Job summary
The purpose of this role is to provide legal secretarial support to fee earners to enable them to operate at optimum efficiency. This will include but will not be limited to the main responsibilities given below. The legal secretary will use a high degree of self-management and initiative.
Main duties and requirements
* Full generic secretarial support to fee earners, as required, including preparing correspondence and documents through fast and accurate audio typing and word processing.
* Make appointments, arrange meetings and maintain an up-to-date diary for fee earner(s).
* Preparing documents from instruction sheets.
* Attend clients, both in person and on the telephone, and provide such support in a professional and friendly manner in keeping with the Firm's standards for client care.
* Administering both manual and electronic filing daily.
* Opening, maintaining, and closing files on the case management system at both Client and Matter level.
* Closing, storing and retrieving client files.
* Prepare mail and enclosures for dispatch.
* Arrange for all copying to be done.
* Provide support to other secretaries as required.
* Provide guidance to new and temporary staff when required to do so.
* Undertake any specific training when required by the Firm. To have overall responsibility towards self-development.
* Ensure the confidentiality of all the Firm's and the Firm's clients' information and documentation.
* Contribute as a team member and provide sickness and other absence cover for members of the team when required.
* Contribute as a team member in the continual review of efficiencies within the department.
* Contribute to the Firm's overall business objectives by offering support to other departments when appropriate and when agreed with fee earner(s).
* On occasion, work such hours outside normal hours of employment as the Firm considers necessary to meet the needs of the business.
Preferred skills and experience
* Experience of working in a legal environment along with relevant departmental experience is desirable.
* Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, including experience in dealing with a range of clients via telephone and face-to-face.
* Fast and accurate audio and copy typing skills, including digital dictation and integrated legal software systems.
* Ability to organise and prioritise your workload to the required standard and within the required timescales.
* Experience of Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel and Outlook.
* Excellent English grammar/spelling; familiarity with legal terminology and numerical skills.
* Discretion and confidentiality are essential.
* Ability to work effectively within a team as well as independently.
* Ability to work under pressure as and when required; this may involve some flexibility in working hours and occasional overtime where deadlines need to be met.
* Proactive and able to use own initiative within guidelines as set by the Partners and fee earners.
* Remain up-to-date with changes in the law.
Person specification
* Self-motivation: energy; positivity; can-do attitude.
* Flexibility.
* Confidentiality and discretion.
* Proactive, willing to use initiative.
* Willingness to learn new skills.
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Benefits:
* Company pension
* Employee discount
* Health & wellbeing programme
* Private medical insurance
* Referral programme
* Sick pay
Experience:
* Secretarial: 2 years (preferred)
Work Location: In person