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Job Details

Graduate Legal Officer

Deliver legal advice in challenging environments.

Joining the Army Legal Services (ALS) as a Legal Officer is a challenging and varied role and you could be involved with anything from prosecuting soldiers charged with offences at court martial to advising senior commanders on rules of engagement during operations abroad. This is a chance to practise law without timesheets or billable hours targets and to work over a range of legal specialisms. Plus, you’ll get to travel the word and gain post-graduate qualifications.

You’ll train at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and learn basic military skills, study tactics and take on a range of tasks designed to develop your ability to lead and command. Then you’ll join the Directorate of Army Legal Services for your specialist legal training, and you’ll learn all about the areas of law that you will need as a Legal Officer, including the law of armed conflict, discipline and advisory, and crime. You’ll also visit some of the units and headquarters where legal officers work.  Finally, you’ll spend three months with a combat or combat support unit, learning about the Army and getting experience of life as a junior officer, all from a non-legal perspective. This is a key part as you’ll learn all about the organisation to which you will be giving advice.

Start the adventure of a lifetime.

As a Professionally Qualified Officer, you’ll start your career working either in Advisory, Prosecutions, or Operations. You don’t need any experience to apply – you’ll develop transferable leadership skills through world-class training at the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst and thorough legal education will be provided to you during your specialist training, and then on an ongoing basis following that throughout your career. 

Following your initial training, you’ll continue to learn and grow through adventurous training (for example skiing), international travel and opportunities for further study. Being an Officer is a global adventure. 

You’ll receive 30 days’ annual leave every year (plus bank holidays and extra leave after operations), free medical and dental care, cheaper living costs, and free gym and sports facilities. You’ll have a good work/life balance and, unless you're away on operations or training exercises, there’ll be opportunities for flexible working. 

What we are looking for

To qualify, you should be between 23 and 32 years old, although this can be waived in exceptional circumstances. You’ll need to be a solicitor or barrister/Scottish advocate, qualified in England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland. You’ll also have to be medically suitable and pass a basic fitness test.

About The British Army

Purpose: The British Army aims to make the world safer and better. By joining, you become part of a team dedicated to preventing terrorism and providing humanitarian aid. Officers lead and support their teams in critical situations.

Leadership: Becoming a British Army Officer offers a unique alternative to a typical nine-to-five job. Officers lead from the front, prioritise their teams, and tackle pressing challenges both in the UK and globally. They make split-second decisions in critical situations, often under demanding conditions, and lead some of the best soldiers in the world. The ultimate reward is the purpose-driven mission to make the world a safer, better place.

Roles: Officers lead from the front in various roles, including combat, support, and headquarters positions. Whether you have a degree or not, there's an opportunity for you here.

The Army provides training and financial support packages, bursaries, and scholarships to selected officer candidates during further and higher education.

Opportunities:

Leadership Training: Provided at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, focusing on discipline, strategic thinking, and decision-making.

Adventurous Training: Activities like skiing in the Alps, mountain climbing in the Himalayas, or white-water kayaking in Norway to build resilience, teamwork, and leadership skills.

Sports and Fitness: Access to state-of-the-art gyms, fitness classes, and a wide range of sports teams.

How to apply

To apply for this role and to find out more, please click on the apply button.

Please note that applications may close before the application deadline, so apply early to avoid disappointment.