Principal Children & Families Lawyer

Overview

In this senior role you will lead expert advice on public law children matters, shaping strategy and standards within the Children & Families Legal Group. You’ll balance a heavy personal caseload with mentoring, helping steer service development and policy in a nationally respected public sector team. You’ll work closely with senior officers and partner organisations to influence decisions on safeguarding, education and Children’s Services. This is a chance to drive meaningful impact for vulnerable children within a large local government legal service.

Pay / Benefits

• flexible working arrangements
• excellent opportunities for professional development and career progression
• supportive and collaborative team culture
• large and respected public sector legal team
• opportunity to make a meaningful difference to lives of children and families

Responsibilities

• Manage a personal caseload of complex public law children matters
• Act as a technical specialist and trusted advisor to senior officers and stakeholders
• Provide strategic legal advice to support decisions across multiple councils and partners
• Lead on complex legal issues, policy development and service improvements
• Support and deputise for senior management within the Group
• Supervise and develop legally qualified staff
• Allocate and oversee complex legal work within the team
• Deliver training, updates and professional development
• Build and maintain client relationships across public sector organisations
• Represent the service on strategic boards and partnership forums
• Undertake advocacy where required

Key requirements

• Qualified Solicitor, Barrister, Chartered Lawyer or CILEX Fellow with current practising certificate
• Extensive experience in children and families law, particularly public law
• Strong track record in managing complex, high-value, sensitive cases
• Experience giving strategic legal advice to senior stakeholders
• Excellent advocacy, drafting and negotiation skills
• Strong understanding of local government practice and decision-making
• Experience supervising or managing legal professionals
• Ability to influence and build relationships across stakeholders
• Commitment to ongoing professional development and service improvement

• Influence and stakeholder management
• Mentoring and team leadership
• Strategic thinking and advisory skills
• Public law for children
• Policy development and service improvement
• Advocacy and drafting

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