Outstanding role for an education lawyer at a top-ranked practice! Here at VWV, we're looking for a bright and empathetic lawyer with strong experience in education law to join our nationally renowned team.

About us 

We're a Top 100, full-service UK law firm with around 630 employees.  With 4 offices in Bristol, Birmingham, London and Watford, you'll be struck by our close-knit and friendly culture. We believe in integrity and authenticity - in each one of us being ourselves, both in our interactions with each other and with our clients. With a reputation not just for the quality of our work, but also for the qualities of our people, we strive to recruit individuals who are proactive and passionate about what they do and who are able to demonstrate humour and humility in equal measure.

The Team

Working within our regulatory risk and resolution team, you'll enjoy a variety of work for education, and on occasions, health and social care providers. Headed by Partner, Tabitha Cave, this team comprises 5 partners, 21 lawyers and 4 support colleagues. This is a fantastic opportunity to join a renowned team (we are Tier 1 for our practice in legal directories with a number of leading individuals in the field), and to enjoy a wide variety of work within a busy and dynamic sector.

The Role

As a team we undertake a wide range of contentious and non- contentious work for education providers. We cover the whole education ecosystem: early years, independent schools, academies, school groups and governing bodies, as well as further and higher education, special schools and online provision; and work for charities and health and social care providers. Many of our clients are nationally- and internationally-renowned providers and much of our work is driven by legal and political developments in our key sectors, which means that no two days are ever the same!

Your caseload will likely include advising on admissions, exclusions and appeals, managing student behaviour and disciplinary issues, safeguarding, special educational needs and disability (SEND) and equality matters, handling complaints and claims (including court and tribunal work) and guiding schools through registration, inspection and regulatory compliance. You will also provide critical incident management and reputation protection services and specialist corporate support.

This is a real opportunity to specialise in a fast-paced and evolving sector which will set you apart from many of your peers and enable you to advance your career at a pace that you dictate.

About You

Whilst we're open to hearing from a variety of lawyers with education experience, for this role we anticipate that you're most likely working at solicitor or associate level. Although our team focuses purely on work for the providers, we recognise that your expertise may differ, so we would still love to hear from you if to date you have only acted for individuals.

We know that education work is niche and for this reason we don't expect you to have gained experience in all or even many of the elements listed within the Role. However, if you have some expertise of education work and an ability to communicate with clients in a clear, commercial yet empathetic manner, then we would welcome an application from you. 

Perhaps you're with a national practice and feel overlooked; maybe you're in a small boutique firm and are looking for a firm with greater education law expertise- either way, here at VWV you'll enjoy being part of a team whose success is an integral part of the firm's.

Where will I be working? 

Whilst we work to a hybrid model, for this role we would like you to work from one of our offices for at least 2 days of the week. In this way, you'll benefit first-hand from our warm and friendly culture as well as facilitate cross referral opportunities from your colleagues in other teams. We are of course happy to discuss any specific requirements of hybrid working with candidates on an individual basis.

Why choose us?

There are so many reasons to stop and explore VWV further.  We're known for our friendly and welcoming culture where teamwork and collaboration are key.  We invite you to watch this short video on the right-hand side to see what our own people have to say about us.

At VWV, we're committed to your growth with our bespoke Learning Academy. On joining us you will be offered structured career-level programs across our core business areas to prepare you for promotion opportunities and career advancement.

We're striving to be an inclusive employer, to create a workplace and environment that promotes and values diversity, where everyone, regardless of background, can reach their full potential. Please do contact our recruiter (contact details in the paragraph below) to discuss any suitable adjustments so that we can ensure you have the best possible candidate experience.

Not sure whether to apply?

Making the next career move is one that can feel immensely daunting and we've all been there! It's more than likely you'll have one or two questions on the role or firm before you feel happy to apply. If so, please contact Emma Latchem-Hughes, Talent Acquisition Advisor, in complete confidence ELatchem-Hughes@VWV.co.uk or on 07340 632798  and I'll be happy to answer any questions you may have.

Recruitment Agencies

We're in a period of exclusive direct sourcing for this role and are not accepting applications from agencies. We politely request therefore that you do not send candidates through. Any named or anonymised profile or CV sent to us will be deemed an unsolicited approach and considered a gift.