Courtroom-Facing, High-Impact Work - You'll represent the councils in the Magistrates’, County, and Crown Courts — prosecuting offences relating to housing, environmental health, planning, licensing, and more. This is a true advocacy role with regular hearings, typically once a week in central Oxford.

Breadth and Variety - There’s room to shape the role around your strengths. While the preference is for someone with criminal litigation and prosecution experience, there’s flexibility to include civil litigation, licensing, debt recovery, or public law depending on your expertise.

Trusted Autonomy - You’ll manage a varied litigation caseload with minimal supervision — drafting charges, preparing witness statements, handling appeals, and advising council departments on enforcement and regulatory matters.

Supportive, Well-Resourced Team - Led by an experienced Principal Lawyer, you’ll be part of a wider legal service that values quality, collaboration, and continuous improvement. Administrative support is in place to free you up for legal delivery — not admin overload.

Genuinely Flexible Working - Our designated office base is Abbey House, Abingdon - but we work in a hybrid way built on trust and performance. Court attendance is essential, but beyond that, the focus is on outcomes, not location.

Handling prosecutions across environmental health, housing, licensing, and planning.

Managing civil litigation including claims, liability orders, and debt recovery.

Representing the councils at court, licensing hearings, and tribunals.

Advising on statutory nuisance, contaminated land, FOI, RIPA, and data protection.

Providing legal training to officers — including around PACE and enforcement powers.

Advising formal committees including planning and licensing panels.

A qualified solicitor, barrister or chartered legal executive with a current practising certificate.

Minimum two years’ experience in criminal and/or civil litigation.

Confident courtroom advocate with solid drafting and procedural knowledge.

Strong organisational skills — able to handle pressure and deadlines with composure.