Law Clinic Manager

18213BR

School of Law and Politics

Teaching & Scholarship

Advert

Law Clinic Manager – Teaching & Scholarship
School of Law and Politics

The Cardiff School of Law and Politics is making a significant investment in our pro bono activity.  We want to expand our social justice mission activities by providing advice to the local community in Cardiff by helping people deal with their legal issues through an externally facing Law Clinic.  This is one of three posts that is available.

We are looking for a professionally qualified solicitor, barrister, or chartered legal executive with a relevant practising certificate and ideally with five or more years post-qualification experience of private practice, third sector legal advice-giving, or university law clinic work, with a background in social justice areas of law and practice such as (but not necessarily) family or housing law.  They will have the vision and ambition to deliver this project for the School and manage it on an ongoing basis.  They will initially be responsible for setting up a new externally facing Law Clinic with the assistance of the pro bono team that will deliver advice and assistance to members of the local community, many of whom are without access to such advice.  Following its creation, the appointee will be responsible for the day-to-day management of its operation, overseeing and monitoring the delivery of advice and assistance by students, some but not all of which will be assessed as part of degree programmes. The person appointed will also chair a new clinical education management committee.

The appointees will also be responsible for delivering skills-led elements of the curriculum, building at least part of that around their clinical activity.

For further information or an informal discussion, please contact Dave Cowan, the interim Head of School, at [email protected] ; or the co-Heads of Pro Bono and Clinical Legal Education, Professor Julie Price and Professor Jason Tucker, at [email protected] .

This post is full time (35 hours per week), open-ended and available to start as soon as possible.

Salary: £49,794 - £54,395 per annum (Grade 7)

Date advert posted: Tuesday, 20 February 2024

Closing date: Sunday, 10 March 2024

Please be aware that Cardiff University reserves the right to close this vacancy early should sufficient applications be received.

Cardiff University is committed to supporting and promoting equality and diversity and to creating an inclusive working environment. We believe this can be achieved through attracting, developing, and retaining a diverse range of staff from many different backgrounds.  We therefore welcome applicants from all sections of the community regardless of sex, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, trans identity, relationship status, religion or belief, caring responsibilities, or age.  In supporting our employees to achieve a balance between their work and their personal lives, we will also consider proposals for flexible working or job share arrangements.

Job Description

To set up and manage an externally facing law clinic, supervising students, and to carry out administrative duties within the work area as required.  To undertake an ancillary mainly but not exclusively skills-based teaching load, including the development, delivery and evaluation of modules related to the law clinic within the undergraduate and postgraduate provision within the School. To supervise students and to carry out administrative duties within the work area as required. To pursue excellence in teaching and inspire others to do the same.

Law Clinic

•    To set up and manage an externally facing law clinic, supervising students, and to carry out administrative duties within the work area as required.
•    Establish working relationships with key contacts both internally and externally, working with the charitable organisation, “Support through Court”, and develop effective working relationships with local practitioners in setting up and maintaining the law clinic.
•    Chair clinical educational committee meetings, and to lead/participate in law clinic management activities as a core law clinic team member.

Teaching 

•    Independently and as part of a team contribute to module and curriculum development and lead clinical and employability-focused modules at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, inspiring students
•    Supervise the work of students including the supervision of Undergraduate and Master’s students. The co-supervision of PGR’s and acting as a PGR progress review panel member where required
•    Manage projects relating to own area of work and the organisation of external activities such as placements (with the Placements Manager) and client visits/meetings
•    Supervise student projects, and where appropriate field trips and placements.

Scholarship

•    Contribute to scholarship in the area of work through participation in conferences, seminars and other academic and professional forums to disseminate the results of individual scholarship
•    Engage in scholarly activity through journal articles and/or outputs which advance knowledge within the area of work
•    Contribute to scholarship through interdisciplinary working with individuals and teams within, and external to, the wider university community
•    Carry out other forms of scholarship including work associated with examinations (setting and marking paper and providing constructive feedback to students), administration, participation in committee work

Other

•    Engage effectively with industrial, commercial and public sector organisations, professional institutions, other academic institutions etc., regionally and nationally to raise awareness of the School’s profile, to cultivate strategically valuable alliances, and to pursue opportunities for collaboration across a range of activities. These activities are expected to contribute to the School and the enhancement of its regional and national profile
•    Participate in School administration and activities to promote the School and its work to the wider University and the outside world
•    Supply pastoral care through both acting as a Personal Tutor and providing support and guidance to students, building and establishing trust
•    Any other duties not included above, but consistent with the role.

Person Specification

It is the School's policy to use the person specification as a key tool for short-listing. Candidates should evidence that they meet the essential criteria as well as, where relevant, the desirable. You are required to submit written evidence/demonstration of how you fulfil each of the Essential Criteria in the Person Specification (and where possible the Desirable criteria), using the same order/numbering in which they appear. Please save as 'Name_18213BR_Supporting Document' when uploading your attachment in order that it can easily be identified.
Please note: shortlisting does not progress if any of the essential criteria is not evidenced as met.

Essential Criteria

Qualifications and Education
1.    Professional qualification entitling the applicant to practise as a solicitor, barrister or chartered legal executive with ideally at least five years’ post-qualification experience.  If a barrister, able to obtain authorisation to conduct litigation.
2.    Evidence of post-qualification experience advising and representing clients, which may include advising in private practice, the third sector, or in a university law clinic setting.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience
3.    Experience of or the ability to set up and effectively manage an externally facing community law clinic
4.    Awareness of the advice needs of the local community in Cardiff and beyond
5.    Excellent interpersonal, administrative, and operational management skills.
6.    Ability to design, deliver and continuously develop modules across the Schools teaching programmes. 

Pastoral, Communication and Team Working
7.    Proven ability to develop networks in order to contribute to long term developments
8.    Excellent communication skills with the ability to present complex problems clearly and confidently to others using high level skills
9.    The ability to provide appropriate pastoral support to students, appreciate the needs of individual students and their circumstances and to act as a personal tutor.
10.    Proven ability to demonstrate creativity, innovation and teamworking within work

Desirable Criteria 

1.    Qualification in Higher Education Teaching and Learning
2.    Additional practitioner training and/or accreditation in specialist areas of advice work
3.    Proven ability to work without close supervision
4.    Evidence of ability to participate in and develop both internal and external networks and utilise them to enhance the teaching and research activities of the School

5.    A willingness to take responsibility for academically related administration

Job Category

Academic - Teaching & Scholarship