Principal Education Lawyer | Preston

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

Benefits offered by this job

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 is seeking an experienced Education Lawyer to deliver a specialist legal service for our education stakeholders in Preston.

You must be admitted Solicitor or Barrister (England & Wales) with strong education and employment law experience, and proven leadership of a professional team.

This role offers an opportunity to shape policy and governance within the Local Authority and interact with school leaders, governors and regulatory bodies.

Qualifications

• Ambitious and experienced Education Legal professional with drive.
• Admitted Solicitor or Barrister (England and Wales) with current practicing certificate.
• Extensive experience in Education Law within Local Authority governance.

Responsibilities

• Advise Local Authorities, schools or public sector on Employment law matters.
• Lead, develop and motivate a professional Education Law team.
• Act as the driver of a high-quality service provision across stakeholders.

Skills

Education Law

Education

Solicitor or Barrister (England & Wales)

Job description

About The Role

Salary 55,612 to 60,147 Per annum | Permanent, Full Time, 37 hours per week | PrestonPrincipal Education LawyerWe're looking for a specialist Education Lawyer with a drive and passion to deliver an effective and very specialist service to our stakeholders.

Job Description & Person Specification

About YouYou'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 certificateYou'll have an excellent understanding and experience of operating within the legal frameworks and requirements of Local Authority governanceYou'll have extensive previous professional experience within Education LawExcellent previous experience of advising Local Authorities, Schools or Public Sector organisations on Employment law mattersYou'll have previous experience of leading, developing and motivating a professional teamDemonstrative experience of being the driver of a high quality service provisionYou'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.

Benefits

• 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

Current Jobs and Local Government Reorganisation

• Current Jobs.We reserve the right to close down a vacancy early, before the closing date, if we receive sufficient applications.Local Government ReorganisationThe 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.

Full timePosting Date: 2026-09-10