Are you looking for a new opportunity to develop your career in Education Law?

As an Education Lawyer, you will join a supportive, successful and Lexcel accredited in-house legal team that delivers effective legal advice, representation and assistance to the Council. 

We offer hybrid working which allows for remote working but we also require regular office attendance with the aim to give everyone a balanced work/life ratio. You will be expected to attend a Surrey office a minimum of 40% of your working week, with the ability to access offices across Surrey's estate in Reigate, Leatherhead, Weybridge and Woking. The team are very approachable so there will always be someone to provide you with support and discuss matters with. 

Rewards and Benefits

• 26 days' holiday plus public holidays (prorated for part time staff), rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 30 days after 5 years' service
• Opportunity to join our Lawyers Career Scheme which will allow for accelerated career and salary progression based on performance
• Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
• Family Friendly policies including excellent Maternity, Paternity and Adoption entitlements and up to 5 days carer's leave per year
• An extensive Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) supporting health and wellbeing
•  A generous local government salary related pension
• Lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, shopping and many more
• 2 paid volunteering days per year
• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources 

About the Role

As an Education Lawyer, you will be providing timely, clear and effective legal advice, representation and assistance to the County Council in order to enable the County Council to discharge their functions lawfully and effectively. In this role you will manage a full and varied caseload and deliver innovative solutions with appropriate supervision. As part of the role you will undertake advocacy where required.

You will be expected to carry out a range of key responsibilities, which will include:

• Advising schools on a broad range of legal matters such as Data Protection, Complaints, and Equalities
• Providing advice on Education law matters (including advice in the area of special educational needs) to the Council in respect of its duties and responsibilities in this area
• Managing pre-action Judicial Review challenges to Council decision making in this area
• Clerking Independent Review Panels for Permanent Exclusion hearings

Our team culture is one which is friendly and engaged. If you are interested in developing and enhancing your existing skills whilst undertaking quality and varied work in the area of education, we'd love to hear from you.

Shortlisting Criteria

To be considered for shortlisting for this position, your application will clearly evidence that you are a qualified solicitor, barrister or FILEX with a minimum of two years post qualification experience in education law with an interest in developing this expertise further. 

We recognise transferable skills and are willing to consider candidates with a minimum of 2 years post qualification experience in litigation who can demonstrate an interest and awareness of education law and wish to further develop their skills in this rewarding area.

Contact Us

Please contact us for any questions relating to the role. This could be to discuss flexible working requests, transferable skills or any barriers to employment.

For an informal discussion please contact Amanda Scally via email at Amanda.scally@surreycc.gov.uk.

This post has been designated as a politically restricted post in accordance with the Local Government and Housing Act 1989.

This advert closes at 23:59 on 6th April 2025 with interviews expected to take place on 10th and 11 April 2025.

If you are looking for a role which is both varied and interesting with an opportunity to develop your existing skills and employment experience by working in local government, please click the apply button below to submit your application.

Our Values

Our values are as important as our abilities and shape who we are as an organisation. Discover more about our values.

Before submitting your application, we recommend you read the job description. Our Life at Surrey handbook provides insights of the culture at Surrey and how as a valued employee, you can help shape our Council.

Our Commitment

Surrey County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. A guaranteed interview will be offered to all disabled applicants where:

• The candidate has evidenced the minimum criteria for the role through their application 
• The candidate has chosen to share that they have a disability on the application form

Our application form and onboarding process will provide an opportunity to request any reasonable adjustments for the interview and/or the role. We want to be an inclusive and diverse employer reflecting the community we serve and particularly welcome applications from all underrepresented groups.