We are recruiting a Paralegal to join our Construction and Engineering team based in the West Midlands. This role offers hands-on experience within a busy full-service firm, where you will make a real contribution to live matters and work in close collaboration with experienced solicitors.
This team works with a range of clients including contractors, consultants, manufacturers, funders, research bodies, and educational institutions. Examples include advising on innovative urban regeneration in the Midlands, advising local authorities on the redevelopment of offices and leisure centres, and retail clients on refurbishments. This role offers variety between contentious and non-contentious work in a unique area of law, flexing between disputes and contract matters.
As a Paralegal, you will play a key part in supporting the team's work by:
- Drafting legal documents using appropriate precedents and templates.
- Undertaking legal research using appropriate sources, and presenting findings clearly and accurately.
- Supporting fee earners with day-to-day file management (including file opening and closing).
- Assisting with diary management and ensuring key deadlines are met.
- Ensuring all work complies with risk management policies and procedures, in line with GDPR requirements.
- Take an active role with the Paralegal and Trainee (PT) group, supporting the firm with internal initiatives, charitable work and careers fairs.
- Take an active part in promoting the firm and department through social media channels such as LinkedIn, attending industry events and networking.
- Taking attendance notes and obtaining documents from clients.
- The creation of evidence bundles and documents packs for counsel.
As a Paralegal you will need to have:
- Legal qualification (such as LLB or CILEX), or working towards one.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Attention to detail, reliability and ability to manage competing priorities.
- A professional, client-focused approach.
- IT literacy, and ability to adapt to new systems.
At HCR we value candidates with a proactive and curious approach to learning, and candidates that willingly support the team around them. You will form an important part of the fee earning team at a junior level, making it of equal importance that the successful applicant is able to both roll up their sleeves, and be honest about gaps in their knowledge.
We are committed to supporting your development, and many of our Paralegals utilise their role to develop the skills and confidence needed for their future career progression. To learn more about our supported routes to qualification, please review our careers website.
The role will require the successful candidate to work fluidly between our Leamington Spa and Birmingham (city centre) site each week. Travel expenses will be covered by the firm to whichever office is further from your address. Following the completion of probation, smart working arrangements can be considered in this role. We would be looking for the successful candidate to start between late August and early September 2026, ahead of expecting a busy month in October.
Our Paralegal benefits include:
- 28 days' annual leave (plus public holidays)
- Annual bonus scheme up to 10%
- Pension scheme (4% employer contributions)
- Life assurance
- Healthcare cash-plan (providing you with financial support for private medical, dental and wellbeing), as well as 1/3 gym membership contributions, eye care and flu vaccination clinics.
- Season ticket loans
- Electric vehicle scheme
- Cycle to work scheme
Is HCR the smart move for you?
HCR suits people who love a challenge and want to work in an environment where careers thrive on the back of hard work and personal merit. Our people enjoy feeling part of something bigger than themselves, and whilst our clients drive our development, it is our people who bring their energy, enthusiasm, and entrepreneurial mindsets together to solve problems and help our clients succeed.
Why HCR people love their jobs?
Our people tell us they enjoy working on good quality, interesting matters from a wide variety of our clients, because they get the experience they want to develop their careers. We will give you responsibility early, the mandate to make things happen and we’ll back your good ideas. Our "Passion for People" lives and breathes every day throughout the firm as our peoples’ energy create a warm environment in which to thrive.
What career progression will HCR offer you?
HCR’s growth constantly creates opportunities for people who want to go places and make a difference, your career plan can become part of our growth plan. At HCR you can expect to work with friendly, energetic, ambitious people, who love getting stuck into a client problem, and enjoy celebrating a good outcome. Our people value the sense of community provided by the individual personality of each office and the collegiate approach across all our service and sector teams.
What does HCR believe, achieve and stand for?
As a Times Best Law firm, among the UK Top 50, we provide the full range of services that you would expect to organisations, business leaders and individuals. However, in our mission to give everyone the opportunity to experience a different kind of legal service, we take an entrepreneurial approach. We’re flexible and responsive to the needs of our clients, delivering the best outcomes for them. We have more than 1000 lawyers and support staff, including more than 180 partners, and have been awarded the Law Society’s Lexcel quality mark in recognition of our compliance and client care standards.
With 13 offices in England and Wales our well-established presence stretches from west to east, ensuring clients can access a full-service legal offering no matter where they’re located. We’ve expanded significantly across all our regions, and are well-respected as a regional firm with a strong London and international presence.
With solid connections in the communities we work in, and a track record of delivering legal advice to businesses and individuals throughout the areas we base ourselves in, our clients continue to value our approach to providing legal advice, in the way they need, when they need it.
As HCR is an equal opportunities employer, we don’t just accept differences, we celebrate them. We want to attract a diverse and ambitious workforce that reflects all backgrounds and skills to create a workplace that is supportive and inclusive, recognises and nurtures talent, and which works together to achieve the best outcome for our clients. We are privileged to be an armed forces-friendly organisation.
We want you to achieve your absolute best during the recruitment process. Please let us know of any reasonable adjustments we can make at any stage of the recruitment process to support your application. If this opportunity sounds of interest to you, please make an application and submit your CV through our careers website.
A note for recruitment agencies – The HCR Resourcing Team is responsible for recruitment across the firm, and where possible will use direct hiring methods. We do work with a Preferred Supplier List, and where appropriate, we will release vacancies to those agencies who we deem most appropriate to support us. Only those agencies will be invited to submit candidates via our recruitment portal. Any speculative or unsolicited CVs sent to any employee or Partner of HCR will not be considered an introduction, and no fees will be applicable. Furthermore, we retain the right to pursue these candidates without query of ownership.
