Overall purpose for this role
To use initiative and take responsibility for providing full and efficient co-ordination and administrative support to Beth Sanders' team. Beth is head of our Leeds office, and specialises in high value serious injury claims, including brain and spinal injury, amputee claims and fatal accidents.
This role involves proactively taking control of and managing all the non-legal work of the team, to facilitate the efficient delivery of its legal fee earning work, including supporting costs collection, the organisation of the team's electronic and paper case files, overseeing the diaries of team members, drafting documents, preparing case bundles, liaising with others both within and external to the firm and generally providing organisational and administrative support. The role would suit someone with previous administrative experience who is looking for a career in legal admin or secretarial work.
Main duties and responsibilities
- Providing the team with expertise and support in advanced use of Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and other relevant software, including the firm's document management system.
- Liaising with clients, barristers, other solicitors, experts, costs draftsmen, the courts and others to arrange meetings and also to give and receive information and documents.
- Ensuring that data protection obligations are met in relation to handling clients' confidential information.
- Taking a lead within the team for understanding and delivering compliance requirements of Lexcel and otherwise.
- Proactively managing team members' schedules; this can include managing their diaries, arranging meetings, booking meeting rooms, organising parking spaces.
- Obtaining information from new client enquiries by telephone and email.
- Requesting medical/social services/care records and ensuring spreadsheets and trackers are kept up to date.
- Taking strategic responsibility for managing the team's electronic files on Liberate, including the timely and accurate filing of correspondence and documents, file opening, regularly updating case information, time recording, ledgers, and file closing.
- Accurately managing client paper files, including the timely and accurate filing of correspondence and documents and sorting / paginating evidence, including medical and social care records.
- Producing accurate documents, correspondence, minutes and meeting notes as required.
- Assisting with the bundling of documents for the court and others.
- Assisting with the team's travel arrangements, including train and hotel bookings, preparing trip budgets and travel risk assessments.
- Taking responsibility for ensuring the efficient transmission of files to/from ‘semi-dead' storage wherever possible and for archiving files as soon as possible once cases are concluded.
- Distributing and despatching post and faxes for the team, managing (including by delegating) the team's photocopying work.
- Taking and distributing telephone calls and messages for the team.
- Promoting and facilitating teamwork by offering and seeking help whenever necessary.
- Undertaking other ad-hoc duties as requested from time to time.
Costs
- Coordinating invoices from counsel and assisting with arranging payment.
Training
- To ensure that adequate training is undertaken in the areas covered by the role in order to be able to deliver a high quality and effective team coordination service.
- Support team members on the use of all of the technology available.
Essential experience
- Genuine interest to work with a leading claimant law firm and passionate about providing access to justice to all.
- Demonstrable previous experience of working in an administrative role and supporting a team.
- Proven ability to communicate accurately, clearly and concisely, both verbally and in writing with a wide range of internal stakeholders and clients.
- Demonstrable experience of a high level of proficiency in IT, especially with Word and Excel skills, fast and accurate keyboard skills and ability to work with a database.
- Proven ability to utilise internet research skills.
- Proven experience in dealing sensitively with clients and managing difficult situations and conversations professionally.
- Proven ability to organise and prioritise a complex workload and work to tight deadlines whilst maintaining a positive attitude.
- Proven ability to take initiative, work and contribute in a team environment and maintain a professional conduct.
- High level of numeracy and good at problem solving.
- Proven commitment to maintaining the highest levels of integrity and professional conduct.
Desirable
- Previous administrative experience within a law firm.
- Experience of using an online case management system / tool.
About Leigh Day
We are a top 100 law firm committed to claimant-only cases, ensuring that individuals have the same access to justice as the UK Government and large corporations. We're not afraid to take on difficult and challenging cases involving medical negligence, serious personal injuries, discrimination in the workplace, defective products and human rights abuses in this country and overseas.
Benefits
Our comprehensive benefits package includes:
Hybrid working (typically 2-3 days from home for a full time worker)
29 days annual leave (excluding public holidays)
Enhanced pension contributions
Life assurance 4 x salary
Healthcare cash plan
Cycle to Work scheme
Discounted gym membership
Enhanced maternity & paternity pay
Electric car scheme
Commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion
Leigh Day is committed to the principles of equality, diversity, and inclusion. We value the diversity of our colleagues, our clients and the third parties with whom we work. We seek to create an environment where everyone feels included and valued for their unique characteristics, skills and abilities and supported in their needs and responsibilities.
We welcome applicants from all sections of the community regardless of age, sex, gender (or gender identity), ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation and transgender status. Please let us know if you would like to discuss any reasonable adjustments at any stage of the application or recruitment process. There is an option to detail this on your application form, however, please just get in touch should you wish to discuss this prior to formally submitting an application. Please note all conversations or disclosures are treated in the strictest confidence.
