Constitution Committee seeks new legal adviser

• Legal Adviser – vacancy notice (PDF)

The role is part-time, remunerated by daily fee. The successful candidate will demonstrate established expertise in the fields of public law generally and constitutional law in particular. The primary task is to help the Committee fulfil its role examining the constitutional implications of public bills, but the adviser may help the Committee with other aspects of its work.

Role of the adviser

Working with the other legal adviser, the successful candidate will be expected to:

• prepare a written analysis for the Committee of the constitutional implications of Government bills (and some private members’ bills), with the normal aim of the Committee considering the note before the bill’s second reading or committee stage in the Lords;
• brief the Chairman and the Committee orally and in writing;
• prepare draft reports on bills as appropriate;
• prepare draft letters to ministers as appropriate;
• attend the Committee as appropriate to assist its deliberation; and
• undertake other work to assist the Committee with inquiries or other constitutional issues as

In addition to the legal advisers and the clerk, the Constitution Committee has a policy analyst and a committee assistant.

Skills

The successful candidate will demonstrate established expertise in the fields of public law generally and constitutional law in particular. The successful candidate will demonstrate a strong understanding of how legislation is drafted, and the ability to advise on the effects of legislation clearly and concisely, setting provisions in their legal and constitutional contexts. The adviser must be incisive, articulate and able to draft quickly and clearly for both a specialist and a non-specialist audience.

The adviser will be expected to offer the Committee impartial advice, regardless of any personal or professional interest in the outcome, and should avoid being seen to favour a particular viewpoint when dealing with contentious issues.

The appointment is likely to be suited to a senior academic lawyer or to a person with experience of working as a senior lawyer in government.

Further information

Interested candidates should send a CV and short covering letter setting out their suitability for the post to the Clerk of the Constitution Committee at torrancem@parliament.uk by 12 noon on Wednesday 23 June 2021.

The House of Lords welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of their ethnicity, race, gender, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, age, marital status or whether or not they have a disability. Requests for reasonable adjustments will be considered. Applications are particularly welcome from sections of the community which are currently under-represented among House of Lords specialist advisers, including applicants who identify as Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME).