Legal Officer

Legal Officer, Immigration Law Practitioners' Association (ILPA)

Job title: Legal Officer

Organisation: Immigration Law Practitioners' Association (ILPA)

Location: Hybrid. Primarily remote with one weekly hub day in London. Working arrangements may change.

Deadline: 4 September 2026

Contract: Permanent

Salary: Up to £36,000 per annum Contact: Website: ilpa.org.uk

About ILPA:

The Immigration Law Practitioners' Association (ILPA) is the leading professional membership body for practitioners working in immigration, economic migration, asylum and nationality law. ILPA works across the full breadth of immigration law and policy including asylum and refugee protection, detention and removals, legal aid and access to justice, tribunals and appeals, and economic migration and sponsorship policy.

We exist to promote and improve the law and practice of immigration, economic migration, asylum and nationality law and to ensure that policy and legislation are informed by evidence, expertise and the lived experience of those affected.

Legal Officer:

ILPA is recruiting a Legal Officer to support delivery of ILPA's legal and policy work, undertaking detailed legal analysis, parliamentary support and member engagement. The role will sit horizontally alongside an existing Legal Officer post.

What we are looking for:

We are seeking candidates who bring:

Strong expertise in UK immigration, economic migration, asylum and nationality law

Excellent legal and policy analysis and drafting skills

A commitment to improving law, policy and practice

The ability to work collaboratively in a small, expert team

The role offers the opportunity to influence national debate, work closely with leading practitioners and contribute meaningfully to the development of immigration law and policy.

Why work at ILPA

National profile and respected reputation

High-impact policy and legal work

Flexible and supportive working culture

Collaborative, expert-led organisation

Job Description

Purpose of the role

The Legal Officer will play a key role in supporting ILPA's legal and policy work on immigration, economic migration, asylum and nationality law.

Working under the direction of the Director of Policy and Advocacy, the post holder will engage in detailed legal and policy analysis, support parliamentary and influencing activity, support legal project delivery, and contribute to high-quality information and engagement for ILPA members. The Legal Officer will need to work reliably and flexibly across a broad range of legal and policy issues, often at short notice.

The Legal Officer will also work with the Director of Strategic Litigation and Advice where legal policy and strategic litigation intersect.

Key responsibilities

1. Legal and policy analysis

Produce high-quality analysis of immigration, economic migration, asylum and nationality law and policy.

Monitor developments in legislation, case law and policy, including secondary legislation and guidance.

Prepare written briefings, updates and summaries for members, trustees and external stakeholders.

Support the Director of Policy & Advocacy in the development and delivery of ILPA's legal strategy.

2. Parliamentary and influencing work

Support ILPA's parliamentary work, including monitoring legislation and parliamentary business.

Draft consultation responses, briefings and evidence submissions.

Assist in engagement with parliamentarians, officials, peers and external organisations.

Support the organisation of meetings and briefings with MPs, peers, civil servants and sector partners.

Contribute to ILPA's influencing activity through written and oral advocacy.

3. Member engagement and sector support

Liaise with ILPA members to gather evidence and practice insight to inform policy positions.

Support ILPA's thematic working groups, including attending meetings and progressing agreed actions.

Respond to and triage member enquiries, directing issues to appropriate working groups or colleagues, and escalating complex queries as needed.

Promote knowledge-sharing across the immigration and advice sector.

Prepare agendas and papers for meetings, and take/circulate minutes and actions points.

4. Legal project delivery

Ensure project outputs are delivered on time and to the required standard.

Contribute to monitoring, evaluation and funder reporting where required.

Provide general administrative support to the legal team, including coordination for external meetings, taking and sharing minutes, organising correspondence, and storing materials timely and safely.

5. Information management and publications

Ensure legal and policy information is accurately stored, organised and retrievable.

Work with the Content and Communications Manager to ensure accuracy and clarity of published legal content, and draft the legal section of ILPA's weekly newsletter, and parts of the Annual Report.

6. Organisational contribution

Support cross-team working with training, content and litigation colleagues.

Contribute to organisational planning, learning and continuous improvement.

Undertake other duties consistent with the seniority of the role.

Accountability and relationships

Reports to: Director of Policy & Advocacy

Key working relationships:

Legal Officer

Legal Project Officer

Director of Strategic Litigation and Advice

Content and Communications Manager

Training Manager

Membership Engagement Manager

Chief Executive and Trustees

Person specification

Essential

Appropriate post-qualification experience in UK immigration, asylum and nationality law, or equivalent expertise demonstrated through substantial legal practice or policy work at an equivalent level;

Substantial knowledge and experience of UK immigration, economic migration, asylum and nationality law;

Strong legal and policy analysis and drafting skills;

Ability to communicate complex legal information clearly;

Experience of parliamentary or government engagement;

Excellent organisational skills and ability to manage a high volume of work, competing deadlines, and shifting priorities in a fast-paced environment;

Experience of member, stakeholder or practitioner engagement;

Ability to work independently and collaboratively with partners across the sector;

Commitment to ILPA's charitable objectives.

Desirable

Knowledge of parliamentary process and legislative scrutiny;

Experience supervising or supporting junior colleagues;

Experience of project management or grant-funded work;

Experience of using different software, including WordPress, Salesforce and Campaign Monitor.

How to apply

To apply, please complete: ILPA Application Form ILPA Equalities Monitoring form And submit these with your CV to For an informal discussion about the role, please contact: Olivia at ()

This vacancy advert may be taken down from our job board earlier than the stated deadline if a high standard of applications is received.

We welcome applications from everyone and particularly encourage applications from people whose backgrounds, experiences or circumstances are under-represented in our workforce, including people with lived experience of migration and people with a disability. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce, including at senior grades. To reduce bias in our shortlisting process, ILPA operates an anonymised application process. If for any reason you prefer to apply in a different format, or require adjustments to the process, please get in touch.