We love local government

council chamber1Sam McGinty and Gurbinder Sangha, representatives of the Junior Professionals Special Activity Area of Lawyers in Local Government, want to hear from junior lawyers, trainees, paralegals and others about their experiences.

It is fair to say that we are pretty passionate about working as lawyers in local government. It is a stimulating, fluid, challenging arena of legal and political complexities, while being satisfyingly practical and a great place for junior lawyers to develop and grow.

From day one, local government lawyers get more responsibility, autonomy and exposure to a broader range of work than many of our colleagues in the private sector. Who needs private practice? We feel there are more opportunities for junior lawyers to become great lawyers in the public sector, than in some other environments.

Of course, we would say this, because we are the Junior Professional Representatives for Lawyers in Local government (the successor to SLG and ACSeS) – although we wouldn’t say it if we didn’t believe it.

Our role is to represent the views, interests and concerns of Paralegals, Legal Executives, Trainee Solicitors and Solicitors with up to 5 years' PQE working in local authorities across England and Wales. We work with members directly and we also work with the Junior Lawyers Division by feeding into debates on wider issues affecting the profession, like the Legal Education and Training Review or the removal of the trainee solicitor minimum salary (and what impact that will have on the whole profession, including diversity).

We’re working hard to engage with our members to find out how it is for them. Are they as positive about careers in local government as we are? Do trainees feel they are making the most of their training contract? Are paralegals treated as admin support or fee-earners? So we can do our job as Junior Professional Representatives, we need to know what it’s like for all of you. We need you to get in touch.

If you haven’t already registered, sign up now to the Lawyers in Local Government website www.lawingov.org.uk and join the Junior Professionals SAA (Special Activity Area). You’ll find useful information about the group and links to the forums – so please get involved with the debate. You can follow us on Twitter @juniorllg or find us on Facebook and contact us there or you can email us directly This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. If you are coming to the Local Government Weekend School in April, make sure you come and speak to Gurbinder who will be chairing the Trainee Day on Friday.

We want to hear about your experiences – good, bad or indifferent – so we can make sure your voice is heard.

Samuel McGinty is the Contracts and Procurement Solicitor at North West Leicestershire District Council and Gurbinder Sangha is a Trainee Solicitor at the County of Herefordshire District Council. Together, they are the Junior Professional Representatives for Lawyers in Local Government.