Lawyer Advocate – Regulatory Fitness to Practise

About the role

The General Optical Council is seeking an experienced Lawyer Advocate to join its in‑house casework team. You will provide specialist legal and advocacy support for investigations into registrants' fitness to practise, preparing and presenting cases before the Council’s committees and, where qualified, the High Court.

Key responsibilities

• Present cases to the Fitness to Practise Committee, Registrations Appeals Committee and High Court.
• Prepare comprehensive case files, including statements of facts, skeleton arguments, Rule 16 applications and high‑court submissions.
• Advise operations managers and casework staff on risk assessment, evidence handling and proportionate investigations.
• Provide routine and complex legal advice to the regulatory operations directorate.
• Support and develop the investigation team through training and mentorship.
• Drive continuous improvement by applying lessons from case law and committee outcomes.

Required profile

• Qualified solicitor or barrister with experience in regulatory healthcare or a comparable sector.
• Proven track record of preparing and presenting fitness‑to‑practise cases.
• Strong analytical abilities and attention to detail.
• Excellent communication skills for internal and external stakeholder engagement.

Required skills

• Legal research and case preparation
• Advocacy and oral presentation
• Regulatory law expertise (healthcare sector)
• High Court procedure knowledge
• Drafting of legal documents (statements, arguments, applications)