RIGHTS OF WOMEN INCORPORATED

JOIN OUR TEAMRecruitment Pack1Contents: Letter to applicants ...................................................................2About Rights of Women............................................................4The Application and Recruitment Process................................6Job Description ..........................................................................9Person Specification ..................................................................12Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Policy Statement ....................14Essential Information Form ............................................. linkedEqualities Monitoring Form ............................................ linkedLegal Officer (Family & Criiminal Law)January 2026Dear Applicant Thank you for your interest in joining the Rights of Women team.Rights of Women is a long established and well-respected nationalwomen's organisation, providing specialist legal advice and support towomen at risk of, or experiencing all forms of Violence AgainstWomen and Girls (VAWG). Our vision is one of equality, justice and safety in the law for allwomen. We provide specialist legal advice, information and training.We carry out policy influencing, strategic casework and litigation inthe areas of immigration, family, criminal and employment law. We are committed to ensuring that our team reflects the diversity andexcellence of the women we serve and on whose behalf we campaign.We are particularly interested in attracting applicants from Black andminoritised communities including refugee and migrant women,disabled women and women who have personal experience of theissues that are core to our work including domestic violence andabuse, insecure immigration status and workplace sexual harassment.We welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates.To apply please read the recruitment pack including the JobDescription and Person Specification and complete the applicationform in full. We are committed to disability inclusion and are able tomake appropriate reasonable adjustments at any stage of therecruitment process. If you require a copy of the recruitment pack inlarge print or an alternative format and/or if you have any questionsor would like to talk through the role please contactrecruitment@row.org.uk.Key dates:Closing date: Thursday 5 February 2026thInterview dates: Anticipated as Thursday 12 and/or Friday 13February 2026ththStart date: Immediate start. 2Please return your completed application to recruitment@row.org.ukwith the subject heading: Application Legal Officer Family Law. We thank you for considering this position at Rights of Women andwe look forward to receiving your application. 3About Rights of WomenRights of Women is a registered charity established in 1975 to promotethe legal rights of women throughout England and Wales. Our servicessupport women at risk of or experiencing all forms of Violence AgainstWomen and Girls including domestic and sexual violence, coercivecontrol, economic abuse, forced marriage, female genital mutilationand so called ‘honour-based violence’. Our work places an emphasis onreaching women who may be particularly vulnerable and marginaliseddue to intersectional discrimination, racism and structural inequality. We provide a range of services including free, confidential legal advicelines, training for professionals, legal guides, policy work and research.Our aim is to increase women’s understanding of their legal rights andimprove their access to justice so that they can make informed choicesabout their own lives, free from violence, discrimination andharassment. Our specialist telephone advice services support on average 3000women each year on key areas of law:family law including domestic violence, relationship breakdownand childrencriminal law including domestic and sexual violenceimmigration and asylum lawsexual harassment in the workplace“I had no idea of my rights or who to turn to… a referral to youmeant all my queries were clearly and concisely answered. Youremoved the confusion about my legal rights, gave me time so that Ifelt listened to. This is an essential service and I am so grateful toyou.” (Advice line caller)We also publish free and accessible legal guides and handbooks forwomen and professionals which cover a range of issues includingdomestic and sexual violence. Our website, rightsofwomen.org.uk, is avital tool in informing and educating women on their legal rights. Wehave around 500,000 visits to our website annually.4“Written by women experts in the violence against girls and womensector. Best resources I have come across. Clear, concise andempowering.” (Publication reader)We provide training on the law for professionals from the voluntaryand statutory sectors so they can provide urgent advice andinformation to women, helping them to navigate complex legalsystems and processes. Annually, we are building the capacity of morethan 900 professionals to support women and children, who are at riskof, or experiencing, violence and abuse.“Rights of Women consistently lead on areas such as legal aid andprovide useful documents and training for the rest of the VAWGsector” (Training participant)As part of our role within FLOWS, we run an online forum forprofessionals working with survivors of domestic abuse and sexualviolence including lawyers and specialist domestic abuse space forprofessionals to raise legal queries and share knowledge and bestpractice. Rights of Women runs this service and ensures professionalsare provided with responses in family and criminal law.We are also developing improvements in local practice in relation todomestic abuse and Family Court, in line with recommendations in theHarm Report in relation to the siloed ways in which professionalswork. This work involves relationship and partnership building,bringing together family justice professionals, domestic abusespecialists and survivors to share problems, develop solutions and workon improving the experiences of survivors in the Family Court at a locallevel.5The Application and RecruitmentProcess1. Guidance on applyingTo apply, please submit an up-to-date CV, a covering letter of no morethan 2 pages and a short Essential Information Form (including detailsof referees).Rights of Women welcomes applications from suitably skilled,experienced and/or qualified women throughout England and Walesand from all sections of the community. Your application documentsare the first stage of the selection process. They provide theinformation we use to shortlist candidates for interview. Please complete the covering letter clearly and in full, demonstratinghow your skills, knowledge and experience relate to the PersonSpecification and competencies required for the post. Please addressall of the criteria in the Person Specification and provide evidence tosupport your statements. You may want to include experience, skillsand knowledge acquired in and outside of formal employmentincluding through education, volunteering and life experience. 2. Guaranteed Interview Scheme and Reasonable Adjustments Rights of Women is committed to disability justice. As part of thiscommitment, all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria forthe role will be invited to interview. If you wish to be considered underthe Guaranteed Interview Scheme, please complete the relevantsection in the Essential Information Form. If you require reasonable adjustments at any stage of the recruitmentprocess please contact recruitment@row.org.uk. 3. RefereesPlease provide details of two referees, one must be your current ormost recent employer, voluntary placement or educational reference.References will only be taken up as part of pre-appointment checks ifyou are offered the role. 64. Equality and Diversity Monitoring Rights of Women is committed to building and valuing diverse teamsand aims to provide a working environment that is free from unfairand unlawful discrimination, where everyone can participate andthrive. As part of this process, we monitor recruitment to help usunderstand who we are reaching, reduce inequalities and continuallyinform our policies and practices. Completing the Equality andDiversity  Monitoring Form is voluntary, however we do encourageyou to do it. 5. ShortlistingAfter the closing date, all applications will be reviewed by ashortlisting panel to determine how each candidate’s skills, knowledgeand experience relate to the competencies required for the post (asoutlined in the Job Description and Person Specification). Candidateswho best meet the role criteria will be invited for interview. We willonly consider information included in the application form whenshortlisting. 6. Interviews and assessmentsA first stage interview will be held online. You will meet with a panelwho will ask you questions relevant to the role.  You may also beasked to deliver a short presentation and complete a written task. Thisis your opportunity to expand on your application and demonstratethat you have the skills, knowledge and experience required for thepost. At the end of the interview, you will have the opportunity to askthe panel any questions you have about Rights of Women and theterms and conditions of appointment. If you require reasonable adjustments to participate in any of theassessment processes above, please contact recruitment@row.org.uk. 7. Use of AI tools in applicationsWe recognise that AI tools can be helpful for tasks such asproofreading or structuring written work. However, we ask that 7applicants do not use AI tools to generate substantive content fortheir application.We are keen to hear directly from you, in your own words, about yourexperience, motivations and suitability for the role. This helps us tomake a fair and meaningful assessment and ensures that theapplication process reflects the skills required in the role, includingclear communication and professional judgement.8. FeedbackAs a small organisation with limited capacity, we are unable to provideindividual feedback on all applications or interviews, but we trulyappreciate the time and effort taken to apply.8Job Title:  Legal Officer (Family and Criminal Law)Applicants must be a qualified solicitor, barrister or CILEX member ableto practise in England and Wales with entitlement to a full practisingcertificate.Salary: £ 40,478.01 Full-time equivalent rate per annum (Gross Pay) plus3% pension contribution.Conditions: 35 hours per week (Full time/5 days).  Holiday entitlement: Full-time entitlement is 28 days annual leave pluspublic holidays per annum. This includes three designated days to betaken between the December and January bank holidays when theorganisation is closed.Pension: NEST Workplace Pension (Employer 3%/ Employee 5%)Office Address: Rights of Women, 52-54 Featherstone Street, London EC1Y 8RTLocation: Hybrid. The post is primarily home-based. Regular attendanceat the office is optional for those who prefer an office setting. The postholder will, however, be required to attend the office on at least fouroccasions each year, including one all-staff and Board away day, andadditionally to participate in occasional in-person meetings heldexternally, typically in or near London. The post holder is occasionallyrequired to travel to locations across England and Wales occasionally;Rights of Women is committed to supporting flexible approaches andreasonable adjustments to enable this.Line Manager: Senior Legal Officer (Family & Criminal law)Duration: Permanent 9Job Description This post is open to women only. Occupational Requirement (Equality Act 2010, Schedule 9 Part I) applies11Summary of postThe Legal Officer (Family & Criminal Law) will be part of Rights ofWomen’s Family Law team and will play a key role in delivering theorganisation’s core services to women affected by domestic abuse andother forms of violence against women and girls (VAWG).The post holder will provide specialist legal advice through Rights ofWomen’s telephone advice lines, contribute to the delivery of training,and support the development of accessible legal information throughpublications and other resources. They will also support survivorengagement and contribute to Rights of Women’s policy work, helping todrive systemic change for women’s rights.The role will also involve contributing to Rights of Women’s Family Justiceand Domestic Abuse Partnership work, which brings together localprofessionals to strengthen the family justice system for survivors ofdomestic abuse. This will involve occasional travel to local areas.The Legal Officer will play a leading role in maintaining and developingRights of Women’s online peer-to-peer forum, which builds the capacityof professionals supporting women survivors. This includes supporting theonline community, producing legally accurate and relevant public-facingcontent in response to queries and emerging themes, and contributing toa regular online newsletter.Alongside other Legal Officers, the post holder may share responsibilityfor supporting, training and developing Rights of Women’s team of over50 remote legal advice volunteers.Key tasks and responsibilities The post holder is expected to be able to carry out the following duties:Provide quality legal advice to women over the telephone and viacasework.101Keep abreast of developments and changes in the law.Research and write legal materials for and on behalf of Rights of Women. Contribute to and write policy submissions on behalf of Rights of Women. Prepare and deliver training courses, seminars and conferencesRespond to requests from the media.Represent Rights of Women at meetings, seminars and conferences.Assist with the administration of advice services and recruitment andsupervision of volunteer legal advisors.Assist in research projects and reports on a range of legal and policy issuesaffecting women.GeneralWork within the budgetary constraints set in accordance with Rights ofWomen’s financial regulations.Attend staff, strategy and other Rights of Women meetings. Attend supervision sessions with the relevant line manager.Attend reflective practice sessions.Adhere to and work within Rights of Women’s policies and procedures.Undertake such other reasonable tasks as requested by the Director. This job description will be reviewed and updated as necessary, in fullconsultation with the post holder. 11This post is open to women only. Occupational Requirement (Equality Act 2010, Schedule 9 Part I) appliesJob title: Legal Officer (Family and Criminal law) The following skills, experience and knowledge are all essentialrequirements of the Legal Officer’s post. You must demonstrate in yourapplication how you meet each of the following criteria.1. QualificationsA qualified solicitor, barrister or CILEX member able to practise in Englandand Wales with entitlement to a full practising certificate.2. Knowledge & expertiseA demonstrable knowledge of family law and practice. Criminal law and practice knowledge desirable but not essential.An understanding of the law and policy issues affecting women and inparticular current legal issues relating to vulnerable and/or disadvantagedwomen including Black and minoritised and migrant women and womenwho have experienced abuse or violence.3. Delivery of service – key skills An ability to deliver legal advice services, verbally and in writing to a layaudience.An ability to develop and deliver training courses to a range of audiencesor the ability to quickly acquire the same.Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, including an ability tospeak to a range of audiences.An ability to research legal and policy issues and produce writtenpublications and information for a range of audiences.12Person Specification134. Organisation and administration skills Excellent organisational skills, ability to plan own work and meetdeadlines.Ability to maintain clear, accurate and up-to-date records using theorganisation’s case management and other internal systems.Confidence in using digital platforms to create, edit and share content forprofessional audiences, with a willingness to learn and adapt to new tools(including websites, email communications, video conferencing and onlineengagement platforms).Good general IT skills, including proficiency in standard office software(e.g. Microsoft Office or equivalent), and the ability to work efficientlyacross multiple digital systems.An ability to work alone and as part of a small team on a remote basis.5. Desirable Experience managing and coordinating volunteers.6. CommitmentA demonstrable commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion. A demonstrable commitment to the aims and objectives of Rights ofWomen and an understanding of how this post will contribute to fulfillingthese aims.Equity, Diversity and InclusionStatementWe recognise that women may experience multiple and intersectingforms of discrimination based on their real or perceived characteristicsincluding age; disability or medical history; sex, ethnicity, race, colour,national origin or ancestry, gender identity, expression and/orreassignment, family partnership or marital status, pregnancy andmaternity status, sexual orientation, socio-economic background,citizenship and immigration status, caring responsibilities, spentconvictions and trade union membership. This is not an exhaustive list.Rights of Women works to address discrimination and the structuralinequalities women experience. Achieving equity and justice is integral toour work and we are committed to dismantling harmful and oppressivestructures of power. We operate open, fair, transparent and non-discriminatory recruitment practices and actively encourage applicationsfrom women from a variety of backgrounds, and with a range of skills andexperiences. We are particularly interested to hear from women fromBlack and minoritised communities including refugee and migrantwomen, disabled women and women who have lived experience of theissues that are core to our work including domestic violence and abuse,insecure immigration status and workplace sexual harassment. Wewelcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates.If you require reasonable adjustments at any stage of the recruitmentprocess, including accessing a copy of the recruitment pack in large printor an alternative format please contact recruitment@row.org.uk.  This post is open to women only. Occupational Requirement (Equality Act2010, Schedule 9 Part I) appliesThis post is open to women only. Occupational Requirement (Equality Act 2010, Schedule 9 Part I) applies14