Local Government Paralegal

Weightmans; Park Central; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

Weightmans is recruiting a Paralegal for its Local Government Team based in Birmingham. The role involves assisting fee earners with social care document reviews and supporting senior fee earners in handling large casualty caseloads.

You will contribute to general case management, legal research, drafting of witness statements and client reports, and preparation for hearings. You will also assist with instructions to Counsel and experts and support client communications.

Qualifications

• Current experience of assisting with EL/PL casualty claims is essential.
• Some knowledge of PL, EL, Highways, Housing Law, Social Care.

Responsibilities

• Assist fee earners with social care document reviews and case management.
• Support drafting of witness statements and client reports.
• Attend client meetings and court hearings to support fee earners.
• Respond to client queries and correspondence with professional timeliness.
• Support with instruction of Counsel and experts as needed.

Skills

EL/PL casualty claims

Drafting skills

Case management

Legal research

Client liaison

IT skills

Job description

About your new role

Our Casualty team provides a full, expert service in defending public (PL) and employers' liability (EL) claims, across the private sector and the public sector. Weightmans' team is second-to-none in providing defendant litigation services in these and other specialist Casualty areas. We operate on a national basis with dedicated commercial insurance and public sector teams and as part of our wider specialism we have a dedicated Casualty Fraud team.

We are currently recruiting for a Paralegal to join our Local Government Team based in Birmingham.

As a Paralegal the role will see you assisting fee earners with large social care document reviews. Weightmans acts for a number of large insurers and public sector organisations in defending social care claims. You will be required to support senior fee earners in the team to understand and manage complex case loads.

Whilst the role is primarily focused on social care, you will also be given various tasks including general case management, legal research, drafting of witness statements and reports to clients and preparation for court hearings, attending client meetings and court hearings to support fee earners, assisting with the instruction of Counsel and experts, responding promptly and accurately to correspondence and telephone enquiries from clients and other parties, with and without supervision, and reviewing records, as well as supporting the team’s business development activities.

• Social Care
• PI including EL, PL and Highways
• Housing disrepair
• Property damage
• Data Protection/GDPR
• Educational Establishments
• Complete MI procedures as and when required
• Achieve set financial and chargeable targets
• Ensure relevant deadlines, SLAs, quality measures and KPI’s are adhered to
• Comply with relevant policies and procedures

The above is not intended to be exhaustive and you will be expected to perform other duties and have other responsibilities that fall within the wider remit of the role. As a Paralegal you will also ensure that you comply with the relevant Weightmans and client policies and procedures, and consistently work in accordance with our values.

About You

You will have previous experience as a Paralegal and a genuine and demonstrable interest in the above area of work. As the role is varied, we are looking for you to have a flexible approach to the work you do and be able to adapt to different tasks. We also require you to have:

• Current experience of assisting with EL/PL casualty claims is essential
• Some knowledge of PL, EL, Highways, Housing Law, Social Care
• Experience of handling own casualty caseload
• Good drafting skills
• Good influencing skills.
• Good communication skills.
• Good interpersonal and team working skills
• Good IT skills
• Good written and communication skills
• Good time management and organisation skills
• Good attention to detail and concentration
• Ability to multi-task and prioritiseAbility to work to strict deadlines
• Ability to work as part of a team and on own initiative
• Knowledge of CPR procedure with proven technical ability.

Why work for us

Come and join our award-winning organisation and be part of a team where people truly matter.

Weightmans is a Leading national law firm, with strong international capabilities.

Weightmans has been recognised as a leading employer for the 19th consecutive year at Britain’s Top Employers awards, and ranking top 10 in the list, the firm has also secured top positions in Chambers UK.

Why work for us? Take a look: Work for Weightmans: voted a top employer | Weightmans

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Work for a firm where people matter – work for Weightmans

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and identities and are committed to fostering an inclusive workplace where everyone feels respected, supported and able to reach their full potential. Our people-first culture is at the heart of everything we do, making Weightmans a place where you can develop your career and thrive.

Curious about what is it like to work at our firm? Visit our Life at Weightmans page for insights into our employee initiatives, responsible business commitments and much more!