Proud to Serve. Proud to keep justice going.
HMCTS Legal Operations are in the process of implementing a new organisational design structure. The Legal Team Manager role is a core focus of this work as a key role in leading legal teams into the future legal operations operating model.
As a Tier 3 Legal Team Manager you will be at the forefront of delivering this improved service and experience to our customers both in and outside the court room.
This new chapter brings a stronger focus on people leadership, strategic influence, and wellbeing, designed to empower our Tier 3 Legal Team Managers to lead with clarity, purpose, and impact.
This structure will also enable our legal managers to focus on legal specialisms whilst contributing to wider legal initiatives, talent development, and cross agency collaboration.
About us
Magistrates’ Courts deal with approximately 95% of criminal cases, 70% of civil cases, and 60% of family cases. Dealing with cases justly and speedily, and in ways that meet the needs of our court users, is at the heart of what we do. We advise magistrates in criminal and family hearings, manage cases in preparation for tribunal hearings, and make important decisions in civil money claims and probate cases.
Your role as the Tier 3 Legal Team Manager encompasses several key aspects (but not limited to):
The role of the Tier 3 Legal Team Manager is to provide strong leadership of Legal Advisers and other legal staff within their business area. Legal Team Managers support the Senior Legal Managers (SLMs) and the Head of Legal Operations (HoLO) in the management of National legal operations services across their part of the business. A key part of this role will involve creating, developing, and maintaining relationships with internal and external stakeholders and managing their varying and complex needs.
The role holder will have considerable influence and responsibility over legal service provision within the region and be responsible for high-quality delivery of day-to-day legal operations. They will provide clear direction and focus, leading by example and visibly championing a culture which values the legal profession, delivering quality legal advice and driving performance to support the delivery of justice.
This role has significant people leadership responsibility and will work ly with Senior Legal Managers, members of the National Legal Operations team and National Service to ensure all staff within their business area have the right skills and knowledge to exercise legal functions, can support sound judicial decisions and have access to the opportunities to develop their careers as lawyers. They will provide clear strategic direction and focus, leading by example, and visibly championing and leading change which delivers results and improved performance across the region. The role holder will create and enhance effective working relationships to support the local judiciary and magistracy and ensure hearings operate effectively and efficiently, supporting the SLMs and HoLO and representing them as required. The scope of the role is significant, contributing substantially to the achievement of business objectives across their part of the business.
They will establish and build effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including working with magistrates and other judicial office holders, local operational leaders and partner organisations to ensure hearings operate effectively and efficiently.
They will have oversight of legal queries and complaints in their area of the business and make sure their teams are able to use these as opportunities for driving continuous improvement w appropriate. They will also champion continuous professional development and knowledge sharing within their business area.
The role holder will take courts in order to maintain their legal specialism but also take up a portfolio of responsibility for providing legal and jurisdictional leadership on regional business priorities and w called upon for national projects.
Please ensure that you read the attached role profile for a full overview of the main activities, responsibilities and essential skills required for this position before applying.
Eligibility
- To be eligible for this post the role holder must satisfy the Authorised Court Staff (Legal Advice Functions) (Qualification Regulations) 2020;
- And have demonstrable substantial experience as a legal adviser or Senior Legal Officer in either the magistrates’ criminal / family / civil / tribunals jurisdictions and relevant up‑to‑date legal practice knowledge and skills relevant to a specialist legal practice area
Desirable
- Excellent communication skills – able to communicate complex information clearly in a format all stakeholders will understand
- Excellent leadership and people management potential to drive a professional and performance driven culture, including the ability to coach and mentor others to build their legal knowledge
Application process
Behaviour (250 words)
Communicating and Influencing
You will be required to answer the following question:
Legal Team Managers are expected to engage and influence having to deal with Senior judiciary, Senior Leaders, and external stakeholders. Can you tell us about your experience and approach in this area?
Statement of Suitability (500 words)
Please submit a statement of suitability explaining how your skills, substantial practical experience, and personal qualities make you a strong candidate for this role. Your statement should highlight transferable skills and demonstrate your knowledge and experience.
Anonymised CV
Please upload your anonymised CV in a simple format to avoid formatting issues when it is reviewed. Your CV must confirm whether you are, or have been, qualified at Tier 1, Tier 2 or Tier 3 (LTM) or a Senior Legal Officer
What to include
- Include your legal and professional qualifications, highlighting any relevant modules or accreditations.
- Only include jurisdictional work (including legal adviser tier / Senior legal officer roles) that is relevant to this role. Do not include a full employment history.
- Provide dates for those roles.
- No additional info is required in your CV
Important
- Be clear and concise.
- Ensure all information is accurate and your own.
- Plagiarism includes presenting the ideas or experience of others, or content generated by artificial intelligence, as your own.
Interview Schedule Notice
Interviews are scheduled to take place week commencing July 2026. Please note that rescheduling will only be considered in exceptional circumstances, and any rearrangements must still occur within the interview period.
Working Pattern
The roles are offered on a full-time basis. However, requests for part-time/reduced hours working will be considered at the point of provisional offer, subject to meeting business requirements within the relevant business area.
We have 42 positions available:
London (dual site in brackets):
9 roles in East London (Croydon), West London (Barnet), Westminster (City of London), Wimbledon (Lavender Hill), Willesden (Hendon), Thames (Stratford)
Midlands:
4 family roles in Coventry, North Staffordshire – Newcastle-Under-Lyme, Lincoln, Northampton
1 Civil and Family role in Leicester
1 Advisory Committee role, can be based at Lincoln, Leicester, Northampton, Nottingham, Derby, North Staffordshire – Newcastle-Under-Lyme, Telford, Kidderminster, Worcester, Wolverhampton, Walsall, Birmingham, or Coventry
South West:
2 roles in Crime, 1 at Bristol, Bath or Cheltenham and 1 at North Somerset or Taunton
South East:
9 roles in Crime at High Wycombe / Milton Keynes, Folkestone / Maidstone, Brighton, Worthing, Guildford, Norwich, Chelmsford / Basildon, Ipswich, Luton / St Albans / Stevenage
8 roles in Family at Canterbury / Medway, Reading / Oxford / Milton Keynes, Cambridge / Watford / Luton /Peterborough / Bedford, Chelmsford / Basildon / Colchester, Luton / St Albans / Stevenage
North West:
2 roles in Family at Preston and Manchester Civil Justice Centre
3 roles in Crime at Manchester Mags
Wales:
3 roles in Crime at Merthyr Tydfil, Cardiff and Caernarfon
Dual-Site Working
These positions involve dual-site working. A base location will be assigned; however, post-holders should expect to travel between designated court sites in line with operational requirements
If you have a question about locations, dual-site working and travel requirements please contact the Vacancy Holder by email to [email protected] during the recruitment process to avoid possible disappointment later in the process should your working arrangements not be compatible with the requirements of the role.
Base Location and Reserve list information
It is important to note that whilst you may select up to three preferences, you should only indicate locations w you are prepared to travel to and work from every day. If you are offered a role in one of your stated location preferences (for example, your 2nd or 3rd choice), you will not be able to decline this and remain on the merit list for a higher preference. Or if you are offered a role in any one of your stated preferences and decline it, you will be removed from the reserve list for all your preferences.
We will be allocating roles and base locations using your selected preference location/s. We will appoint in merit list order for each location outlined in the vacancy.
After appointments have been made using this locational appointment process, any remaining candidates who met the benchmark for the role will be placed on a reserve list, based on your selected preferences. This will be for a period of 12 months in the event of a similar opportunity arising in one of these locations.
Further Information – Webinars
We will be holding Microsoft Teams Webinars on the following dates and times:
Register to attend:
Friday 5th June 2026 @ 1pm link to join 5 June – 1pm - Legal Team Manager Webinar
Wednesday 10th June 2026 @ 1pm link to join 10 June - 1pm - Legal Team Manager Webinar
What’s in store:
- A short presentation from our Learning and Development team and Civil, Family and Tribunals Senior Leadership team.
A live Q&A session w- you can submit questions via chat
- Cameras and microphones will be off for attendees.
Why register?
- It helps us plan the session and tailor it to your interests
- It provides you with the opportunity to ask questions about the campaign, including, Eligibility criteria, Nature of the role and application process
- You’ll receive a confirmation email with the joining link and reminders
- Opportunity to ask questions around the different jurisdictions for vacancies
We look forward to welcoming you and sharing more about this exciting opportunity.