Lawyer

Salary Range: £63,625 - £65,625

Location: Hybrid (WFH / London/South East)

Type of contract: Full-time, Permanent

Closing Date: 12 midday on Monday 20 January 2025

UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) is on a mission to protect clean sport and currently has an exciting opportunity available for you to join us.

We are seeking a dedicated and detail-oriented Lawyer to join UKAD’s Case Management team, which currently comprises a Head, three Lawyers, two Legal Officers, and a Paralegal.

About Us

Our purpose: To ensure doping-free sport, promoting and protecting clean sport through education, testing, and enforcement.

Our values:

• Integrity: We do what is right for clean sport, we are equitable and ethical, ensuring everyone is treated fairly and with respect.
• Collaboration: We work together and with others, sharing knowledge and building relationships to better tackle doping.
• Excellence: We strive to achieve high standards in the protection of clean sport, evolving with the times and finding solutions.
• Passion: We are dedicated to keeping sport clean, are proud of what we do, and know it matters.

Job Purpose

Working closely with senior lawyers and stakeholders across sport, the role is responsible for managing the prosecution of Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) matters through to conclusion, ensuring timely progression and compliance with the relevant Anti-Doping Rules.

The Lawyer will manage their own case load, advise on investigations and, where required, appear as an advocate on behalf of UKAD before the National Anti-Doping Panel and other tribunals. Both written and oral advocacy skills are essential, and the role is ideal for a lawyer who thrives on a mix of casework, written advocacy, and oral advocacy.

ADRV hearings take place for the team, on average, once or twice per month, and typically last between one to two days each. The focus of the Lawyer’s role will therefore primarily be on the timely progression of cases and drafting high-quality written submissions and correspondence, while preparing for and delivering persuasive oral advocacy when required.

The Lawyer will also be responsible for ensuring the highest quality legal advice is made available to the organisation in the most efficient way.

The role is ideal for an experienced advocate who can adopt a systematic and meticulous approach to case management. We welcome applications from candidates who are passionate about sports law and integrity and who enjoy managing complex legal work in a fast-paced, international context.

Key result areas include

The effective and timely prosecution of alleged ADRVs and the provision of legal advice to the organisation, including:

Drafting

• Drafting inter-party correspondence
• Drafting independent review requests
• Drafting formal legal correspondence, including Notice and Charge Letters
• Drafting and reviewing witness statements
• Drafting and reviewing written submissions

Case Management

• Interpreting rules and regulations
• Advising internal stakeholders on investigations into potential ADRVs
• Advising on evidence gathering and admissibility
• Reviewing evidence for disclosure purposes
• Conducting case to answer assessments on potential ADRV matters
• Liaising with Athletes, Athlete Support Personnel and their representatives in ADRV proceedings

Written and oral advocacy

• Drafting high-quality, persuasive written submissions and correspondence
• Appearing on behalf of UKAD as an advocate at ADRV hearings, when required

Collaboration with internal and external stakeholders

• Liaising with National Governing Bodies (NGBs), International Federations (IFs), and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) regarding the bringing of charges for alleged ADRVs
• Liaising with NGBs in respect of ADRV prosecutions conducted by NGBs, including reviewing submissions and evidence and attending NGB hearings as an observer
• Liaising with external counsel instructed by UKAD
• Liaising with, and providing advice to, UKAD’s Results, Testing, Communications, and Education teams

Non-contentious work

• Where required, support the team’s wider provision of contractual and other non-contentious legal advice to UKAD, including in relation to data protection, freedom of information, and GDPR matters

Person specification

Qualifications/experience/knowledge

• Barrister or Solicitor with a current practising certificate and a minimum of three years’ Post Qualification Experience
• Substantial experience of appearing as an advocate before a range of tribunals
• Substantial experience of handling litigation matters
• Proven experience of working with anti-doping rules and regulations, or similar professional regulations
• Proven experience of providing legal advice to senior management
• Experience of communicating and presenting to a variety of levels of seniority and backgrounds, both internally and externally
• Experience of drafting and reviewing commercial contracts (desirable)
• Demonstrable experience of having complied with the duty of disclosure
• Familiarity with Freedom of Information Act, Data Protection Act, and GDPR matters (desirable)
• Experience of managing sensitive and confidential information in an appropriate manner
• A passion for and knowledge of sport (desirable)

Skills

• Excellent oral, written, and presentation skills
• Confident and persuasive advocacy
• Ability to prioritise own workload and work under a tight schedule with competing deadlines
• Ability to pay close attention to detail
• Ability to build and sustain relationships with a network of key people internally and externally
• Self-aware and excellent interpersonal, influencing, negotiation, and communication skills
• Ability to work proactively with external suppliers
• Ability to use Microsoft Office efficiently

How to apply

Our values are at the heart of what we do, so if they align with you and you’re up for the fight against doping in sport, please complete the online application.

Deadline for Applications is 12 midday on Monday 20 January 2025. Interviews will take place during the week commencing 03 February 2025 via Microsoft Teams.

Please note that UK Anti-Doping are currently unable to provide Visa Sponsorship.