Head of Department - Public Law/Inquests

Head of Public Law & Inquests / Senior Public Law Solicitor

South Wales | Hybrid / Flexible Working Available

Yolk Legal Recruitment is delighted to be supporting a highly regarded and expanding legal practice in South Wales with the appointment of a senior Public Law and Inquests specialist.

This is a unique opportunity for an experienced lawyer to join a forward-thinking firm and play a key role in developing and growing a specialist Public Law offering. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to shape the direction of the department, build a team around them and work closely with senior leadership to establish a leading practice area.

What you will get in this role:

The firm has a strong reputation for supporting clients across a range of specialist legal areas and is now looking to further develop its Public Law, Inquests and Human Rights offering.

This role would suit an experienced solicitor who is passionate about public interest work and wants the autonomy, support and platform to grow a department.

You will have the opportunity to:

• Develop and lead a Public Law and Inquests team.

• Build and manage a specialist caseload.

• Work on complex Judicial Review, Human Rights and Inquest matters.

• Develop relationships with key stakeholders, counsel and external partners.

• Mentor junior lawyers and contribute to the growth strategy of the department.

The experience you will have:

You will ideally have:

• A strong background in Public Law, Administrative Law, Inquests and/or Human Rights litigation.

• Experience handling Judicial Reviews and complex public interest matters.

• The ability to manage a caseload independently and provide high-quality client advice.

• Strong advocacy skills and experience working with senior counsel.

• Experience supporting vulnerable clients and handling sensitive, high-impact cases.

• A genuine interest in developing and growing a specialist practice area.

Experience with Legal Aid work and Legal Aid Agency procedures would be highly desirable.

This opportunity would suit someone who may currently be:

• A Senior Associate looking for the next step in their career.

• An experienced Public Law/Inquests lawyer wanting greater autonomy.

• A lawyer who enjoys business development and building something from the ground up.

• Someone looking for a leadership role with genuine influence over the future direction of a department.

What you will get in this role:

• Competitive salary package based on experience.

• Performance-related bonus opportunity.

• Genuine career progression and leadership opportunities.

• Flexible hybrid working arrangements.

• Opportunity to work remotely for the right individual.

• Supportive and collaborative working environment.

• Generous holiday allowance plus birthday day off.

This is an exciting opportunity for a specialist Public Law lawyer to make a real impact and build something meaningful within an established and growing legal practice.

For more information or a confidential discussion, please contact Nicole at Yolk Legal Recruitment.

Yolk Recruitment is an equal opportunities employer and embraces diversity in our workforce. We employ the best people for the job at hand and actively encourage applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, age, race, religion, sexual orientation, disability, educational background, parental status, gender identity or any other protected characteristic. We champion and celebrate diversity at Yolk, allowing our team to bring their whole selves to work. Please note, whilst we do our best to contact all candidates, due to the high number of applications we receive, we cannot guarantee this for every role. If you have not heard anything from us within 7 days of applying, then unfortunately you have been unsuccessful. Please keep an eye on our website for more opportunities.