The post will assist the team working on claims for abuse, both cases of non-recent childhood sexual and physical abuse; cases of current abuse or neglect in health, education and social care settings, including on behalf of clients who have been subjected to excessive restraint or seclusion in schools or health/care settings; and personal injury claims for workplace sexual violence.
The work involved will be varied and, at times, highly challenging. It will ideally suit a Paralegal who has relevant experience and / or interest in this area of law and is highly resilient given that working with and for this client group can be emotionally challenging at times.
The successful candidate should have excellent organisational and document management skills, be adept at time management and prioritisation, and be able to effectively support two supervisors who run demanding caseloads, diarising and planning work to meet deadlines, whilst working flexibly when needed as part of a wider team.
Please note this role is a 12 month fixed term role covering a maternity leave in the wider team.
Overall purpose for this role
A Paralegal within the Abuse team is expected to provide legal support and perform delegated legal tasks under the supervision of the Partner and Senior Associate.
Main duties and responsibilities
- Communicate with clients, some of whom are vulnerable and may have communication difficulties, to provide case updates and answer queries.
- Draft / assist in drafting letters and documents, such as letters of notification / claim, witness statements and instructions to experts and Counsel.
- Accurately review and prepare summaries / chronologies of medical, social care, financial and other records and defendant disclosure.
- Request and obtain background records and assist with the gathering of evidence.
- Prepare Legal Aid applications under supervision.
- Complete various other case funding documents / fee agreements and client care letters.
- Undertake legal research tasks.
- In the absence of supervising fee-earner, ensure that urgent matters are referred to appropriate personnel.
What you'll bring
Essential
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, and the ability and sensitivity to tailor these to the intended audience.
- Genuine interest to work with a leading claimant law firm and passionate about providing access to justice to all.
- Relevant knowledge of domestic civil law and procedure and interest in this area of law (the area of civil litigation for sexual and physical abuse; mistreatment of vulnerable children and adults).
- Excellent organisational skills and the ability to plan and prioritise tasks to meet deadlines set by supervisors, whilst working flexibly when needed as part of a wider team.
- Emotional resilience given that working with this client group can be emotionally challenging at times.
- Experience in using a variety of relevant IT packages (MS Word, Excel, Case Management Systems, Outlook).
Desirable
- Relevant legal work experience in sexual and physical abuse will be highly advantageous.
- A good working knowledge of the operation of the LAA scheme would be highly desirable.
The full job description is attached to our website listing.
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
