The Local Government Association (LGA) is the national membership body for local authorities. We work on behalf of our member councils to support, promote and improve local government. We are a politically led, cross-party organisation that works on behalf of councils to ensure local government has a strong, credible voice with national government. We influence and set the political agenda on the issues that matter to councils to help them deliver local solutions to national problems. We also provide councils with the tools and resources to respond to present and emerging challenges and support improvement across the sector. 

We value diversity and encourage applications from all sections of the community to this high-profile role.

About the role

We are looking for a qualified lawyer to join our Legal Team and provide practical, high-quality legal advice and support across a broad range of local government, governance, public law and in-house legal matters. The successful candidate will also support the team's work on statutory public inquiries and related projects.

• The position is required to support immediate delivery needs 

• The organisation is consulting on its operating model 

• The grade and responsibilities are subject to confirmation 

• Priority consideration may be given to employees at risk where they have the required qualifications and experience

The work is varied and interesting, covering local government law, governance, public and administrative law, commercial contracts, procurement, grant funding, company law and statutory public inquiries.

Initial Priority

An important part of the role will be supporting the Legal Team's work on current statutory public inquiries, alongside providing legal advice on a range of wider in-house and local government matters.

About you

You will be a qualified solicitor, barrister or Chartered Legal Executive with at least three years' post-qualification experience gained in local government, the wider public sector, private practice or an in-house legal environment.

Experience of public inquiries is desirable but not essential. Candidates with experience of litigation, public law, governance, regulatory work or investigations are encouraged to apply.

You must have the right to work in the UK. The LGA is unfortunately unable to offer visa sponsorship. Evidence of the right to work in the UK will be requested at the interview stage.

To apply

If you would like to be considered for the role, please complete the online form and include a supporting statement detailing how you meet the criteria for the role before the closing date.

We are specifically assessing candidates against the following criteria:

Qualified Lawyer

• Experience of advising on legal matters within local government, the public sector, private practice or an in-house legal environment. Experience supporting litigation, public law matters, public inquiries, governance work or other complex legal matters.
• Demonstrable experience of providing high-quality legal services that are responsive to the needs of clients.
• Ability to analyse legal issues, exercise sound judgement and provide practical, proportionate legal advice.
• Excellent written and oral presentation skills, with attention to detail and the ability to present complex ideas in plain English.
• Ability to analyse legal information, identify key issues and communicate advice clearly and effectively.
• Ability to work collaboratively and develop effective multi-disciplinary teamwork and commitment to projects. 
• Able to work under pressure and to multi-task, prioritising work against often competing and challenging demands to meet deadlines. 
• Have excellent IT skills, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Microsoft 365, SharePoint, Outlook, and the internet, with the ability to quickly learn new packages as required. 

To help us anonymise applications efficiently, please ensure your CV meets the following formatting requirements:

• Please use standard fonts such as Arial, Times New Roman or Calibri. 
• Avoid complex graphics, logos or images where possible. 
• Keep formatting simple – use basic bullet points and standard paragraph formatting. 
• Save your CV as a standard PDF file. 
• Ensure the file size is under 5MB. 
• Avoid unusual page layouts or multi-column designs. 
• Use standard text colours, such as black or dark grey. 

CVs that do not meet these guidelines may not be processed correctly by our system.

We use anonymous recruitment, which is the practice of hiding candidates’ identities. This process involves removing identifying information from candidates’ applications, including names. 

At the LGA, we celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees, where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. Our recruitment decisions are based on fair, open competition, with appointment on merit.

The LGA is proud to be awarded Disability Confident Leader status. Please contact us via Recruitment@local.gov.uk if you require a reasonable adjustment, which is a change to the format or conditions of the recruitment process to accommodate any disability-related needs you may have. 

We reserve the right to close the advert earlier should we receive a high number of applications. 

Closing date: 7 July 2026 @ 23:59
Indicative Virtual Interview Dates: 14 and 15 July 2026

Successful Candidates first stage interview will be invited for an in person Oral Presentation: 16 July 2026 two (2) final candidates  

For further information or to apply, please click on the 'Enquire/Apply' button below.