Research Support Associates

1.               Operating Environment

The long-term strategic vision for the future of the Courts Service sets out the 10-year plan to 2030 to re-design services around court users, leveraging digital technology to streamline services and ultimately delivering a modern court system. This is an exciting time to be a member of Courts Service staff and be part of our evolving and modernising journey.

The Courts Service is seeking suitably qualified and committed individuals to take up full-time fixed-term roles as Research Support Associates (RSA) in the Research Support Office (RSO). These individuals will provide high quality legal research services to support members of the Irish Judiciary as well as being involved in initiatives to develop legal research and support services for the judiciary.

Research Support Associates will engage directly with members of the Irish Judiciary. They will not be assigned directly to an individual judge but will undertake research projects and support information dissemination across the judiciary via newsletters and updates on case law for example.

2. THE ROLE

The Research Support Office (RSO) consists of Research Support Associates who are recruited on three-year fixed-term contracts to provide legal research and support services to judges of all jurisdictions.

The RSO is managed by a Legal Research Executive who reports to a Legal Research Manager. The Legal Research and Library Services Committee guides the work of the RSO in terms of judicial requirements.

The RSO provides the following services:

·             The compiling and updating of bench books on various court lists and areas of law (civil and criminal) for use by members of the Judiciary;

·             The provision of written memoranda in response to research requests made by individual judges in the Appellate, High, Circuit and District Courts;

·             The circulation of legal updates to all members of the Judiciary;

·             Briefings to members of the Judiciary and colleagues on legal research conducted by the office on various areas of law;

·             The provision of information sessions to visiting delegations of international dignitaries on the Irish legal system;

·             Attendance and the provision of research assistance at judicial conferences.

Legal Research and Library Services (LRLS)

The LRLS is made up of two component parts, firstly the Knowledge and Information section (LRLS management, Research Support Office and Library Staff) and secondly the frontline assistance for the judiciary (judicial assistants and executive legal officers)

The Knowledge and Information function provide legal research through benchbooks, responses to questionnaires and legal memoranda; it creates and maintains a knowledge management system and information services, runs and manages the Judges' Library and runs the operational staffing management of the judicial assistants.

Research Support Associates provide a single point of contact to the judiciary for legal research. They develop and lead projects including benchbooks; regular legal updates by way of newsletter and video conference; content management of the judicial knowledge hub.

Judicial Assistants are assigned to a member of the judiciary and work directly with them. They provide legal query assistance, administrative support, proofreading and judgment checking, court going work and assistance when the member of the judiciary is travelling.

The LRLS is led by the Head of Legal Research and Library Services and comprises of over 100 staff-members:

·         Legal Research Managers;

·         Legal Research Executives;

·         The Research Support Office;

·         Court-going Judicial Assistants; and

·         The Judges’ Library.

Reporting Relationship

The principal reporting relationship is with the Legal Research Executive managing the Research Support Office.

Research Support Associates will also work closely with the Head of Legal Research and Library Services, the Legal Research Managers, other Legal Research Executives, court-going Judicial Assistants, librarians and administrative staff.

3. Key Responsibilities

The following list of duties is indicative (but not exhaustive) of the responsibilities and duties which Research Support Associates may be expected to perform.

Under the supervision of a Legal Research Executive and the overall direction of a Legal Research Manager, a Research Support Associate will:

·         Engage with members of the Irish Judiciary to understand their legal research requirements;

·         Provide high-quality, accurate and timely legal research for the Irish Judiciary through the extensive use of primary and secondary legal materials and electronic databases;

·         Produce a range of legal research outputs including customised research memoranda, legislative tables and generalised outputs (e.g. bench books on specific areas of law) which are well-written, accurate, concise and accessible;

·         Keep abreast of recent legal developments and update the Judiciary of same;

·         Deliver briefings to members of the Judiciary and Judicial Assistants on legal research conducted by the office on various areas of law;

·         Provide high-quality editing, proof-reading and summarisation services for the Irish Judiciary;

·         Assist with legal research in response to requests from European and international judicial networks on matters of Irish law and the Irish legal system;

·         Provide peer-review support to colleagues;

·         Collaborate with colleagues across the Legal Research and Library Service to deliver innovative information and research services to support the Irish Judiciary;

·         Promote the Research Support Office across the Judiciary and the Courts Service;

·         Develop networks with other legal research and library services, bodies and communities with a view to drawing upon their knowledge and working collaboratively where appropriate;

·         Contribute to the ongoing development of the Research Support Office and wider Legal Research and Library Service by sharing ideas and experience;

·         Provide information sessions to visiting delegations of international dignitaries on the Irish legal system;

·         Create and gather legal research to be used for our internal Knowledge Management System;

·         Collaborate with the Knowledge Management Manger and Judges’ Library staff in providing legal research support services to members of the Judiciary;

·         Assist with the overview, management and further development of our Knowledge Management System.

Note, the above is intended as a guide and is neither definitive nor restrictive.

4. Essential Requirements:

Candidates must, on or before the 9 October 2024,be in possession of the following:

·         An honours law degree at 2.1 (LLB or BCL) at a minimum of level 8 on the National Framework of Qualifications or the Diploma in Law from The Honorable Society of King’s Inns; AND

·         A recognised legal qualification or a post-graduate qualification;

·         Relevant experience conducting legal research (including academic research or research in the course of court-case preparation);

·         Knowledge of Irish law and the Irish legal system, including contemporary statute and case law;

·         Knowledge of EU law;

·         Excellent legal research and information technology skills and knowledge of commercial and open-access online legal research methods, materials and databases;

·         Strong editorial skills and the ability to write and present research in a concise, accessible and plain English style;

·         Experience of prioritising and managing assigned tasks in a busy work environment and working within deadlines;

·         The ability to apply legal research to practical scenarios;

·         Excellent communication and interpersonal skills; and

·         The ability to work both independently and in a team environment.

The following are desirable:

·         an aptitude for research;

·         knowledge of international law;

·         experience in professional legal research; and

·         experience in knowledge-management systems.

5. APPLICATION PROCESS

Application should be made by logging into the advertisement link and uploading your cv and completing a cover letter.

The closing date is 12noon on 9 October 2024. Applications received after the closing date and time will not be accepted.

The cover letter is on the system with 400 maximum words allowed. You should outline how you meet the required skills and behaviours of the role.

Candidates who do not hold or do not demonstrate the skills and experience will not be called for interview.

The admission of a person to a competition, or invitation to attend an interview, is not to be taken as implying the Courts Service is satisfied such a person fulfils the requirements of the competition or is not disqualified by law from holding the position and does not carry a guarantee that your application will receive further consideration. It is important, therefore, for candidates to note that the onus is on them to ensure that they meet the eligibility requirements for the competition before attending for interview. If a candidate does not meet these essential entry requirements but nevertheless attends for interview, that candidate will be putting him or herself to unnecessary expense.

It is important to note the onus is on applicants to ensure the eligibility requirements for the competition are met when applying for the competition.

The Courts Service accepts no responsibility for communication not accessed or received by an applicant.

6. Selection Methods

The Selection Process will involve:

·                 Shortlisting of candidates, on the basis of the information contained in their CV and Cover Letter,

·                 A selection exercise (test) undertaken in a remote exam setting,

·                 A competitive competency-based interview

Shortlisting

The Courts Service will short list to select a group for exam and possible interview who, based on an examination of the application form, appear to be the most suitable for the position.

Candidates will be assessed on the information provided in relation to each of the five competencies. Those that demonstrate evidence at the required level will be called to interview.

Skills and competencies

Candidates should demonstrate that they have the ability to carry out successfully the duties of the role, as well as the general skills and competencies namely:

·         Analysis and Decision Making

·         Management and Delivery of Results

·         Interpersonal and Communication Skills

·         Specialist Knowledge, Expertise and Self Development

·         Drive and Commitment in Public Service Values

Candidates with Disabilities

The Courts Service has a key role to play in attracting candidates from all sectors of society, ensuring that routes to career opportunities are accessible to all who are interested. We are committed to equality of opportunity for all candidates. If you have a disability or need reasonable accommodation made during the selection process, we strongly encourage you to share this with us so that we can ensure you get the support you need.

Reasonable accommodation in our selection process refers to adjustments and practical changes which would enable a disabled candidate to have an equal opportunity for this competition. Examples of adjustments we provide include the use of assistive technology, extra time, scribes and/or readers or a range of other accommodations.

Please be assured that having a disability or requiring adjustments will not impact on your progress in the selection process; you will not be at a disadvantage if you disclose your disability or requirements to us. Your disability and/or adjustments will be kept entirely confidential.

7. EXAm & Interview

Following the shortlisting process successful candidates will be asked to complete a remote exam.

There will be two parts to the exam with 50 marks allotted to each. You must receive a mark of 25 or more in each part to be considered for the next stage in the process.

Following the exam, successful candidates will be called forward for interview.

Interviews will take place in Dublin city centre. Interviews will be structured in format, with candidates asked to provide examples of the competencies for the role as outlined in Section 6of this document.

The competencies will be thoroughly and systematically explored at interview to assess suitability for the role.

The board may ask about the experience described on the application form under each competency or they may ask for other examples.

It is anticipated the interview will last 45 minutes.

Each competency will carry 40 marks each. A total of 340 marks is available.

To be considered for the panel you must receive a mark of 20 or more in all competencies.

Panel Formation

Following the interview process a panel will be formed for the purpose of filling Research Support Associate roles.

Candidates will be ranked in order of merit based on performance at interview.

This panel will remain in place until 31 July 2025 from the date of formation of the panel or until the exhaustion of the panel whichever is the earlier.

Candidates who have not been offered a position at the expiry of the panel will have no claim to any further positions thereafter because of having been on the panel.

Confidentiality

Candidates can expect that all enquiries, applications and all aspects of the proceedings to the extent that they are managed by the Courts Service are treated as strictly confidential subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2014. However, candidates should note that all application material may be made available to the interview board. Certain items of information, not specific to any individual, are extracted from computer records for general statistical purposes.

Garda Vetting

Garda vetting will be sought in respect of individuals who come under consideration for appointment. The applicant will be required to complete and return a Garda Vetting form should they come under consideration for appointment.

This form will be forwarded to An Garda Siochána for security checks on all Irish and Northern Irish addresses at which they resided. Enquiries may also be made with the police force of any country in which the applicant under consideration for appointment resided. If the applicant subsequently comes under consideration for another position, they will be required to supply this information again.

Other important information

The Courts Service will not be responsible for refunding any expenses incurred by candidates.

Prior to recommending any candidate for appointment to this position the Courts Service will make all such enquiries that are deemed necessary to determine the suitability of that candidate. Until all stages of the recruitment process have been fully completed a final determination cannot be made nor can it be deemed or inferred that such a determination has been made.

Should the person recommended for appointment decline, or having accepted it, relinquish it, or if an additional vacancy arises the Courts Service may, at its discretion, select and recommend another person for appointment on the results of this selection process.

Review and Complaint Procedures under the Code of Practice for Appointments to Positions in the Civil and Public Service

If a candidate is unhappy following the outcome of any stage of a selection process, they can either:

1.     Request a Review of a decision made during the process Or

2.     Make a Complaint that the selection process followed was unfair

A candidate can follow either one of the two procedures in relation to the same aspect of a selection process, but not both. Where a review of a selection process has taken place under Section 7 (as detailed below), a complainant may not seek a further review of the same process under Section 8, other than in the most exceptional circumstances that will be determined by the Commission for Public Service Appointments (CPSA) at its sole discretion.

There is no obligation on the Courts Service to suspend an appointment process while a Review or Complaint is being considered. However, the CPSA expects that, where possible, the Courts Service will intervene in cases where it finds an error is likely to have occurred.

Salary

The salary scale for the position (rates effective from June 2024) is as follows:

Research Support Associate - Personal Pension Contribution Salary Scale:

€51,137.00, €54,019.00, €56,556.00

New entrants to the Civil Service will be appointed to the first point of the (PPC) salary scale.

The PPC pay rate applies when the individual is required to pay a Personal Pension Contribution (otherwise known as a main scheme contribution) in accordance with the rules of their main/personal superannuation scheme. This is different to a contribution in respect of membership of a Spouses’ and Children’s scheme, or the Additional Superannuation Contributions (ASC). A different rate will apply where the appointee is not required to make a Personal Pension Contribution.

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