Paralegal Officer (Education) | Preston

Lancashire County Council; Preston; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 36,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working opportunities

Health and wellbeing support

Family-friendly policies

Training and development opportunities

Financial and travel benefits

26 days annual leave plus bank holiday

Job summary

Lancashire County Council is seeking a Paralegal Officer to provide legal and administrative support to Lawyers within our Adult Social Care, Education and Employment Teams, with a primary focus on Education law matters. This is a fixed-term basis for 18 months and a full-time role.

You will undertake legal research, prepare documentation and draft routine correspondence, reports and legal advice under appropriate supervision to provide a high-quality customer-focused legal service to schools,

Qualifications

• Legal qualification or working towards (degree, LPC or Ilex).
• Experience in a legal environment.
• Experience supporting Lawyers in legal practice or in-house service.
• Knowledge or experience in Employment or Education Law desirable.
• Experience in Local Authority environment desirable.
• Strong communication with stakeholders at all levels.
• Ability to explain legal issues to non-legal audiences.
• Strong analytical and legal research skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide legal and administrative support to lawyers.
• Support Education law matters for schools and educational settings.
• Prepare documentation and draft routine correspondence, reports and legal advice under supervision.
• Deliver high-quality customer-focused legal service to schools, educational settings and council stakeholders.
• Perform legal research.

Skills

Legal qualification

Legal research

Analytical thinking

Communication skills

Team support

Employment law

Education law

Local authority experience

Education

Degree/LPC/Ilex

Job description

Salary £32,061 to £36,363 Per annum | Fixed-Term 18 month contract, Full Time, 37 hours per week | Preston, Lancashire, United Kingdom

Paralegal Officer

We're looking for a passionate and enthusiastic Paralegal with the drive and passion to deliver an effective and very specialist service to our stakeholders. The role will be on a fixed-term basis for a period of 18-months.

About The Role

The role will provide legal and administrative support to Lawyers within our Adult Social Care, Education and Employment Teams, with a primary focus on Education law matters. You'll support the provision of legal advice and assistance to schools and educational settings whilst adhering to agreed service level agreements. As a Paralegal you'll undertake legal research, prepare documentation and draft routine correspondence, reports and legal advice under appropriate supervision in order to provide a high-quality customer-focused legal service to schools, educational settings and council stakeholders.

About You

• You'll ideally have a further-level legal qualification (e.g. Degree, LPC or Ilex) or working towards
• You'll have previous experience of working within a legal environment
• You'll have experience of working within a team supporting Lawyers in either a legal practice or an in-house legal service
• Previous knowledge or experience within Employment or Education Law would be highly desirable
• Previous experience within a Local Authority environment would be highly desireable
• You'll be an excellent communicator able and comfortable communicating with a range of stakeholders at all levels
• You'll be comfortable explaining legal and procedural issues to non-legal audiences
• You'll be able to demonstrate strong analytical and legal research skills

About Us

At Lancashire County Council, we're committed to delivering services that make a real difference to the people and communities we serve. Our Information Governance Team is at the heart of that mission, helping ensure transparency, accountability and the responsible use of information. When you join us, you'll become part of a supportive and knowledgeable team where your expertise is valued, your development is encouraged and your contribution has a direct impact across the organisation.

In Return, We Offer

• Competitive salary
• 26 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Flexible working opportunities
• Health and wellbeing support
• Family-friendly policies
• Financial and travel benefits
• Training and development opportunities

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.