SPOTLIGHT

A zero sum game?

The number of SEND tribunal cases is rising and the proportion of appeals ‘lost’ by local authorities is at a record high. Lottie Winson talks to education lawyers to understand the reasons why, and sets out the results of Local Government Lawyer’s exclusive survey.

University names five law firms to £2m legal services panel

The University of Lincoln has appointed five law firms to a legal services panel providing support worth an estimated £2m over five years.

Each provider is required to cover four core deliverable areas:

  • general and commercial
  • property
  • employment and people
  • student focus.

The successful firms were:

  • Birketts
  • Pinsent Masons
  • Penningtons Manches Cooper
  • Shakespeare Martineau
  • VWV

The panel is for the sole use of the University of Lincoln and will run for an initial period of three years from 1 June 2021 to 31 May 2024. There will be an option for the university to extend the contract by a period of two years in yearly increments taking the maximum contract end date to 31 May 2026.