RSM Ireland are delighted to be supporting the recruitment of a Managing Solicitor for Mercy Law Resource Centre.

The successful candidate will be an experienced solicitor with a proven ability to manage, oversee and support a highly motivated specialist team in a demanding environment at a time of significant challenges in the area of homelessness. Full details of the organisation, role and requirements are detailed below.

Background Information

Mercy Law Resource Centre (MLRC) is an independent law centre and charity which provides free legal advice and representation to people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless in the areas of housing and related social welfare law. Our services include:

• Free legal advice clinics in a number of hostels for homeless people;
• Legal representation in the areas of housing and related social welfare law;
• Legal support and training to organisations working in the field of homelessness;
• Policy Work;

Job Description

General

• Overall management and running of the Centre;
• Actively manage relationships with key stakeholders in the government, legal, academic and NGO sector;
• Implement the Centre’s Strategic Plan
• Oversee and develop policy and research papers on relevant issues for publication and submission to Government;
• Act as primary spokesperson for the Centre on all matters

Legal Advice, Representation and Strategy

• Oversee the legal casework of the Centre;
• Monitor the casework activity to ensure litigation is undertaken where necessary with a view to vindicating client rights ;
• Manage strategic legal casework to achieve advances for our communities in the area of human rights and social justice.

Planning

• Collaborate with the Board to articulate the Centre’s vision and to develop and implement strategies for achieving that vision;
• Develop and monitor strategies to ensure the long-term financial viability of the Centre;
• Develop future leadership within the Centre.

Management

• Oversee the operations of the Centre and manage its compliance with legal and regulatory requirements;
• Promote a culture that reflects the Centre’s values and ensures its organisational effectiveness;
• Evaluate staff’s performance on a regular basis and actively support staff and volunteers in performance of their duties
• Prepare/oversee and report to the Board of the Centre and support the Board members work and activities;
• Other reasonable duties as directed by the Chairperson of the Board.

Fundraising

• Develop and implement fundraising strategies in conjunction with the Board;
• Serve as the primary contact person in funder relationships and actively develop and foster those relationships;
• Draft and report on funding applications and grants and pursue funding opportunities for the Centre supported by the relevant staff.

Community Relations

• Serve as the primary representative for the Centre;
• Ensure that the Centre and its purpose and services are strongly and positively presented to relevant stakeholders;
• Actively advocate for the Centre in line with the vision.

Responsibilities

• Managing the overall operation of the Centre and implementing decisions taken by the Board of MLRC;
• Management of a litigation caseload with particular emphasis on public housing, homelessness and related social welfare law;
• Provision of legal advice and assistance to individuals through legal advice clinics in hostels and other centres for people who are homeless;
• Provision of legal information, advice and training to organizations dealing with homelessness, including oversight and design of MLRC’s training sessions;
• Developing policy and law reform proposals on legal issues affecting our client group. This will include carrying out research, analysing legislation, writing/settling submissions and such other tasks as necessary;
• Working together with other lawyers and organizations on issues affecting our client group and assisting in the development of initiatives facilitating such cooperation;
• Recruiting, coordinating and supervising any legal and administrative staff including volunteers, interns and volunteer befrienders;
• Liaising with external organizations regarding the promotion and development of the Centre and the achievement of its goals and objectives;
• Ensuring that legal and other professional obligations of the Centre (e.g. insurance, employment, accounts, reporting to Law Society, CRO, Charities section of the Revenue) are carried out in a proper and timely fashion;
• Working as part of a team to ensure that high standards are developed and maintained in office procedures and case management and, in particular, to ensure that our services are delivered in a way that respects the special needs of our clients;
• Such other tasks as may be necessary to assist in the carrying out of the work of the Centre.

Person Specification

Essential Requirements

• A professional qualification as a solicitor with minimum five years post-qualification experience;
• Demonstrable managerial experience within a line management capacity
• A demonstrable interest in or commitment to helping those who are disadvantaged and/or using law to advocate on their behalf;
• Litigation experience at Superior Court level and wide experience of legal practice, especially in the areas of judicial review and public administrative law;
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills and the ability to command the confidence of funders, donors and other stakeholders
• A professional attitude with an ability to work under pressure and to act on one’s own initiative.

Desirable Requirements

• Experience in human rights/social justice work and/or in the community and voluntary sector;
• Experience in the area of human rights law;
• Experience of handling a variety of legal and policy matters;
• Knowledge of legal issues affecting those who are homeless or experiencing disadvantage.

Terms and Conditions

The Managing Solicitor position will be offered as a permanent position with an initial six-month probationary period.

The salary offered with this contract position is commensurate with experience.

This position is based at Mercy Law Resource Centre, 25 Cork Street, Dublin 8 and the hours of work are 9.30a.m. to 5.30pm. Monday to Friday.

Application

To apply for this post, please send your CV and a covering letter/personal statement to graham.murphy@rsmireland.ie

The closing date for receipt of initial applications is 12pm (Noon) on Friday 24 January 2025. Applications may be accepted after this date at the discretion of Mercy Law Resource Centre.

It is anticipated that initial first-stage interviews will commence late January to early February 2025.