Principal Lecturer in Law LLM BAR Criminal Law Lead

FTE: 1.0fte (working 37 hours per week)

Salary: UH9 £58,225pa to £69,488pa by annual increments on achieving designated skills and experience

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

Location: Hatfield 

Main duties and responsibilities

Teaching and programme development 

As Criminal Law Lead, you will teach, assess and lead modules primarily on the Bar Practice programmes, including the LLM BAR, and contribute to criminal law teaching across the School. You will design, set and mark formative and summative assessments in accordance with Bar Standards Board requirements, and develop engaging, research-informed teaching materials. 

Academic leadership and employability

You will provide academic leadership through module leadership and other School responsibilities, including supervision and support of colleagues where appropriate. Working with the School’s Employability Lead, you will develop professional opportunities for students and build relationships with chambers, the judiciary, local courts, the legal profession and other employers. You will also contribute to co-curricular, employability and pro bono activities. 

Student support 

You will monitor student engagement and academic progress, offer appropriate academic and pastoral guidance, and refer students to specialist University services when needed. You will support students taking part in Hertfordshire Law Clinic and other pro bono and experiential learning activities. 

Skills and experience required

You will have professional legal practice experience in England and Wales and significant experience of teaching law at postgraduate level, particularly on an LLM BAR course or equivalent programme. You will have designed curricula at module or programme level and worked effectively with students and other internal and external partners. Experience teaching at least one of drafting, conferencing, opinion writing or legal research is essential. 

You will have sound knowledge of the route to qualification as a barrister in England and Wales, experience helping students meet the standards of centralised assessments, and the ability to deliver one or more Bar Practice Course elective modules. You will bring academic leadership, strong communication and organisational skills, and the ability to use technology effectively in teaching. 

Qualifications required

You will hold a bachelor’s degree in law or a related subject (or equivalent Level 6 qualification), and a master’s qualification in law (or equivalent Level 7 qualification) or an equivalent legal professional qualification such as the BPTC. You must also be professionally qualified as a barrister who has completed pupillage, a solicitor of England and Wales, or a CILEx lawyer. 

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. 

Internal applicants – please ensure you apply via your employee self-service portal. 

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

Please note, this post cannot be visa sponsored unless you can evidence a good honours first degree plus a PhD / Doctorate. A criminal record check may also be required. 

Contact Details/Informal Enquiries: Dr Thomas Dunk (Head of Department of Law and Professional Legal Education) T.dunk@herts.ac.uk 

Closing Date: 02 November 2026

Interview Date: TBC

Reference Number: REQ000905

To apply for this role, please click on the 'Apply' button above.

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