Supportive place to work - Supervising Solicitor National Legal Service Employee Review

I joined NLS in it's infancy during March 2018, I assisted in growing the Birmingham branch from me alone to over 20 people including paralegals, trainees, solicitors and supervisors. I left for other opportunities in mid-2022 but returned May 2024 as I felt at home here, supported with my team, I like working with NCDV and the diverse type of work I am able to undertake within Family Law. The current CEO is very hands on, ensuring he is visible & accessible to the team. Given the pace of some of the work we do I can train my colleagues in the law & advocacy quickly. IT is fantastic in terms of the case management system which is one of the reasons I returned. For the motivated, dedicated employees the path from admin work to supervising a team as a qualified solicitor can be as little as 3-4 years.

As the firm was much larger when I returned there was unexpected bureaucracy to navigate to get certain tasks done however, this has been shaken up and lots of previous barriers removed. Clear London-Outsiders divide for a long time but this is being eroded to give us non-Londoners the same opportunities & attention.

Flexible working for some people

Flexible working rules vary across teams, shows favouritism and unfairness Salary is poor at all levels Target is only achievable with impossible working hours No benefits No socials No training No resources (lexis etc) Tech and IT is poor Dictatorship rather than leadership Promotion depends on gender and favouritism, some solicitors wait years for promotion, others are granted immediately upon qualification if favoured Chaotic and oppressive management HR entirely lacking Turnover of staff is exceptionally high, creates immense stress Legal work and level is basic, with immense volume turnover