Paralegal

Job Description

The firm Birketts is a full service, UK Top 50 law firm. With a heritage spanning 160 years, we have more than 500 lawyers and legal professionals based in Cambridge, Chelmsford, Ipswich, London, Norwich and Sevenoaks. We advise businesses, government and publicsector organisations and individuals in the UK and internationally across four principal practice groups: property, corporate services, litigation and private client advisory.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.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 femalepartners comprising 40% of our partnership. The candidate Due to growth, we are seeking a Paralegal to come and join our Norwich office on a full time permanent basis. Preferably you will have gained experience within a well-regarded city, national or regional firm. Accountabilities

• To be expert in a variety of software packages such as Microsoft Word and Excel to produce correspondence and documents, spreadsheets and presentations and ensure relevant documentation is produced to a high standard to meet clients’ and fee earners’ expectationsand deadlines;
• To be, or become, expert in legal software such as Hi Q, Expert Time Recording and Compare Docs;
• To prepare correspondence and requests for due diligence information following receipt of instructions from the client;
• Drafting of security documentation and accompanying documents;
• To format, paginate, number and present documents in BirkettsLLP house style or client standard form;
• To proof read all work, checking for spelling and grammar

Administrative skills:

• To assist in maintaining compliant and accurate file management and office systems and develop and maintain a good level of understanding of firm policy and process;
• To carry out photocopying and scanning as required

Professional Skills:

• To immediately clarify instructions from fee earners and the client 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. immediately;
• To provide full support to 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 initiative when responding to queries and actively try to seek solutions to problems;
• To support your fee earners when clients are demanding the work product to be delivered;
• To support and build working relationships with your own fee earners as well as other members.
• To effectively liaise with staff from other departments and external contacts as required

Equal opportunities We are committed to recruiting individuals on merits of suitability for each role, on the basis of qualifications and experience. All applications are treated fairly and equally regardless of sexual orientation, race, disability, religious beliefs andany other protected characteristic, ensuring that there are equal opportunities at all stages of the recruitment process.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 / Salary sacrifice (Pensions, Staff Profit Share)
• Life Assurance - 4 x salary / Permanent Health Insurance
• Paid ESG day (Environmental, Social and Governance)
• Enhanced Maternity/Paternity Leave
• Subsidised gym membership
• Electric car scheme
• Eye Care Voucher
• Dress for your Day Policy