Lay Executive Committee Member, Association of Personal Injury Lawyers

This is an exciting time to join APIL’s executive committee members who are committed to injured people. You will help to deliver key aspects of our challenging and visionary new strategic plan, ‘Building a Brighter Future for Injured People’.

We want to build a larger and more diverse community of lawyers committed to injured people. We strive to do our best for our members so that they are happy, engaged advocates of our Association, committed to excellence through ongoing professional development.

About APIL

The Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) has been fighting for the rights of injured people since 1990. A not-for-profit campaign organisation, APIL’s 3,000 + member lawyers (mainly solicitors, barristers and legal executives) are committed to protecting and enhancing access to justice, improving the services provided for victims of personal injury, and campaigning to change the law wherever appropriate.

Over the years APIL has grown to become the leading, most respected organisation in this field, constantly working to promote and develop expertise in the practise of personal injury law, for the benefit of injured people.

As a unique voice for injured people it is essential that, as the beneficiaries of our campaigning work, they have a say in what we do and how we do it. Therefore in 2021 we brought forward a special resolution to enable lay persons to join the Executive Committee alongside lawyers.

About the role

We are looking to recruit our first Lay EC Member this year. The term of office is three years, with the possibility of an extension to that term, at the discretion of the EC.

Remuneration is an honorarium of £500 per EC meeting (4 x EC meetings a year); plus expenses in accordance with APIL’s travel and subsistence policy.

APIL holds four executive committee meetings a year, currently in virtual format. It is envisaged that the meetings will move to a hybrid format when safety permits. In addition, the Lay EC member will be expected to assist with some working parties convened to work on and/or respond to government consultations or other policy areas of work.

Person Specification

We are particularly interested in candidates who fit the following criteria:

Essential

• Has experienced personal injury, either to themselves or members of their family;
• A commitment to APIL’s aims and objectives;
• Good, independent judgement and the ability to think creatively;
• Good communication and interpersonal skills;
• Strategic and forward-looking vision in relation to APIL’s aims and objectives;
• Active commitment to equality and diversity;

• Not a personal injury lawyer;
• Free from conflicts of interest.

Desirable

• Has knowledge of and experience with the not-for-profit sector.
• Has experience of working within a committee structure;
• Demonstrates skills which are of assistance to the association.

We are looking for an individual who shares our vision for the future to help injured people not only within the litigation process, but in respect of rehabilitation and injury prevention. We are also keen to broaden the diversity of the EC to include people from a range of backgrounds and different life experiences, who support our commitment to equality and diversity.

To arrange an informal discussion about the role with the Chief Executive please contact Tanya Benjamin-Edwards, Executive Assistant at tanya.benjamin-edwards@apil.org.uk

The closing date for applications is 5 pm Friday 29^th October 2021.

How to Apply:

To apply, please download our recruitment pack and recruitment monitoring form linked to this advert or download them here: http://www.apil.org.uk/files/APIL-Lay-EC-2021.zip

And send:

1. A detailed CV of no more than 2,000 words;
2. A supporting statement, of no more than 500 words, describing how you meet the criteria in the Person Specification outlined in the recruitment pack. Please provide examples of where your knowledge and experience match the required criteria; Full contact details for two referees;
3. Completed recruitment monitoring form,

by email to: helen.blundell@apil.org.uk