Senior Lecturer in Law

Post Title: Senior Lecturer in Law (Bar Practice Professional courses)

SBU/Department: Hertfordshire Law School  

FTE: 1.0fte (37 hours per week) (Part time will also be considered)

Duration of Contract: Permanent 

Salary: UH8 £44,263pa (pro rata) with potential to progress to £56,021pa (pro rata) by annual

increments on achieving designated skills and experience 

Annual Leave: 35 days (pro rata) plus standard public holidays and an additional 4 days including the closure of our office between Christmas and New Year

Location: De Havilland Campus, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield

At Hertfordshire Law School we pride ourselves on delivering a truly innovative learning and teaching experience, coupled with practice-led, hands-on experience. Our students consistently provide excellent feedback about their educational experience, which is also evidenced through the number of students graduating with good honours degrees and our strong employability rates.

The School teaches long standing, and very successful, LLB and LLM programmes in a £10m purpose-built Building on the University of Hertfordshire’s de Havilland campus, which includes a full-scale replica Crown Court Room and state-of-the-art teaching facilities. 

We are seeking to appoint a qualified Barrister or Solicitor of England and Wales to teach on and support the ongoing development and delivery of our new Bar Practice Programmes. The School is seeking to appoint two candidates, preferably one with the ability to deliver one or more of Criminal Advocacy; Criminal Litigation, Sentencing & Evidence; Professional Ethics and Conference Skills (the latter in a Criminal context) and the other to deliver one or more of Advocacy Submissions; Civil Litigation & Dispute Resolution; Drafting and Legal Research & Opinion Writing. 

Main duties & responsibilities

The successful candidate will, in liaison with the Programme Leader, develop and deliver the Bar Practice Programmes. Working closely with the Programme Leader you will ensure the continuous development of the curriculum and provide academic and pastoral support to the student body.  In addition you will contribute to the delivery of the School’s co-curricular programme, contribute to the expertise of the Hertfordshire Law Clinic and maintain and develop relationships with a wide range of Barrister Chambers and employers in the areas of legal and criminal justice practice to support the development of the programme and opportunities for students in Hertfordshire Law School.

Skills and experience required

Experience of practice as a Barrister or Solicitor of England and Wales is essential, as well as teaching or practical experience in one of the following areas:

•       Litigation

•       Criminal Law

•       Common Law

•       Commercial Law

•       Company/Chancery Law

Experience of advocacy at court and/or teaching advocacy on a Bar Practice Course or equivalent is highly desirable. It would be beneficial to have experience of teaching at undergraduate level and experience in wider student engagement initiatives.

You will have the ability to contribute to the design of engaging and intellectually stimulating modules. You will be able to network and form excellent working relationships, with good interpersonal skills. Dissertation supervision ability would be helpful, as would the ability to place teaching and learning into the broader professional and / or commercial context.

Commitment to the ongoing development of teaching and learning skills (in particular the growing use of technology in relation to blended learning activities) is essential. You’ll have good organisation, self-management and prioritisation of tasks, particularly when managing multiple tasks with conflicting deadlines.

Ideally, you will have an understanding of the University’s strategic plan, regulations and processes and employability plans. You will be proficient in English, ability to use technology to enhance delivery to students, and the ability to negotiate with stakeholders. You will have a highly developed sense of professionalism and a commitment to student graduate success, including a commitment to equal opportunities and to ensuring that students from all backgrounds have the support they need to succeed and progress in their careers.

Qualifications required

You will be a qualified Barrister (who has completed pupillage) or Solicitor of England & Wales or CILEx lawyer, holding both a Bachelors and Masters qualification in Law (or equivalents), or an equivalent professional qualification. Fellowship of Advance HE is desirable.

Please view the job description and person specification for a full list of the duties and essential criteria.Please attach a personal statement showing clearly how your skills and experience match the Person Specification.

An appointment to this role may require an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate.

Contact Details/Informal Enquiries

Elizabeth Kirkbride (Associate Dean Education & Student Experience) [email protected] or Simone Start (LLMB Programme Leader) [email protected] 

Closing Date: 09 April 2024

Interview Date: TBC

Reference Number: 058295  

Date advert placed: 26 March 2024            

The University offers every individual the opportunity to succeed. We want our staff to represent diverse life experiences and different cultural heritage. We recognise that the field is not ‘level’ and want to actively address barriers to progression. We also challenge stereotypes through stimulating discussions on sensitive topics and partner with networks both within and outside of the University to enhance inclusivity in the workplace. We wholeheartedly encourage and welcome applications from individuals from Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) and LGBTQ+ backgrounds who are currently under-represented within our School.

We offer a range of employee benefits including generous annual leave, flexible location opportunities within the UK, discounted Sports Village memberships, personal and professional development and family-friendly policies. #GoHerts