Solicitor Job Description
Hire an experienced, client-focused Solicitor to manage cases, give clear legal advice and support business growth. This template helps you create a concise advert that attracts qualified fee-earning candidates.
What does a Solicitor professional do?
A Solicitor provides legal advice, prepares documentation, represents clients (in or out of court) and manages a caseload within a specified practice area.
Solicitor job description template
Use this employer-ready example as a starting point, then replace the placeholders and adjust the content so it accurately reflects your vacancy.
Solicitor
About the role
We are seeking a qualified Solicitor to join our team in [Location]. You will manage a caseload, provide clear legal advice, draft and negotiate documents, and represent clients as required within [Practice area(s)]. This is a [full-time/part-time] role offering [hybrid/office-based] working and opportunities for professional development. Salary: [Salary range].
Key responsibilities
- Manage a varied caseload from client intake through to conclusion, keeping clients informed at each stage.
- Provide clear, pragmatic legal advice tailored to client objectives and risk appetite.
- Draft, review and negotiate contracts, pleadings, settlement agreements and other legal documents.
- Prepare and file court documents and represent clients at hearings, tribunals or mediations as required.
- Conduct legal research and keep up to date with relevant changes in legislation and case law.
- Liaise with clients, external counsel, courts and third parties, maintaining professional relationships.
- Work to billing and productivity targets where appropriate, ensuring accurate time recording.
- Supervise paralegals or junior fee earners and contribute to their development.
Essential skills and experience
- Qualified Solicitor admitted to the roll in England and Wales with a current practising certificate.
- Minimum of 2 years' post-qualification experience (PQE) in a relevant practice area or demonstrable equivalent experience.
- Practical experience drafting and negotiating legal documents and representing clients in hearings or tribunals.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, with experience advising clients directly.
- Organised with the ability to manage multiple matters to deadlines and maintain accurate records.
- Right to work in the UK.
Desirable
- Experience in one or more of: commercial/contract law, employment law, property/conveyancing, litigation or corporate work.
- Experience supervising junior staff and delegating work effectively.
- Familiarity with practice management and legal research software.
- Previous experience meeting billable hours or fee targets in a law firm.
- Membership of a professional network or in-house CPD relevant to the practice area.
- Experience of client development or fees-earning business generation.
What we offer
- [Competitive salary package]
- [Pension contribution scheme]
- [Annual leave entitlement: e.g. X days plus bank holidays]
- [Professional fees / practising certificate contribution or CPD support]
- [Flexible / hybrid working options where available]
- [Career development and study support / mentorship programme]
How to apply
Apply with your CV and any additional information requested. Make the interview process, closing date and any assessment stages clear where known.
Use this as a starting point rather than a final advert. The strongest version will reflect the real role, salary, location, systems, responsibilities, benefits and working arrangements.
What is a Solicitor role?
A Solicitor is a regulated legal professional who advises clients, prepares legal documents and represents them in legal proceedings or negotiations. Solicitors typically specialise in one or more practice areas (for example commercial, employment, property or litigation) and manage client relationships while ensuring compliance with professional rules. They may work in private practice, in-house teams or public sector organisations.
Employers
Law firms, in-house legal teams, public sector bodies and legal aid organisations commonly recruit solicitors.
Hours
Roles are usually full-time but part-time, flexible and hybrid arrangements are increasingly common.
Progression
Career paths include senior associate, partner, head of legal, or specialist in-house counsel roles.
Typical Solicitor responsibilities
Responsibilities should reflect the real scope of the vacancy rather than every task someone in this profession might ever complete.
Manage a varied caseload from
Manage a varied caseload from client intake through to conclusion, keeping clients informed at each stage.
Provide clear
Provide clear, pragmatic legal advice tailored to client objectives and risk appetite.
Draft
Draft, review and negotiate contracts, pleadings, settlement agreements and other legal documents.
Prepare
Prepare and file court documents and represent clients at hearings, tribunals or mediations as required.
Conduct legal research
Conduct legal research and keep up to date with relevant changes in legislation and case law.
Liaise with clients
Liaise with clients, external counsel, courts and third parties, maintaining professional relationships.
Work to billing
Work to billing and productivity targets where appropriate, ensuring accurate time recording.
Supervise paralegals or junior fee earners
Supervise paralegals or junior fee earners and contribute to their development.
Solicitor skills and experience to look for
Keep the essential list focused on what the person really needs to perform the role. Move useful-but-trainable experience into desirable criteria.
Usually worth prioritising
- Qualified Solicitor admitted to the roll in England and Wales with a current practising certificate.
- Minimum of 2 years' post-qualification experience (PQE) in a relevant practice area or demonstrable equivalent experience.
- Practical experience drafting and negotiating legal documents and representing clients in hearings or tribunals.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, with experience advising clients directly.
- Organised with the ability to manage multiple matters to deadlines and maintain accurate records.
- Right to work in the UK.
Useful where relevant
- Experience in one or more of: commercial/contract law, employment law, property/conveyancing, litigation or corporate work.
- Experience supervising junior staff and delegating work effectively.
- Familiarity with practice management and legal research software.
- Previous experience meeting billable hours or fee targets in a law firm.
- Membership of a professional network or in-house CPD relevant to the practice area.
- Experience of client development or fees-earning business generation.
See our guide to what to include in a job advert before publishing.
How to write a Solicitor job advert
Small role-specific details can make the advert much easier for suitable candidates to assess.
Be specific about practice area
Clearly state the primary practice area(s) and typical matter types so candidates can assess fit quickly.
List realistic essential criteria
Reserve essential requirements for legally necessary items (e.g. practising certificate) and key skills; put other desirable attributes in a separate section.
Describe client and case mix
State whether matters are private clients, commercial, public sector, high-value litigation, or routine transactions to set expectations.
Set expectations on outputs
Note any billing expectations, case volumes or supervision responsibilities that affect day-to-day work.
Mention professional support
Highlight CPD, mentoring, or fee-earner support to attract candidates seeking development.
Solicitor salary considerations
Solicitor salaries vary widely. Rather than a single market figure, pay is influenced by practice area, employer type, location and level of post‑qualification experience. Use the factors below to set a competitive range for your vacancy.
depending on experience
- Use a genuine range
- Separate variable pay
- Avoid “competitive” alone
- Match salary to seniority
What Solicitor candidates will want to know
Practical details can influence whether a suitable candidate applies, even when the title and salary are attractive.
What is the typical caseload and matter complexity?
Experienced solicitors will want to know number of active matters, typical case values and how much client contact they will have.
What are the working hours and expectations for out-of-hours work?
Clarify standard hours, any fee-targets or on-call requirements and your approach to flexible working.
What support is available (paralegals, secretarial, IT)?
Candidates need to understand available resources, supervision and administrative support for fee earners.
How does the firm support CPD and career progression?
Include information on mentoring, fee-earner development, study leave and financial support for courses.
Are there specific billing or business development targets?
Be upfront about any billable hour expectations, origination credit or revenue targets tied to the role.
What is the working location and hybrid/remote policy?
State the primary office, any client site travel requirements and flexibility for remote work.
Where to post a Solicitor job
This role suits a mix of general and specialist recruitment channels. Use national job boards and LinkedIn to reach a broad pool, legal‑sector sites and law society job boards for targeted candidates, and regional/local channels when recruiting for a specific city. Consider reaching active and passive candidates via professional networks, alumni groups and niche legal forums for senior or specialist hires.
Related legal / law job descriptions
Recruiting for a slightly different role? These templates may be a closer fit.
Solicitor job description FAQs
Do solicitors need a practising certificate?
Yes — a current practising certificate is required to carry out reserved legal activities as a solicitor in England and Wales, so list this as an essential requirement where applicable.
How should I check a candidate's qualification and status?
Request proof of admission and practising certificate, verify right to work in the UK, and consider an online check via the professional regulator where appropriate.
What minimum experience should I advertise?
Base experience requirements on the level of responsibility: junior/assistant solicitors typically need limited PQE or equivalent experience, while fee-earners and senior roles usually require 2+ to 5+ years PQE or specialist expertise.
How can I assess technical legal ability in shortlisting?
Use targeted application questions, sample case scenarios or short technical tests and request examples of prior written work (with confidential information redacted).
Should I state billing targets in the advert?
State billing expectations where they are a material part of the role, but you can present them as a range or as part of wider performance measures to set correct candidate expectations.
Ready to advertise this Solicitor role?
Use the advert text above and placeholders to create your vacancy listing, or download a ready-to-edit version. Post to a mix of national and legal specialist channels to reach qualified candidates quickly.
