Lead SEN Lawyer

Hertfordshire County Council; Stevenage; Hybrid; GBP 63,000 - 71,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Disability Confident employer

Hybrid working

Job summary

Hertfordshire County Council seeks an experienced Lead SEN Lawyer to lead specialist SEN law work and handle a personal caseload. The role focuses on First Tier Tribunal hearings and delivering expert guidance to client departments and senior professionals.

You will provide advocacy, draft hearing documents, supervise junior lawyers, and ensure legal compliance with local authority policies. The post requires ongoing CPD and effective stakeholder engagement.

Qualifications

• Qualified solicitor, barrister or Chartered Legal Executive with current practising status.
• Extensive SEN litigation experience in a public sector environment.
• Proven ability to lead and develop a team of lawyers, trainees and paralegals.

Responsibilities

• Represent the Local Authority in First Tier Tribunal SEN hearings of varying complexity.
• Draft all hearing-related documents including preliminary documents.
• Identify key issues and develop cogent arguments for hearings.
• Provide supervisory support to junior lawyers, trainees and paralegals on SEN matters.
• Ensure governance and council compliance in decision making and support relevant committees.
• Engage in continuous professional development and share knowledge across the team.

Skills

SEN litigation

People management

Advocacy

Education

Qualified Solicitor/Barrister/Chartered Legal Executive

Job description

Job Title: Lead SEN Lawyer
Starting Salary: £63,471 plus £7,574 market enhancement progressing to £71,045 plus £6,886 market enhancement per annum
Hours: 37 per week
Location: Stevenage with hybrid working opportunities
Contract Type: Permanent
Directorate: Resources

About the team

Acting as lead expert in area of SEN law, relying on significant professional and technical expertise to deliver expert level advice on a range of complex issues, and effectively managing the competing priorities of a busy caseload.

The role is part of a multidisciplinary Team that undertakes work in relation Adults, Children ,Health and Education

About the role

An experienced and enthusiastic Lead Lawyer to represent the Local Authority principally in First Tier Tribunal hearings concerning Special Educational Needs at all levels of complexity and with responsibility for managing a personal case load.

You will also be expected to :-

• To ensure that the client departments decisions are made within legal boundaries and achieve their aims and objectives and accord with Local Authority policy
• Provide expert level advice to senior professionals within key Client departments and members as required.
• Have experience of providing SEN law support to Local Authority or similar public sector organisation
• To draft all documents related to the effective conduct of the hearings including preliminary documents.
• To identify the key issues in the case and formulate cogent and compelling arguments
• Have experience in Advocacy withing the First Tier Tribunal
• You will be client facing and as well as working directly with clients , you will also have regular contact with the First Tier Tribunal and solicitors/counsel instructed by parents.
• Provide supervisory support to lawyers, trainees and paralegals on SEN Law matters.
• Strong governance and local authority awareness to ensure Council compliance in decision making in relevant area, and supporting relevant Committees as required.
• Continuous professional development to keep up to date across best practice and new legislation/ case law for area. Ensuring sharing of this information across team.

About you

Essential

• You will need to have a recognised legal qualification as a Solicitor, Barrister or Chartered Legal Executive.
• Significant experience in SEN litigation
• Demonstrable people management skills
• Excellent time management skills with the ability to manage a busy caseload
• Continuous professional development to keep up to date across best practice and new legislation/ case law for area. Ensuring sharing of this information across team.
• Strong governance and local authority awareness to ensure Council compliance in decision making in relevant area, and supporting relevant Committees as required

We welcome applications from candidates who currently reside in the UK with established proof of right to work documentation. We are not able to offer sponsorship at this time for this role.

This job role is Level 14. Please locate the job profile here:

Job profiles - Corporate services

Interview Date

to be confirmed

Benefits of working for us

Additional information

We are changing

Hertfordshire County Councilis undergoing Local Government Reorganisation (LGR). If you are employed by Hertfordshire County on 1 April 2028, it is expected that most roles will transfer to the newly-created unitary councils on existing terms and conditions under TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings – Protection of Employment) principles.

LGR is one of the biggest changes we will face in a generation. It will reshape how we work and how services are organised and gives us a real opportunity to build something better. To find out more, visit https://www.hertfordshire-lgr.co.uk/

Disability Confident

We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer and guarantee an interview to anyone disclosing a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the post.

English Fluency

The ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post (for those whose language is a signed language the provision of a sign language interpreter who speaks English to the necessary standard of fluency will be required). Further information about the legal requirement can be found here.