PERSONAL QUALITIES
• Ability to work in a team as well as individually.
• Good communication and interpersonal skills.
• Attention to detail, especially when reviewing and drafting legal documents.
• Ability to work on a number of projects at one time and able to prioritise competing workloads.
• Commercially astute.
EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE
• Law Degree followed by Legal Practice Course and a Training Contract.
• Non Law Degree followed by Graduate Diploma in Law, followed by Legal Practice Course and a Training Contract.
• No Degree - If you already work in a legal office, you can join the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx), which is the governing body for legal executives. You must pass examinations to qualify first as a member and later as a fellow. Qualifying by this route takes a long time, is demanding and academically challenging, and requires that you enter and maintain CILEx-approved legal employment.
• Registered to practice as a solicitor in England and Wales with the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
• Experience of working within a business is beneficial but not essential.
• A sound understanding of company and commercial law.
RESPONSIBILITIES
• Ensuring that the business operates in compliance with all applicable UK legislation, as well as EU law and regulations and any regulatory framework set by the Civil Aviation Authority, Department for Transport, etc.
• Preparing and reviewing all contracts entered into by the company.
• Assessing risk for the company in any actions and operations it undertakes and advising on these risks.
WHAT DOES A TYPICAL DAY INVOLVE
Every day is different and an in-house solicitor’s workload is largely dictated by the demands of the business and your colleagues competing priorities. You must make yourself available for urgent business matters. Examples of work undertaken on a day to day basis include:
• Negotiating, drafting and reviewing commercial contracts (for example airline contracts), property leases, confidentiality agreements and many other forms of legal documents.
• Assisting colleagues with legal queries and providing them with advice.
• Accident investigation to assist in defence of claims against the airport.
• Researching legal matters, for example recent case law on a particular issue that has arisen in the course of business.
• Assessing a potentially litigious dispute which has arisen in the course of business.
• Advising colleagues on the legal implications of new projects.
