At a Glance
- Tasks: Join a dynamic legal team, providing essential advice across various education and public law areas.
- Company: Hertfordshire County Council is a leading local government body committed to community welfare and legal excellence.
- Benefits: Enjoy a competitive salary, career progression opportunities, and a supportive work environment.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in the community while working in a collaborative and innovative legal setting.
- Qualifications: You must be a qualified Solicitor, Barrister, or Chartered Legal Executive with strong communication skills.
- Other info: Driving is required for this role, and we welcome applications from diverse backgrounds.
The predicted salary is between 42000 - 60000 £ per year.
Overview
Job Title: Lawyer
Starting Salary: £53,806 plus £5,398 Market Enhancement with the opportunity to progress to £59,497, plus £5,424 Market Enhancement per annum, plus £4k Welcome Payment
Hours: 37
Location: Stevenage
Contract Type: Permanent
Directorate: Resources
About the Team
Working in a large and successful legal team that provides comprehensive legal service in all areas, our lawyers are crucial to the County Council\’s continued success. We have high standards for our services and we are pleased to be recognised as a Centre of Excellence by the Law Society\’s Lexcel quality standard assessor.
With more than 100 colleagues in the team, it is one of the largest legal teams in local government and offers a complete legal service to clients across the County Council, District Councils and other public sector bodies.
Herts Legal is a great opportunity for ambitious, passionate and organised Lawyers who want to join a supportive and flourishing public sector legal team.
Requirements
- You will be a qualified Solicitor, Barrister or Chartered Legal Executive
- Demonstrable ability to manage a varied and demanding caseload
- Strong written and oral communication skills, used to build and maintain working relationships, and to produce and present reports
- Experience in working effectively as part of a team
- It is possible that the role could involve travel to other parts of Hertfordshire so access to your own transport would be beneficial
- We welcome applicants who possesses excellent drafting skills and the ability to negotiate documents for a wide range of matters.
- Previous experience of working within a Local Authority environment would be useful but is not essential.
- Specific requirements for relevant teams can be found below
Our Legal Teams
Commercial & Procurement
You will need to provide strategic advice on procurements, subsidy control and data protection, as well as interpreting different contractual documents. The role also requires you to stay updated on changing legislation and the effects of changing legislation and case law, and to be interested in developing expertise in other areas, such as subsidy control.
This role is about being aware of both the legal and the commercial aspects of contracts, procurement and future service delivery across Hertfordshire County Council.
You should ideally have extensive knowledge of a wide range of commercial work, including construction contracts, company secretarial work, various concession, goods and services contracts, funding agreements, and pension arrangements.
Planning – Environment
Giving legal advice and support to client departments and District Councils on various planning, highways and environmental issues, the Environment Law Team is looking for someone with extensive knowledge of the broad range of environmental work, including s106 agreements, highway agreements, minerals planning, waste planning, advising planning committee, rights of way, advising on the effects of changing legislation and case law.
Adult, Children & Health
This role gives you the chance to work in a diverse range of legal areas related to the protection of Vulnerable Individuals in Hertfordshire. Therefore, you will need to be able to offer accurate, comprehensive and prompt legal advice while handling a varied and busy caseload.
The particular focus of this role is to provide Adult Social Care Law advice, including advice to the Hertfordshire Deprivation of Liberty Supervisory Body, Approved Mental Health Professionals and to act as an advocate before Tribunals and the Court.
Education
This role will primarily focus on the provision of Education advice and to ensure that the decisions made by the client department and schools that subscribe to an Education Helpline are within legal boundaries and achieve their aims and objectives and accord with applicable legislation and County Council policy. You will need a comprehensive understanding of the legal framework and case law relating to Education while handling a varied and busy caseload.
Property
We are looking for applicants who have excellent drafting skills and the ability to negotiate documents for different property transactions. You should have extensive knowledge of the wide range of property work, including Landlord and Tenant matters, conveyancing, and researching and advising on the effects of changing legislation and case law, and also be interested in learning more about other areas, such as agricultural law.
Childcare Litigation
Providing high quality litigation and advice service to our Children’s Services department, we are looking for candidates with a working knowledge of the Children Act 1989, Adoption and Children Act 2002, Public Law Outline 2014 and the Children and Families Act 2014, to investigate and advise on the implications of changing legislation and case law, attend and advise at legal planning meetings, to conduct advocacy before the Family Court and manage a caseload of child care matters.
Dispute Resolution
This role offers the opportunity to be involved in a wide variety of legal areas including Civil Litigation, Housing, commercial property, Highways and planning disputes as well as debt recovery in order to support the full breadth of the services of the County Council, Partners and External Clients (which include Stevenage Borough Council). You will need to be able to provide accurate, comprehensive and timely legal advice while conducting litigation across a number of different courts and tribunals, managing a varied and demanding caseload.
Your Work directly supports in the County Council’s efforts to improve Residents Lives, and champion Equality, Fairness and Sustainability. Are you up for the challenge? Would you like to make a difference?
This job role is within the Corporate Services, level 13 job profile. Please locate this via: Job profiles – Corporate services
To hear more about this opportunity please contact / for an informal discussion about the role
Interview Date: arranged on an ad hoc basis
Benefits of working for us
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.
Driving Required
You’ll need to have the ability to drive and/or travel around Hertfordshire, either using your own mode of transport or a company car to travel to other locations.
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.
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Education Lawyer employer: Hertfordshire County Council
Contact Detail:
Hertfordshire County Council Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Education Lawyer
✨Tip Number 1
Familiarise yourself with the specific legal frameworks and case law related to education. This will not only help you in interviews but also demonstrate your commitment and understanding of the role.
✨Tip Number 2
Network with current or former employees of Hertfordshire County Council, especially those in the legal department. They can provide valuable insights into the team culture and expectations, which can be beneficial during your application process.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for potential scenario-based questions that may arise during the interview. Think about how you would handle various legal situations related to education law, as this will showcase your problem-solving skills.
✨Tip Number 4
Stay updated on recent changes in education legislation and policies. Being knowledgeable about current events in the education sector will show your proactive approach and genuine interest in the field.
We think you need these skills to ace Education Lawyer
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV is specifically tailored to the Education Lawyer role. Highlight relevant experience, particularly in education law, and demonstrate your ability to manage a varied caseload.
Craft a Compelling Covering Paragraph: Use the short covering paragraph to succinctly summarise your skills and experiences that align with the job requirements. Focus on your communication skills and any relevant legal experience.
Showcase Relevant Experience: In your application, provide specific examples of your previous work in education law or related fields. Mention any experience with local authorities or similar environments, as this will strengthen your application.
Proofread Your Application: Before submitting, thoroughly proofread your application for any spelling or grammatical errors. A polished application reflects your attention to detail, which is crucial for a legal role.
How to prepare for a job interview at Hertfordshire County Council
✨Understand the Legal Framework
Make sure you have a solid grasp of the legal framework and case law related to education. This will not only help you answer questions confidently but also demonstrate your commitment to the role.
✨Showcase Your Communication Skills
As an Education Lawyer, strong written and oral communication skills are essential. Prepare examples of how you've effectively communicated complex legal concepts in previous roles or during your studies.
✨Demonstrate Teamwork Experience
Highlight your ability to work as part of a team. Share specific instances where you collaborated with colleagues to achieve a common goal, especially in a legal context.
✨Prepare for Scenario-Based Questions
Expect scenario-based questions that assess your problem-solving abilities. Think about potential challenges you might face in the role and how you would address them, particularly in relation to education law.