Appointment of General Counsel

"For the betterment of society"

The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) is one of the foremost social science universities in the world. With 18 Nobel Prize winners and 37 past or present heads of state among its diverse community of alumni, LSE is a truly influential and international university at the forefront of global policy debate.

Under the leadership of Professor Larry Kramer as the new President and Vice Chancellor (who joined April 2024), the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) is now seeking to appoint its first General Counsel.

A member of the School Management Committee (SMC), LSE's executive senior management board, the General Counsel will provide strategic legal services and support to the President and Vice Chancellor, as well as all other relevant stakeholders including the SMC and other Committees. Reporting directly to the President and Vice Chancellor and working across the School, the General Counsel will also lead and have overall responsibility of the Secretary's Division.

The individual

Skills and experience should include:

• Qualified and practising solicitor with significant post-qualification experience adept at dealing with complex, significant matters that cut across legal and related areas
• Professional experience; providing legal advice, up to board level, for organisations with an international remit
• Experience of identifying and managing potential and current risk factors whilst ensuring the School is best placed in its compliance requirements as a higher education institution
• Excellent stakeholder management skills; with the ability to influence and gain the trust of the SMC, peers, wider colleagues within the School and external lawyers
• Ability to provide robust and constructive challenge and support in a complex stakeholder environment
• Through legal expertise, shape, support and influence policies and procedures, commercial implications, risk appetite, agreements and partnerships across the School

The successful appointee will possess exceptional leadership, communication and relationship-building skills, able to deliver innovation while respecting tradition in a complex environment and through successful consensus-building. They will have a passion for higher education and align with the values of the LSE and the mission to create a truly inclusive university.

Application is by submission of a full curriculum vitae (CV) and a covering letter of application. The CV should include all educational and professional qualifications, full employment history, and details of key achievements. The covering letter should be between two to three sides of A4 and should address your interest in the position and the LSE, as well as how you meet the job description and person specification.

The application should also include suitable daytime and evening telephone contact details, a preferred email address, and the details of at least two referees. Referees will not be contacted without prior agreement and notice.

For further information, including a full Candidate Brief, please visit

The closing date for applications is 23.55 GMT on 11 December 2024.