Office Of The Parliamentary Counsel
The Office of the Parliamentary Counsel is a team of civil servants within the Cabinet Office which plays a pivotal role in the legislative process, shaping the laws that govern our society.
Our main role is to draft government Bills for introduction into Parliament. Working with others across Government, we also handle their passage through Parliament, drafting any amendments that are needed along the way. Our work covers a wide variety of subjects and we do not specialise in any particular area of law.
If you are a lawyer with a passion for making a real impact on society, a career as a Parliamentary Counsel could be your calling! To apply, please visit The Civil Service job page
Please read our online pen portraits and Twitter page to find out more information about who we are and what we do.
Please also take a look at a short film that we have produced to get an insight into a day in the life of a Parliamentary Counsel.
A Day in the Life of a Parliamentary Counsel
The Office is committed to being an inclusive place where people feel able to bring their whole selves to work. We all enjoy developing the skill of drafting, but we recognise that as a group of individuals we have different perspectives. Respecting and encouraging that diversity of thought makes us stronger as a team and helps us to deliver the best possible legislation. To find out more about what this looks like in practice see: diversity and inclusion at OPC
The Role of Assistant Parliamentary Counsel
Assistant Parliamentary Counsel (APCs) are supervised in their work, with the level of supervision reducing as they grow in expertise and experience, but will be responsible for drafting legislation from the beginning of their time in the Office. The Office is a collaborative and non-hierarchical environment in which all contributions are welcome. APCs, working alongside a more experienced drafter, may be drafting deeply complex or controversial provisions from day one.
Once they are able to take the lead on drafting and handling a Bill, APCs can look to be promoted to the grade of Parliamentary Counsel (Deputy Director).
For more information about the role please download our application pack
Application Process
If you are passionate about the law and interested in working at the heart of the legislative process, please apply before 7 January.
If youd like to hear more about what it is like to work at the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel, we are hosting a panel event: Meet the Parliamentary Counsel
Our panel members will discuss their career journeys and provide insights into their experience of working at the Office. This event is open to all and is on Wednesday 6 December at 6pm, followed by a live Q&A session. Register here.
We are also hosting a limited number of workshops to support candidates with advice on how to approach the application process. The workshops will focus on how candidates can use examples from a wide range of experience to demonstrate the skills and attributes that are needed to be an APC. Anyone can attend and places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis, but we particularly welcome people who are disabled or who are black, Asian or from minority ethnic groups, as they are currently under-represented in the Office
The workshops will be held in the weeks beginning 4 and 11 December. The precise dates of the workshops will be confirmed based on levels of interest, but on the dates they run, they will run from 6-7pm. If you would like to attend, please