Job Title:                   Paralegal (Clinical Negligence Department)

Reporting:                 Reports to the Team Head and to designated fee earner(s) within that team.

Overall purpose:      To support the Team Head and designated fee earners within that team to progress cases from start to finish by providing a high level of client chargeable and administrative support to the team and its clients.

Key accountabilities:

• To assist fee earners by providing an element of chargeable legal services by preparing routine documents or basic legal documents for fee earner approval such as, Instructions to Counsel, compilation of Court Bundles;
• To communicate effectively with clients, referrers and third parties such as  Counsel, the Courts and Medical Experts both orally and in written form to deal with queries and arrange conferences/meetings;
• Where appropriate, to attend client meetings with fee earners/attend Court with Counsel in order to take suitable notes and thereafter recording such information accurately on client matters;
• To assist with new client enquiries for the team including obtaining further information and advising on retainers and signing up clients as required.
• To take accurate and comprehensive telephone messages for fee earners in line with the firm’s guidance on telephone and voicemail, and to deal helpfully with queries from internal or external callers;
• To maintain up-to-date filing systems to allow fee earners to find and use documents easily and efficiently and also assist generally with document management;
• To assist with the file auditing process by assisting with corrective action and also updating recurring risk assessment reminders;
• To diarise and chase up responses from clients, counsel, the court, medical experts and other third parties both orally and in written form;
• To ensure files are compliant in respect of Money Laundering and Lexcel requirements by ensuring all necessary compliance documentation is present on all client matters;
• To arrange meetings, assist fee earners to prepare for meetings or trials, and make any necessary travel arrangements;
• To respect confidentiality at all times;
• To act on own initiative routinely;

The above accountabilities cover the principal functions of the job holder.  They are not, however, exhaustive, and the job holder may be required to carry out other tasks and functions appropriate to his/her knowledge and experience at the request of the Team Head.

Skills required:     

• Proven experience working as a Paralegal – Essential
• Proven experience of handling a caseload – Desirable  
• Good IT skills
• Excellent communication skills both oral/written 
• Excellent time management skills
• Excellent organisational skills
• Excellent telephone manner
• Excellent Accuracy skills
• Ability to use initiative
• Ability to work well autonomously as well as part of a team

What’s in it for you?

• Competitive salary
• 25 days holiday (Including bank holidays)
• Referral bonus
• PayCare
• Pension plan
• Death in service
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Hybrid / working from home including provision of home office equipment
• Unlimited access to training academy courses