Paralegal - Norwich, Cambridge, Sevenoaks
PQE: Term Type: PermanentWorking Hours: Reports to: Department: Social Housing
Birketts is a full service, UK Top 50 law firm. With a heritage spanning 160 years, we have more than 700 lawyers and legal professionals based in Bristol, Cambridge, Chelmsford, Ipswich, London, Norwich and Sevenoaks. We advise businesses, government and public sector organisations and individuals in the UK and internationally across four principal practice groups: Real Estate, Corporate Services, Dispute Resolution and Private Client.
We are defined by our Next Level Law proposition. We work with our clients as a proactive partner, horizon scanning and thinking ahead to the changes, challenges or opportunities that they may face.
Next Level Law is also applied to our people. Our collegiate culture means everyone is encouraged to achieve their next level in everything they do. RollOnFriday recently ranked us as the 5th best law firm to work at in 2024.
With our ambition to succeed, comes a strong desire to make a positive contribution to the communities we serve, and we are committed to delivering the objectives set out in our ESG strategy. Diversity plays an integral part in all that we do, with female partners comprising 40% of our partnership.
The Social Housing Team consists of around 25 fee earning and support staff, which sits within the Firm’s Property Department and acts for a broad range of national and regional Registered Providers and local authorities on a wide range of issues affecting the sector.
We are a multi-disciplinary team, used to working together on major projects. The breadth of our expertise means that we provide our clients with a fully comprehensive service which covers all the legal needs of RPs and other bodies within the affordable housing sector.
Ranked 1 tier in Chambers and Legal 500 this is an opportunity to join a highly regarded and expert team which has experienced significant growth in recent years and with high profile tender wins that growth is set to continue.
This is a fantastic opportunity to be part of a dynamic and growing team dealing with high quality and varied property work.
* A Law degree or equivalent
* Experience of a working in a law firm or professional office environment preferable.
* Excellent attention to detail together with analytical and organisational skills.
* Committed team player who can adapt well to new challenges.
* Ability to use own initiative and show sound judgement
* Strong IT Skills - familiar with Microsoft Office applications and document management skills.
Technical ability
* To draft and amend documents with speed and accuracy
* To format, paginate, number and present documents in Birketts LLP house style
* To proof read all work, checking for spelling and grammar
* To proactively work with the fee earners to ensure relevant documentation is produced to meet clients’ expectations and deadlines
* Undertake fee earning under supervision
Professional Skills:
* To immediately clarify instructions from fee earners should they be unclear or if deadlines are not made explicit
* To respond to internal and external telephone enquiries politely and professionally and take accurate telephone messages (name /number /company), passing them on to the relevant fee earners etc.
* To proactively support other members of the team and to provide cover as and when necessary to ensure that work is completed to a high standard and meets the required deadlines
* To provide full support to all team member fee earners in the full range of activities that are performed and to carry out any other duties as reasonably requested
General Approach:
* To show a positive approach and interest in the work
* Show initiative when responding to queries and actively try to seek solutions to problems
* To support your team members when clients are demanding the work product to be delivered
* To support and build working relationships with colleagues and to actively work for the interests of the whole team
At Birketts, our culture is driven by ambition and a commitment to positively impact all the communities we serve. We are dedicated to the success, development, and wellbeing of our colleagues, helping them achieve their goals and seize the opportunities that come with our growth. Alongside a flexible and inclusive work environment, we offer the following core benefits:
* 25 days holiday (FTE) plus Bank Holidays
* Long Service holiday award – 1 extra week every 10 years continuous service
* Private Healthcare with BUPA (offered after probation is passed)
* Scottish Widows Pension Scheme (5% employer / 5% Employee)
* Staff Profit Share and Individual Performance Bonus Scheme
* Salary sacrifice (Pensions, Staff Profit Share)
* Life Assurance - 4 x salary / Permanent Health Insurance
* Paid CSR Day
* Enhanced Maternity/Paternity Leave
* Subsidised gym membership
* Electric car scheme
* Agile/Hybrid Working Policy
* Dress for your Day Policy
Birketts is a flexible business which has embraced a hybrid working model where our colleagues enjoy a mix of home and office working. We welcome applications from people looking for flexible, agile, and part-time roles and we are happy to explore your preferred working patterns as part of your application.
Please note that this job profile is not an exhaustive list of duties but merely an outline of the key components of the role. You may be required by your line manager to take on additional responsibilities when requested.
Birketts is committed to being an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our policy is unequivocal: we do not tolerate discrimination based on age, disability, sex, race, religion or belief, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, or sexual orientation.
We pride ourselves on being an inclusive organisation that actively promotes equality of opportunity for all, valuing the right mix of talent, skills, and potential. We welcome applications from a diverse range of candidates, and selection for roles is based solely on individual merit.