Time to take control of your career

Welcome to Local Government Lawyer’s first careers and training supplement.

The cornerstone of the publication is a survey of local government lawyers that throws up some fascinating results.

More than 200 answered a range of questions such as: Would they recommend local government for a legal career? What are the best – and worst – aspects of working in the sector? What steps could employers take to improve their environment? And what do lawyers think the impact of shared legal services will be on their employment?

Taken as a whole, the results are pretty positive. However, for those who manage local authority legal teams, there are undoubtedly some important lessons to be learned.

One challenge is the difficulty in providing a career structure that allows ambitious local government lawyers either to make progress without being forced to switch authorities or to receive rewards for the efforts they are putting in. In an article on the future shape of the local authority legal department, we asked heads of legal for their views on how this can be resolved as well as, importantly, on where tomorrow’s local government lawyers will come from.

The supplement also looks at the steps lawyers can take themselves to enhance their careers. For example, should they consider taking on monitoring officer responsibilities? Or becoming a judge? Could a spell working as a locum boost their career? Or would taking post-graduate qualifications make a difference? Various lawyers who have chosen these paths explain why they took them and how their careers have developed as a result.

I hope you enjoy reading the supplement. As always, feedback is gratefully received, so email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Do also get in touch if you would like to write for the site, whether on careers or legal issues.

Philip Hoult, Editor, Local Government Lawyer

Click here to download a copy of the survey in PDF format

If you would like to advertise jobs on Local Government Lawyer, please contact Derek Bedlow, Publisher, on 020 7239 4917 or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..