What you’ll do
We are seeking to recruit a confident and ambitious Paralegal to join our highly regarded Employment department in Exeter on a full-time and permanent basis.
Our Employment team provides expert advice and support to a wide range of clients, including businesses, public sector organisations, and individuals. We handle all aspects of employment law, including:
* Advising on day-to-day HR and workforce issues such as contracts, policies, and disciplinary matters.
* Managing complex employment disputes, including tribunal claims and settlement negotiations.
* Supporting clients through organisational change, including redundancy, restructuring, and TUPE transfers.
* Advising on discrimination, equality, and diversity matters.
* Drafting and reviewing employment documentation, including contracts, handbooks, and restrictive covenants.
* Providing strategic advice on employment law compliance and risk management.
* Conducting independent external investigations into workplace issues such as grievances, disciplinary matters, and allegations of misconduct, ensuring impartiality and robust reporting.
* Business immigration support, including advising employers on sponsor licence applications, compliance obligations, and visa processes for recruiting international talent.
Our work is varied, fast-paced, and often involves collaboration with other specialist teams to deliver comprehensive solutions for our clients.
In this role, you will play a key part in supporting the Employment team’s delivery of high-quality legal services. You will work closely with our lawyers to ensure clients receive an outstanding experience by understanding their needs and helping deliver practical, cost-effective solutions. Your responsibilities will include:
* Assisting with the preparation of legal documents, bundles, and correspondence for employment tribunal cases and investigations.
* Conducting legal research and summarising findings to support advice.
* Managing case files and ensuring accurate record-keeping and compliance with regulatory requirements.
* Liaising with clients to gather information, provide updates, and maintain strong relationships.
* Supporting fee earners with project work, including organisational change processes, TUPE transfers, and policy reviews.
This is a varied and fast-paced role where you will gain exposure to a broad range of employment law matters, including business immigration and external investigations, while developing your skills in a supportive and collaborative team environment.
This position will provide a good foundation for you to go on and become a qualified lawyer, which many of our Paralegals have done previously.
Who you are
As a law graduate, ideally with previous legal experience in either an employment or litigation role, you will be enthusiastic about continuing your career in law.
Known for being self-motivated and a good communicator, you will relish working in a team, with a readiness to work proactively with colleagues to provide them with all the support they need in order to deliver great results for our clients.
You will show an ability to understand and relate to clients' needs and be able to cope with pressures associated with handling multiple caseloads. We will need you to be a quick learner, and have excellent IT skills, being meticulous and thorough in order to deliver high quality work.
Our relationships with our clients are paramount. You will be able to demonstrate your ability to build strong and lasting relationships with clients and show a genuine commitment to their business needs. Being self-motivated and ambitious, you will be keen to learn more about the sector.
In return, as well as supporting your professional development through regular training, we will help you to grow your professional networks both internally and externally, providing an excellent foundation to continue your career in law.
Your Career. Our Commitment.
At Ashfords, we believe in more than just doing great work - we believe in building a great place to work.
When you join us, you become part of a team where everything we do is underpinned by our four core values: Be Open, Think Team, Make a Difference and Always Grow. These values shape who we are and how we work - they guide our decisions, influence our culture, and drive the way we support our people, clients and communities.
With a clear focus on innovation, community involvement, and supporting a healthy work-life balance, we are committed to building an environment where our people can have a rewarding and meaningful career.
Whilst we recognise that every career journey is unique, we will be ambitious for you, giving you the tools, trust, and opportunities to develop your career, your way.
Our goal? To help you realise your full potential as part of a forward-thinking team.
Our offer
We know that our people are at the heart of everything we do – and that’s why we’re committed to supporting your wellbeing, growth and work-life balance.
Beyond our benefits package, you’ll be encouraged, no matter what your role or career level, to get involved in our Responsible Business programme, where you’ll support initiatives such as charity fundraising, environmental causes and our employee led diversity and inclusion groups.
You can find out more about our benefits by visiting the Reward & Wellbeing page on our website.
What’s next?
Our recruitment process typically involves two stages, which are designed not only to explore your skills and experience but also to give you a real insight into what it’s like to work at Ashfords.
Throughout the process, our dedicated Talent Attraction team will be here to support you every step of the way.
We believe that building a firm with a wide range of perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences drives innovation and strengthens our teams, and we welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds.
To support your growth, we offer ongoing training and development opportunities to help you reach your full potential – so even if you don’t feel you match all the requirements of the job role, we’d still love to hear from you.
At Ashfords, we’re committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone feels respected, valued, and empowered to succeed.
If you require any reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process or would like to discuss anything regarding your application, please contact us at talentattraction@ashfords.co.uk.
For an informal and confidential discussion about this opportunity, please contact Kitty Hughes, Talent Attraction Assistant – kr.hughes@ashfords.co.uk
Or apply now, and we will be in touch with you as soon as possible.