Job description
Simpson Millar is a leading Claimant law firm with offices throughout the country. Our public law department deals with a variety of areas, including public law, community care law, claims against public authorities, education law and civil liberties/human rights. It is ranked in Chambers and Legal 500, and has a leading reputation in the areas in which we specialise.
We are seeking a paralegal for our London office to work with our team of solicitors, particularly in the areas of Education and Children’s Rights. We are looking for candidates with an enthusiastic personality and an excellent telephone manner. It is not expected that applicants will necessarily have knowledge of our areas of law as training will be given on joining.
Key Responsibilities:
To assist fee earners in the Public Law Department with their caseloads to include:-
Drafting letters, including pre-action correspondence and advice
- Drafting Witness Statements
- Preparing bundles
- Attending Court
- Legal research
- Dealing with the Legal Aid Agency
- Communicating with clients
- New client enquiries
- Maintain internal records in relation to calls and work undertaken
- Prioritise & manage workload effectively
- To manage calls and cases, research information and provide a comprehensive legal service
- Maintain up to date knowledge of services & procedures
- Billing
Experience / Knowledge / Qualifications
ESSENTIAL:
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Excellent client care skills
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- Good team player who works well both independently and with colleagues to achieve results
- Excellent writing skills
- Ability to deal with calls and casework effectively and efficiently
- Ability to carry out legal research and to report findings clearly and concisely
- Ability to manage and prioritise work effectively
- Ability to obtain relevant information from all callers and answer their queries directly or refer as appropriate
- Ability to work with a case management system, databases and normal office IT systems.
- A commitment to Equal Opportunities
- Excellent telephone manner
- Enthusiastic personality
DESIRABLE:*
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Successful completion of law degree/ PGDL
- Successful completion of LPC/ BPTC
- Experience of working with the general public face to face
- Experience of working within Legal Sector
- Ability to draft tribunal and court documents
PERSONALITY PROFILE:
An ability to work under pressure whilst maintaining a friendly and co-operative approach towards staff, and callers
- Good organisation and time management skills
- A person who enjoys multi-tasking
- Excellent communication skills
- Someone who is enthusiastic, positive with the will and desire to succeed
- A person who is self-motivated and works well either in a team or independently
To apply, please attached a PDF of your CV and Cover Letter as one document. This should outline why you should be considered for this position and what abilities you will bring to it. Applications without a Cover Letter will not be considered.
At Simpson Millar our Culture is key for us, it drives us and makes us who we are. We’re lawyers who exist to help people with their legal needs today and to improve the way the law works for people in the future. We provide trusted expert legal advice, quickly and clearly, every time.
There is change going on within the legal industry and in our firm too, so we need people who are adaptable to this, who embrace change and see the opportunity. The future of our business is one that is technology and data driven, so we need people who have the mindset and technological expertise to grow with us. But most of all we need team players who will be willing to work with others, but are accountable for their own work, and who want to achieve great results for both our firm and especially our clients.
Diversity and Inclusion
At Simpson Millar we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your previous experience doesn’t align perfectly with every element in the advert, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or for other roles in our firm. You would also benefit being part of a well-capitalised, large national firm which still retains its small company, family feel. As well as colleagues who are on hand to assist your development.
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*Please note that we are continuously reviewing applications and will interview and make offers where appropriate once we have met with the right calibre of candidate. This does mean that whilst there is no official closing date, we will close the role once we have made offers. Therefore we would encourage you to apply as soon as possible in order to be considered.*
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Salary: £25,000.00 per year