Principal Education Lawyer | Preston

Lancashire County Council; Lancashire; On-site; GBP 56,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

26 days annual leave

Flexible working opportunities

Health and wellbeing support

Family-friendly policies

Financial and travel benefits

Training and development opportunities

Job summary

Lancashire County Council in Preston seeks a Principal Education Lawyer to lead Education-law matters within the Legal Services function. You will advise senior leaders, shape policy, and drive service improvement, working with Directors, schools and external stakeholders to deliver strategic objectives. The role requires admission as a Solicitor or Barrister and extensive experience in Education Law and public sector advisory work. A small, specialist team will be led and developed.

Qualifications

• Honours degree in a relevant discipline and admission as a Solicitor or Barrister (England & Wales) with current practicing certificate.
• Extensive experience in Education Law and advising Local Authorities, Schools or public sector bodies on employment matters.
• Proven ability to lead and develop a professional team and deliver a high-quality service.

Responsibilities

• Act as the key partner for Education-law related matters within Legal Services.
• Lead and manage a small specialist team advising senior stakeholders to shape service delivery.
• Collaborate with Directors, Heads of Service and external partners to ensure compliance and strategic objectives.

Skills

Education Law

Employment law

Leadership

Stakeholder communication

Education

Honours degree in a relevant discipline

Job description

Job Description

Salary £55,612 to £60,147 Per annum | Permanent, Full Time, 37 hours per week | Preston

Job Description

Salary £55,612 to £60,147 Per annum | Permanent, Full Time, 37 hours per week | Preston

Principal Education Lawyer

We're looking for a specialist Education Lawyer with a drive and passion to deliver an effective and very specialist service to our stakeholders.

About The Role

The role will be the key partner and stakeholder for Education related matters within our Legal Services function.

You'll manage a small but specialist team whilst advising, influencing, shaping and challenging at senior levels to deliver an effective service.

As the Principal Education Lawyer you will work collaboratively with Directors, Heads of Service, in-house services, schools and external stakeholders to ensure service improvement, ongoing compliance and delivery of strategic objectives.

About You

Job Description & Person Specification

You'll be an ambitious & experienced Education Legal professional looking to take the next step in your career alongside possessing the drive and passion to create a better environment for the people within our region.

• You'll ideally have an honours degree in a relevant discipline alongside admitted Solicitor or Barrister status (England and Wales) with a current practicing certificate
• You'll have an excellent understanding and experience of operating within the legal frameworks and requirements of Local Authority governance
• You'll have extensive previous professional experience within Education Law
• Excellent previous experience of advising Local Authorities, Schools or Public Sector organisations on Employment law matters
• You'll have previous experience of leading, developing and motivating a professional team
• Demonstrative experience of being the driver of a high quality service provision
• You'll be an excellent communicator able and comfortable communicating with a range of stakeholders at all levels

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.