involves major issues of policy, and acting for and reporting to senior civil servants, Junior Ministers, Secretaries of State, and sometimes even Number Ten itself.
Towards the end of my period as Treasury Counsel, I had security clearance and got to do Secret Squirrel stuff with Five and sometimes even Six, and worked with some quite junior GLD lawyers who had the same security clearance as me. I could tell you about that but then I'd have to get Six to kill you (and I'd go to jail, but not for murder).
There were and no doubt still are big issues with under resourcing, and the pay is not what it should be, but as noted above the work/life balance beats that in the big law firms, and the quality of the work can be very stimulating.
As for showing ability in public law, you would probably need to demonstrate experience in JRs, or advisory work on public law in its wide sense.
(edited 6 months ago)
Original post by stef22
just wondering if anyone who has applied has heard back yet?
I can see that there are updates on the CS site ( but you cant see what the updates are), but there hasn't been a reply yet. I would ld think they may reply with emails soon. Hopefully next week.
Original post by azonye
I can see that there are updates on the CS site ( but you cant see what the updates are), but there hasn't been a reply yet. I would ld think they may reply with emails soon. Hopefully next week.
Yea, I can see there's an update on the site too but can't see what it is. Guess we gotta wait. Good luck!
Original post by stef22
Yea, I can see there's an update on the site too but can't see what it is. Guess we gotta wait. Good luck!
Thanks. I wish you the best of luck as well
Reply 15
Original post by Minion19
GLD is £59 and HMRC is £54. GLD has a massive pay rise because of retention of staff concerns. I did 4 years at HMRC and honestly tax law is mundane. Plus if you want commercial law, there's an actual commercial law group in GLD.
Would you be able to tell me what sort of work you did? I’m thinking of applying next year in January for pupillage. Plus what sort of questions you were asked on the application stage
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