Commercial Lawyers

Government Legal Department

£48,400 to £61,000 (London) depending on experience or £42,000 as a Legal Officer

Take on a career defining role that will challenge your capabilities.

As the largest provider of legal advice within the Government, our teams advise on projects that have a direct impact on the British people. That’s because as a non-ministerial government department, our work forms a crucial part of the design and implementation of policies, legislation and guides many other vital decisions. It’s a scintillating environment that is perfect for someone with an enquiring mind and an interest in politics - and now you can join us.

The Commercial Lawyer role within our Commercial Law Group (CLGp) provides non-contentious legal services to a number of departments such as the Home Office and Ministry of Justice. Helping the Government develop concepts, you will therefore offer legal advice, manage legal risk and resolve disputes across a broad range of high profile areas such as contracts and supplier management, intellectual property and state aid. In the Commercial Litigation role within the CLGp, important issues such as public law challenges will fall into your remit, as will issues of policy importance such as those relating to procurement and contracts. Working alongside Counsel from the Attorney General’s Panels, you will advise on reducing litigation risk and develop contingency plans for when such matters arise.

In the DfT role, you will join a fast paced team and provide commercial advice on high profile projects, such as High Speed 2 or the rail refranchising programme, and be directly involved in defining how the transport network is delivered in the future. 

To thrive in any one of these roles, you will ideally have a 2:1 degree (or equivalent if applying from overseas), though those with degree less than a 2:1 will also be considered if they can prove a high standard of academic or professional achievement. You will also have excellent verbal and written communication skills, with good analytical capabilities and sound legal judgement. Enjoying a confident knowledge of commercial and contract law, you will have an understanding of the wider public sector context. For both of the Commercial Lawyer roles, you will also have the ability to draft contracts, good negotiation skills and knowledge of public procurement issues, while for the Commercial Litigation role you will have relevant experience with an understanding of the Technology and Construction Court and Alternative Dispute Resolution procedures.

All of our posts offer a rare insight into the dynamic world of British politics, with the opportunity to make an active difference to the wellbeing of the nation. If you’re ready to take on a challenge of this magnitude, then get in touch and let us know what skills you could bring to our 2,200-strong team.