Key Responsibilities
Provide a high-quality legal service to clients of the firm to include processing new and existing instructions, covering all aspects of education law work. The range of work is broad and will cover work from parents, in respect of their children at primary school, secondary school and independent school, through to young adults at university. You will work on matters related to:
1. School admissions
2. Discrimination
3. Disputes with Independent Schools
4. Safeguarding
5. School complaints
6. Special Educational Needs
7. School Suspensions and Exclusions
8. Transgender questioning
9. Academic Misconduct
10. Plagiarism
11. Non Academic Misconduct
12. Complaints to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator
13. Degree Classification issues
14. Fitness to Practise
15. PhD issues
16. International Students
Use your existing knowledge and skills, including:
17. Attending upon clients and taking instructions
18. Providing advice to clients on merits, quantum, deadlines and options for legal remedies
19. Drafting letters of advice to clients and pre action protocols
20. Submitting complaints to schools, colleges and universities
21. Advising clients on litigation, including judicial review
22. Negotiating resolutions on behalf of clients
23. Advising on costs
24. Preparing papers for internal appeals at schools, colleges, local authorities and universities
25. Research appropriate case law
26. Create precedents for the team
KNOWLEDGE
27. Ensuring that professional services provided by the team are of the highest quality, that client care standards are effectively maintained, and that work completed meets the appropriate standards.
28. To ensure that files are maintained properly and that matters are progressed in line with the firm’s standard, up to and including billing and file closing.
29. Ensure efficient file management including adherence to timescales, compliance with precedents, letters or documents on the case management system, with appropriate supervision.
30. Optimise the use of technology and software applications to make the client experience as smooth and efficient as possible.
31. Complying with the Office Manual and immediately reporting to the consultant on any areas of concern or risk to the client and/or firm.
PRACTICE GROWTH & FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE
32. Being responsible for billing and administration processes in line with team procedures; taking responsibility for delegating work to junior solicitors, trainees, paralegals and /or the group legal administrator(s) where appropriate; providing guidance on legal issues for more junior members of the team where appropriate; managing cash and disbursement control; working on ad hoc projects as and when required.
33. Ensuring work is prioritised and progressed as efficiently as possible; new business is effectively introduced and managed into the firm; the consultants and partners in the Group are sufficiently aware of your workload and specific issues which arise on your matters; you maintain a flexible and proactive approach to work and good working relationships with external institutions, including clients and any professional referrers to promote IBB’s brand in the marketplace.
CLIENTS AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
34. Regarded as ‘Trusted Advisor’ by clients and other professional bodies.
35. Helping to develop team capability to the point it can be marketed more extensively to existing clients not yet using the service and/or new prospects.
36. Looking for ways to innovate with existing streams of work; building your own personal reputation and building eminence for the firm ; developing existing and new contacts and referrers of work; taking the lead on article writing in your team and regularly preparing material to be uploaded to the firm’s website; seeking written feedback from clients; participating in the drafting of professional directory submissions (eg Chambers and Legal 500); joining relevant associations, including the Education Law Association, and seeking out positions of responsibility to support your personal ambitions to become or maintain your position as a leader in your field and encouraging others in the team to build the team reputation.
37. Remain professionally and technically up to date by participating in learning and development activities and recording CPD, as well as developing knowledge of the market place and client base.
PEOPLE
Remain professionally and technically up to date by participating in learning and development activities and recording CPD, as well as developing knowledge of the market place and client base.
Person Specification
Qualifications
38. Educated to degree level (with a 2:1 or above) with a strong LPC pass or equivalent and hold a current unencumbered practising certificate from the SRA.
Skills and Experiences
39. Indicatively, 4 + years post qualification experience in this area of legal work
40. Good technical grounding in this area of law.
41. Any following/ local connections (an advantage).
42. A passion for this practice area.
43. Flexible with the ability to work to tight deadlines whilst maintaining the highest quality standards and attention to details.
44. IT literate and self-sufficient in using document management systems, MS Office and the internet as a business tool. The candidate must demonstrates a desire to embrace technology.
45. Previous experience of managing and leading people within a team; supporting junior members of the team in developing and widening their own career progression and legal experience.
46. A clear awareness of the need to develop business, with experience in marketing, demonstrating an ability to attract work and exploit opportunities.