Simpson Millar LLP (London) – Education & Community Care Paralegal
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:
- Excellent client care skills
- 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:
- 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
Personal 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
Salary: £22,400 per annum, plus on target bonus
Benefits: 26 days holiday plus bank holidays, the option to buy and sell holidays, company pension, sick pay, life assurance, employee assist program and many more
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.
Please note the closing date for applications will be 5pm Monday 7th November 2022.
Diversity and Inclusion
We are actively committed to increasing the diversity of our firm and to breaking down the barriers that prevent many from entering the legal profession. We welcome applications from all sections of the community and encourage applications from individuals who are under-represented within the profession.