Employment Lawyer | Preston

Lancashire County Council; Preston; Hybrid; GBP 48,000 - 53,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Local Government Pension Scheme

26 days annual leave + bank holidays

Staff discount Vivup

Development opportunities

Job summary

Lancashire County Council is seeking an Employment Lawyer to join the Employment team within Adult Social Care, Education & Employment. You will manage a caseload of Employment Tribunal claims, prepare cases through final hearings, and may advocate at preliminary hearings while advising internal clients on discrimination, unfair dismissal, and whistleblowing.

The post offers hybrid working, based at County Hall, Preston with home-working options.

Qualifications

• Experience in handling Employment Tribunal claims and related advisory work.
• Ability to advise internal clients on employment policies and practice.

Responsibilities

• Manage a caseload of Employment Tribunal claims and prepare cases to final hearings.
• Advocate at preliminary hearings where appropriate and provide strategic advice to internal clients on employment law matters.
• Counsel on discrimination, unfair dismissal and whistleblowing issues and other workplace concerns.

Skills

Advocacy in employment law

Employment Tribunal experience

Discrimination law knowledge

TUPE understanding

Job description

Salary £47,665 to £53,051 per annum | Permanent, Full Time 37 hours per week | Adult Social Care, Education & Employment Team

Please note that we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join Lancashire County Council as an Employment lawyer to work within a growing legal team alongside experienced legal professionals. The employment team operates in a fast-paced environment, dealing with a wide range of Early Conciliation and Employment Tribunal cases. These commonly cover (but are not limited to) all aspects of discrimination under the Equality Act 2010, Unfair Dismissal, and Whistleblowing.

Within this role you will hold a case load of Employment Tribunal claims which involves preparing cases and seeing them through to final hearings. This may include advocacy at preliminary hearings where appropriate. You will be expected to advise internal clients in relation to all aspects of employment law and employment policies and practice, including disciplinary matters, grievances, TUPE transfers and general workplace issues.

An ability to correspond and effectively communicate with various stakeholders including clients, third party solicitors, ACAS, and counsel is vital. The ideal candidate will have demonstrable experience in working within this area of law, either on behalf of local authorities or in private practice.

We are seeking an individual that can demonstrate a strong work ethic, a professional attitude, and an ability to work both under pressure and with limited supervision, as well as having a desire to work in local authority.

Council employees work on a hybrid basis. The post is based at County Hall, Preston, but employees have the ability and opportunity to work from home.

The successful applicant will need to be admitted as a Solicitor or called to the Bar or be a Chartered Legal Executive.

Closing Date: 30/11/2026

By joining Lancashire County Council, you can shape the career path that is right for you, with opportunities to gain personal and professional qualifications, coaching, and mentoring. Lancashire County Council truly is the place where you can have the career you've always wanted.

In return for your passion and expertise, we offer a generous benefits package, which includes:

• A competitive salary and Local Government Pension Scheme with generous employer contributions.
• A great holiday entitlement of 26 days annual leave, which increases with length of service. You will also be entitled to 8 Bank Holidays, 2 additional statutory Bank Holidays, and have the option to buy additional leave each year.
• Our staff discount scheme in partnership with Vivup, allowing you to access discounts with a range of UK retailers, saving on everything from weekly food shops to white goods and cars.
• Access to fantastic development and career opportunities.

We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications.

Local Government Reorganisation

The Government has confirmed that local government across Lancashire will be reorganised, with the current 15 councils being replaced by four new unitary councils covering North, South, East and West Lancashire from April 2028.

If you are successful in your application, you will initially join Lancashire County Council. However, as part of the planned transition, your employment will transfer to one of the new unitary councils from April 2028, subject to the implementation of the reorganisation and relevant employment legislation.

Throughout this period, our focus remains on delivering excellent services to our communities. By joining us now, you'll play an important role in shaping the future of local government and helping to build a strong new organisation that will serve residents for years to come.

Job Description & Person Specification

QWE

Will this role count as your QWE, and who will confirm it?

Check it against the SRA’s questions in two minutes. If there is no COLP or solicitor where you work, the SRA lets a solicitor outside confirm it: an FQPS solicitor can, from £275.