Miles and Partners (London) – Legal Assistants
Miles and Partners are seeking bright law graduates with a professional outlook to join our team as Legal
Assistants providing paralegal support to our busy specialist award winning lawyers in our Family Team.
The roles begin in August/September 2024 and will suit LLB or equivalent graduates who have completed at least a year of LPC/BPTC, completed SQE 1 or completed 6 months relevant work experience after graduating from their LLB or equivalent.
Experience of working in a busy legal environment with Legal Aid and CCMS will be an advantage but is not essential. We are committed to agile working, so you need to be self-motivated and possess a willingness and ability to work independently whilst maintaining professional standards. The successful applicants will of course also have a positive outlook, good communication skills, numeracy and IT skills, a willingness to learn and accept responsibility, enthusiasm, commitment, and the ability to work well in a team.
The posts on offer have a wide range of duties ranging from some clerical work to liaising with the Legal Aid Agency, the courts, experts, counsel etc., attending interviews with experts to take notes, assisting in arrangements for conferences, preparation of court bundles and accompanying documentation, preparation of documents for Counsel and occasionally attending Court with Counsel. With appropriate experience and training we would expect you to progress to preparing statements and applications, attending clients and taking instructions, and legal research.
We recruit on merit, irrespective of age, disability, gender, gender identity, race or ethnicity, marital status, religion, sex, sexual orientation. We are seeking a minimum engagement of twelve months. Salary £25750 pa. Please see below for full job description and person specifications.
Applicants should send a C.V. and covering letter to katy.jennings@milesandpartners.com by 09.08.24
The ideal candidate will:
– be of a high intellectual ability – including the ability to learn and to research
– be self-motivated – ability to work on own initiative
– show an enthusiastic, positive and pro-active approach
– show commitment to client care
– have ability to embrace change
– be resilient and cope under pressure
– be confident and outgoing
– be able to work as part of a team in a friendly but efficient atmosphere with partners, solicitors, trainees and support staff
The following are desirable competencies:
– has been involved in a non-educational project which has necessitated long-term commitment
– previous experience working in a pressurised solicitors’ office
– has previous experience working in a commercial environment where client care has been paramount.
– the ability to speak in public
– an interest in marketing and in developing the firm’s practice
Job Purpose
– To provide support to a designated fee earner and where appropriately delegated deal with variety of legal matters under the supervision of a designated fee earner.
– To contribute to the overall provision of legal services given by the firm, by conducting all matters as so assigned. Ensuring that the professional standards of the firm are adhered to.
Description of Duties and Responsibilities
– To assist the designated fee earner under supervision to include specific items of casework administration, telephone attendances, administration of costs to include taxation / costing procedure and claiming payment from the Legal Aid Agency, research, liaising with the Legal Aid Agency, attending court as advocate where appropriate but predominantly with counsel and attending on clients where appropriate.
– To record all work carried out accurately and appropriately on the firm’s computerised time recording system
– All of the above under the supervision of the designated fee earner.
– Maintain professional standards of work and comply with external and internal franchising requirements where relevant, comply with internal policy and provide a service in accordance with the policy set out in the office manual.
– Follow all office and administrative procedures.
– Liaise at all times with the fee earner supervising.
– Attend departmental meetings and staff meetings.
– Provide advocacy services where appropriate, eg District Judge of the day appointments.
– Attend court with counsel and take detailed record of Hearing, negotiations and attendance.
– Maintain files and report back immediately to fee earner on any issue/complaint regarding professional conduct, client dissatisfaction, potential negligence potential or actual conflict of clients interests and cost implications for the firm
– Provide support to other fee earners as required.
– Facilitate teamwork. Be well presented and a good representative of the firm in outside dealings and court appearances.
– Liaise with the Legal Aid Agency.
– Keep diaries up to date and accurate.
– Keep supervising fee earner and reception informed of daily movements.
– When out of the office keep in contact with the office.
– Be aware of changes to legislation.
– Read and action internal memos.
Skills, Knowledge & Experience
Skills
– Analytical skills
– Written and oral communication skills
– IT skills
Knowledge
– Law firm operation
– Some degree of legal knowledge
Experience
– previous experience of legal work
Qualifications
– Completed LLB or equivalent (2.1)
Then:
– Completed at least a year of LPC/BPTC (or equivalent); or
– Competed SQE 1
– Completed 6 months relevant work experience following LLB or equivalent