22809 - Solicitor Advocate, Cheltenham


Company:	Ministry of Justice
Salary:	£58,511 to £65,329 a year
Hours:	Full-time
Location:	CHELTENHAM,, GL50 9SA
Working pattern:	On-site
Job type:	Permanent
Posting date:	28 Sept 2026
Closing date:	12 Oct 2026

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Summary

At the Public Defender Service, we believe every person deserves skilled, compassionate, trauma‑informed representation. Our teams work across England and Wales to deliver justice with excellence, integrity, and humanity, standing beside people at the hardest moments of their lives and helping them be seen as more than the allegation they face.

We are building a future‑focused, quality‑led organisation that develops brilliant lawyers, strengthens our profession, and improves the criminal justice system.

Solicitors at the PDS work in a fast‑paced, dynamic environment providing representation at police stations, advocacy at the Magistrates’ Court, and litigation and advocacy at the Crown Courts.

We offer:

A unique training‑led culture with structured supervision.

Cross‑office collaboration, shared resources and peer learning.

Opportunities to specialise (e.g., prison law, BIOT cases, remote litigation, youth court)

We invest heavily in ongoing professional development, recognising that excellent public defence requires continual learning. Training opportunities include:

Advanced court and trial advocacy programmes.

Youth Advocacy training.

Prison law specialisation.

Leadership and line‑management courses.

Opportunities to contribute to policy work, training delivery, and national LAA projects.

If you are motivated by public service, committed to criminal defence, and ready to contribute to a supportive, ambitious and values‑driven team, we can’t wait to hear from you.

Please see the job description attachment for full details of the role.

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