Month: June 2013

Keating Chambers is a leading commercial set specialising in high-profile construction, engineering, IT, telecommunications and energy related disputes which typically involve issues relating to the law of contract, tort and restitution. Chambers also undertakes a broader range of work including professional negligence, EU procurement and competition law, environmental and other regulatory work, bonds, guarantees and party wall matters.

As a result of its ongoing expansion and increasing workload, in 2006 Chambers took the decision to employ a Legal Assistant on a one-year contract, and 2013-2014 will be the eighth year for which this role has been offered.

This position does not require any prior specialist knowledge of construction law or experience of the construction industry. However, the role will be very demanding. As well as assisting members of Chambers with research for ongoing or contemplated proceedings, the successful candidate will assist in preparing presentations, lectures and articles relating to Chambers’ principal practice areas and be responsible for document management/bundling work. The successful candidate will also assist our Director of Research and Professional Development, Professor Anthony Lavers, who supervises the role.

Applicants should be motivated, able to work under pressure and to tight deadlines, and able to manage several projects at any one time. Previous appointees have all completed the BPTC or equivalent and this is regarded as highly desirable for the role. The ability to understand and analyse complex legal issues and to communicate clearly is essential. So too is a high level of competence with both online research tools (including Westlaw, Justis, Lawtel, Lloyds, BAILII and Lexis-Nexis) and paper sources (such as Halsbury’s Laws/Statutes).

In return, Keating Chambers will offer the successful applicant a salary of c.25k p.a., and an interest-free loan to cover travelling expenses to and from work (if required). In addition, the role will provide unrivalled exposure to areas of Chambers’ work and to leading practitioners involved in high profile work.

Applicants should send an up-to-date CV and covering letter headed “RE: LEGAL ASSISTANT POSITION” by Friday 5 July 2013 to Ms Elaine Browne at Keating Chambers, 15 Essex St, London, WC2R 3AA. Each application should name two academic referees who will be contacted prior to any offer being made. Applicants should provide a statement (maximum 500 words) of their experience and competence in conducting complex legal research tasks and familiarity with source material, both paper-based and online, and a summary of any relevant previous employment. It is anticipated that interviews will take place in Chambers on the evenings of 17 and 18 July 2013 and employment will commence end of August/start of September by arrangement.

For further details concerning recruitment at Keating Chambers please see our website www.keatingchambers.com.

Keating Chambers is fully committed to equality and diversity in both recruitment and the provision of services. The selection procedure is operated without discrimination, that is to say without regard to irrelevant considerations such as sex, race, colour, ethnic or national origin, nationality, citizenship, disability, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, marriage and civil partnership, religion or belief, or age. If you are disabled and require any adjustments at any stage, please inform us and we will try to accommodate your needs.

Cumberland Lodge, the independent education and conference centre in Windsor Great Park, seeks to appoint a King George VI Postdoctoral Fellow from 1st October 2013.

This two-year fellowship is open to candidates from any academic discipline who have recently completed, or are very close to completing, a doctorate. The fellowship provides an exciting and unique opportunity for a young scholar to gain experience in planning and running academic and cross-sector conferences and other events. The fellow will also play a full part in the residential life of Cumberland Lodge, which has the feel of both a college and a country house conference centre.

The appointment is for 30 hours a week plus some residential weekend duties. This opens the possibility for teaching or research for the equivalent of one day a week. Recent fellows have held teaching posts at King’s College London and Royal Holloway, for example.

Cumberland Lodge

Cumberland Lodge is the home of an educational charity which was founded in 1947. The Lodge, which is a fine 17th century country house, is owned by the Crown and was made available to the charity by King George VI.

The Lodge seeks to promote thinking and discussion for the ‘betterment of society’ through its own programme of events, by working in partnership with others, and by providing high class residential educational facilities for a wide range of academic, public and professional bodies. Regular users of Cumberland Lodge include the Government, the National Health Service, and the Inns of Court. The charity places particular importance on higher education, and since its foundations thousands of students from universities in Britain and elsewhere have come to Cumberland Lodge for conferences, retreats, reading parties and other activities.

Further information about the Lodge can be found on the website www.cumberlandlodge.ac.uk.

The King George VI Fellow is part of a small in-house team which runs the Lodge’s own range of events called the Cumberland Lodge Programme. The fellow will be required to take the lead in organising several events in the programme, and potential conferences in 2014 include those in the areas of health, policing, the public understanding of science, and inequality and ethnicity. Expertise in any of these fields is not required. What is essential, however, is an enquiring mind and a willingness to engage with a wide range of disciplines.

The fellow will be expected to chair some plenary sessions at conferences, write some conference briefing papers, and prepare some conference reports for publication on the web and/or in print. The fellow may also make contributions to the planning discussions and organisation of other Cumberland Lodge events. The fellow will be involved in selecting conferences proposed by post-doctoral and doctoral researchers, as part of a scheme aimed at fostering academic careers.

The fellow will also have co-responsibility for a conference for doctoral students, aimed at helping them deal with issues related to doctoral studies and their futures after graduation. The Lodge is planning to expand its work with students, and the fellow will have a role in this development.

Residential Duties

The fellow is required to live in a flat on-site and to play a role in the residential life of the Lodge. This includes being part of a duty rota when s/he will be on call approximately two weekends each month. The fellow will also provide back-up to the night supervisor at least one night each week, by being on call in the event of an emergency.

The fellow will also give welcome talks to academic and professional groups about the history and purpose of Cumberland Lodge and accompany guests on tours of the Lodge.

Though Cumberland Lodge is a Christian foundation, we welcome applicants of any belief, providing they are willing to escort guests of the Lodge to, and attend, a Church of England service in the Royal Chapel in the Great Park on Sundays as one of their residential duties.

Person specification

We are looking for someone with proven academic or professional credentials who has the ability to work outside his/her area of specialism and across disciplines. The fellow must be a versatile team player, willing to take initiatives, have ability and confidence to speak in public and network with leading professionals, and able to be involved in the practicalities of running events. Good IT skills are also a requirement, including the ability to use social media.

It is essential that the fellow has a good public and professional manner, and is able to take responsibility not only for conference management but also for the general running of the Lodge (including being willing to have training in First Aid, collecting speakers from the train station, operating the fire alarms, etc.).
A valid car driving licence is also essential.

Stipend

The pensionable stipend is £20,000 p.a. A fully furnished flat in the Lodge is provided free of charge, and at least one meal a day is available at the Lodge without charge.
Applications

Please apply by sending a CV with the names and contact details of two referees, and covering letter explaining why you are interested in this post, to the Principal, The Revd Dr Edmund Newell, c/o Ms Jennifer Streek, Cumberland Lodge, The Great Park, Windsor, SL4 2HP or jennifer@cumberlandlodge.ac.uk.

The closing date for applications is Friday 28th June 2013. Interviews will take place on Thursday 11th July, for which standard class travel expenses within the UK will be paid.