Assistant Parliamentary Counsel

Cabinet Office

Assistant Parliamentary Counsel

£67,700

London

The Office of the Parliamentary Counsel is a team within the civil service of some 50 lawyers and 10 support staff. We draft Government Bills for introduction into Parliament and handle related Parliamentary business.

Our task is to deliver the legislative priorities of the Government as a whole. Accordingly, we are part of the Cabinet Office, at the very centre of Government. Our drafting projects are often complex, novel, politically sensitive and fast-moving. The work is stretching and at times demanding, but it offers a unique insight into the process of turning policy into law.

 

Job description

Assistant Parliamentary Counsel are drafters in training who assist in all aspects of the Office’s work.

Assistant Parliamentary Counsel can expect to work on Bills with one or two more experienced colleagues. They are supervised in their work, with the level of supervision reducing as they grow in expertise and experience.

The main tasks of an Assistant Parliamentary Counsel are: -

To assist in drafting Bills which are effective, clearly written and well- structured (including in particular both drafting and reviewing the work of more experienced drafters)

To work with officials across Government to ensure that the process of Bill preparation, publication and parliamentary handling is handled effectively and efficiently

To provide advice to Government departments on parliamentary procedure

To review, draft and advise on subordinate legislation

To contribute to the training and development of other drafters, departmental lawyers, policy advisers and Bill team members

To contribute actively to the wider objectives of the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel, in particular those of providing a high-quality drafting service, leading the legislative drafting profession within government, and promoting good law

We are looking for intellectually capable lawyers who are motivated to produce legislation of the highest quality.

We encourage and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds. We particularly welcome applications from people who are disabled or who are black, Asian or from minority ethnic groups, as they are currently under-represented in our workforce.

Academic

You should have a good honours degree (2:1 or above or an overseas equivalent) in any subject. Applicants who do not have a 2:1 degree are considered only where strong evidence of equivalent high level academic and/or professional achievement can be provided.

Professional qualifications

We will accept three qualification routes: qualified in England and Wales, qualified outside of England and Wales and qualified via CILEX.
 

Apply before 11:55 pm on Sunday 28th March 2021

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