LOCAL councils are hunting for young and eager legal eagles seeking work experience.

Thurrock and Barking and Dagenham councils operate a shared legal service and, since 2006, Thurrock Council has helped well over a dozen young people through internships.

Now, through its shared legal team which also delivers the legal service for Brentwood Council, the offer is being made across an even wider area.

Fiona Taylor, the councils’ Head of Legal Services, said: "We are happy to offer a three-month internship for volunteers who have finished their law degree, but haven't yet found a training placement.

“You could be based in one of our three legal teams in Grays, Dagenham or Brentwood civic offices.

"This is a chance for young people to learn, hands-on, about some of the work we do from planning to criminal law, and many other areas too many to mention.

"We have a long-established training programme which so far has always led to employment opportunities for those who take part.”

David Lawson, the councils’ deputy Head of Legal Services, added: “We feel the sheer range of practice areas undertaken by public sector lawyers and the size, commercial value and importance of those transactions make the average small or medium-sized private practice a far less attractive option.

"We are offering the experience people need to find a job.

“The shared legal service also has a number of external public sector clients so this is a great opportunity to gain valuable legal experience and work in a Law Society Lexcel approved service.”

The scheme is aimed at law and legal practice course graduates who wish to acquire practical and hands-on legal skills to aid their search for permanent positions and progress their legal career.

The joint legal service has about 60 lawyers specializing in criminal, civil, employment and commercial litigation; child and adult protection, education, planning, major regeneration, housing, environment, highways, property, licensing, contracts, procurement and corporate governance law.

Anyone interested in the three-month internship should contact David Lawson, Deputy Head of Legal, Thurrock Council and London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, and Head of Legal at Brentwood Council at david.lawson@bdtlegal.org.uk