Legal Secretary

JR United Kingdom; London; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a dedicated legal secretary to join their Dispute Resolution department. This pivotal role involves providing comprehensive secretarial and administrative support to partners and fee earners, ensuring the highest quality standards in client service. The ideal candidate will possess exceptional attention to detail, strong organizational skills, and a proactive approach to enhancing working practices. With responsibilities ranging from managing client communications to organizing travel arrangements, this position offers a dynamic and engaging work environment. If you're looking to make a significant impact within a professional setting, this opportunity is perfect for you.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in a law firm with strong academics.
• Exceptional attention to detail and excellent time management skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide full secretarial support to partners and fee earners.
• Manage client communications and ensure timely invoice production.
• Organize travel arrangements and internal/external conferences.

Skills

Time Management

Organizational Skills

Client Care

Attention to Detail

Communication Skills

Education

Strong Academics

Relevant Experience in Law Firm

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Office

BigHand

DocuSign

IManage

Bundledocs

Job description

As a legal secretary in the Dispute Resolution department, your role is to support the partners and fee earners in the department across a wide range of activities including secretarial and administrative services.

This role is to provide primary support to fee earners in Core Dispute Resolution. You will be required to take a proactive role in the continued enhancement of working practices, maintaining and constantly improving quality standards and our service to clients.

Responsibilities include:

1. Provide a full secretarial service to partners and other fee earners, liaising with the secretarial and administration team where necessary;
2. Open new clients and new matters via InTapp, to include all associated processes such as conflict checks and production of client care letters;
3. Use BigHand and Outlook efficiently to prioritise and complete tasks accurately and to time, to include delegation of tasks to the administrator supporting your pod when required;
4. Ensure invoices and narratives for every client are produced accurately and to time each month to meet the department’s budget targets;
5. Ensure all finance administration tasks are undertaken accurately and in accordance with the timing protocols to ensure no breaches occur, to include receipt slips, transfer slips, write offs and disbursement payments to third parties;
6. Type correspondence by copy (and/or audio) and compile draft replies to standard letters, ensuring that all correspondence and documents are produced to the highest standard and are in line with the Firm’s house style (and any Core DR templates where appropriate), liaising with the Document Centre when necessary;
7. Save and file correspondence and documents in accordance with the Firm’s naming and saving protocols;
8. Accurate use of DocuSign as and when requested by fee earners;
9. Accurate use of data rooms as and when requested by fee earners;
10. Accurate use of Bundledocs as and when requested by fee earners;
11. Ordering copies of Real Estate documents through HM Land Registry as and when requested by fee earners;
12. Downloading of Documents via external platforms to save to IManage as and when requested by fee earners;
13. Screen incoming calls, assisting clients with enquiries where possible via Microsoft Teams audio or video calls;
14. Undertake scanning and copying or co-ordinate through General Office;
15. Undertake training bookings upon request, to include making bookings with training venue, arranging payment of fees, updating fee earner diaries and booking any associated travel;
16. Organising internal/external conferences as and when requested by Partners/fee earners;
17. Make travel arrangements to assist fee earners attending client meetings outside the office, liaising with external travel consultants where appropriate, to include providing all necessary booking and confirmation information, ensuring diary entries are up to date and all finance expenditure information is provided to accounts department;
18. Ensure all completed matters are closed promptly, as per advice from fee earners or revenue control, and draft file closing forms for fee earner review and undertake all related tasks, to include archiving and/or returning documents to clients as appropriate;
19. Share know-how amongst the secretarial and administrative team, updating the working practices manual as appropriate;
20. Represent the best interest of the Firm when dealing with people internally and externally;
21. Cover secretarial work across the team during times of absence or high workload, to include both in-office and remote support as appropriate;
22. To follow all reasonable instructions.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Our ideal candidate will possess most of the following attributes:

1. Strong academics;
2. Previous relevant experience within a law Firm;
3. Excellent time management and organisational skills;
4. Meticulous attention to detail and will be able to demonstrate exceptional case management;
5. A demonstrable track record of excellent direct client contact and client care;
6. Excellent IT skills, including advanced working knowledge of Microsoft Word and Office packages, working knowledge of document management system and e-filing and a minimum typing speed of 65wpm.

You will be a confident communicator with a positive work ethic and the ability to build credible relationships with clients both internal and external. We are looking for an individual who presents themselves with professionalism and polish, who will inspire the confidence of clients and colleagues.