Description
As our Education Solicitor, you'll provide clear, practical legal advice on a broad range of education law matters, with a particular focus on special educational needs and disability (SEND) cases and Tribunal proceedings.
You'll help the Council make lawful, fair and robust decisions that stand up to scrutiny and support positive outcomes for children and young people.
This is a hands-on role where SEND work will be a key focus. You'll provide high-quality legal advice on special educational needs cases and represent the Council in Tribunal proceedings. You'll also advise on other education-related matters, including disability issues, school attendance, admissions, exclusions, transport, safeguarding, and school openings, closures and amalgamations.
You'll manage your own caseload, draft clear legal advice and legal documents, undertake advocacy, and instruct Counsel and experts where appropriate. Working closely with client departments, schools, senior officers and external partners, you'll find practical, legally sound and child-focused solutions and contribute to efficient and compliant processes across the team.
You'll handle complex and sensitive matters with confidence, making sure deadlines are met and procedures are followed. You'll keep pace with developments in education and public law and help client departments understand what those changes mean in practice.
This is an opportunity to use your legal expertise where it really counts , supporting lawful decision-making and helping secure positive outcomes for children, young people, families and the wider community.
You must be a qualified Solicitor, Barrister or Chartered Legal Executive entitled to practise in England and Wales. You'll have experience of, or a strong interest in, education law and public service, with the ability to provide clear and pragmatic legal advice on education matters.
You'll have the confidence to advise on sensitive matters, exercise sound judgement and work constructively with client departments, schools, senior officers and external partners. You'll be able to translate complex legal issues into clear, practical advice that supports robust decision-making.
Strong drafting, advocacy and communication skills are essential. You'll be organised, resilient and able to manage competing priorities and your own caseload, while working collaboratively as part of a supportive legal team. You'll also be keen to learn, share knowledge and contribute to team development and service improvement.
At RBKC, we're all in – investing in our people, our communities and our future.
You'll join our talented and diverse Bi-borough Legal Services team, shared with Westminster City Council, working alongside solicitors and support colleagues to help both Councils deliver their priorities for the communities they serve. You'll have the opportunity to develop specialist expertise in education law, contribute to service improvement and undertake meaningful, varied and intellectually engaging work where your advice makes a direct difference.
You'll benefit from a supportive, results-focused working environment, learning and development opportunities, a contributory pension scheme, generous annual leave and scope for flexible and hybrid working, subject to service needs.