Paralegal - Court of Protection & Education - Brighton/Gatwick

ENGINEERINGUK; Brighton; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

A national law firm seeks a Paralegal for its Brighton/Gatwick office, specializing in Public Law and Human Rights. The role involves significant client interaction and the preparation of legal documentation. Ideal candidates will have an undergraduate degree and some relevant experience. Exceptional client care, analytical, and organizational skills are essential, along with a desire to support clients effectively.

Benefits

25 days holidays plus bank holidays

Generous pension schemes

Two paid volunteering days annually

Westfield Health membership

Qualifications

• Well-motivated individual with genuine interest in Public Law & Human Rights.
• Some paralegal or public law experience especially in Education and Court of Protection.
• Able to operate independently and within a team to deliver client outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Drafting legal documents, reviewing client documents, and liaising with experts.
• Dealing with judicial review cases and applications in the Court of Protection.
• Attending court and taking witness statements from clients and schools.

Skills

Client Care

Analytical Skills

Organisational Skills

Attention to Detail

Education

Undergraduate Degree or Equivalent

Tools

Legal Aid Systems

Job description

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Paralegal - Court of Protection & Education - Brighton/Gatwick

We're a national law firm with a local reach. Our philosophy is 'we're legal and financial experts that care' - something you'll find in the way we work with our clients and how we support our teams. But we're more than just a law firm - we're a team of people working together to help individuals and businesses navigate life's ups and downs. Working here you'll feel a part of our friendly and inclusive environment.

We'll value you for who you are and what you bring. We support each other and push boundaries to achieve incredible things and make a real difference to our clients and communities.

We're always looking to support our colleagues to work in a way that works best for them and everyone else, including our clients, the business and the regulators. Please speak to a member of our Recruitment and Onboarding team for more information.

Our Team

There is an exciting opportunity available in our Public Law and Human Rights team working alongside a team of solicitors, mainly working within the area of Education and Court of Protection.

The team works nationally and specialises in assisting privately and publicly funded clients to appeal to the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal on EHCP appeals and disability discrimination act claims. They deal with judicial review cases, school exclusions, Local Authority and school complaints, as well as safeguarding issues. The work is varied and includes work with schools and colleges. For education, the Paralegal is likely to be drafting letters before action, applications to the Tribunal, Grounds for Appeal, reviewing and summarising client documents, creating chronologies, applying for public funding, liaising with and instructing experts, taking witness statements from schools and clients.

In respect of the Court of Protection work, it is mainly focussed on working with adults and young people transitioning into adulthood from 16 years old. The team deals with Health and Welfare applications in the Court of Protection covering a range of issues including when a person is deprived of their liberty. A Court of Protection Paralegal is likely to be reviewing records and evidence, visiting clients in care homes/supported living placements, attending court, drafting documents, liaising with parties and making applications for legal aid.

Our Public Law and Human Rights department is ranked as a leader in a range of fields in both the Chambers & Partners and the Legal 500 directories many of our solicitors are ranked individually.

We are instructed in interesting and often high profile, cutting-edge cases. We have forged a national reputation for our work on test cases. We have a national reach, with public law teams in ten offices across the country.

About You

This position would suit a well-motivated individual who has a genuine interest in working within Public Law & Human Rights. The successful candidate must...

• hold an undergraduate degree or equivalent;
• have some paralegal or public law experience, particularly within the above areas (other areas of law would be advantageous but not essential);
• have excellent client care skills and a sensitive, sympathetic understanding of clients' needs;
• have excellent analytical and organisational skills in order to take a thorough approach to documenting work;
• be IT literate and have great attention to detail;
• be able to operate independently and as part of a team to deliver the best outcomes for our clients;
• a working knowledge of legal aid systems is desirable.

We're proud of our values, and we're looking for people who share them;

• To be pioneering with an imaginative outlook
• To be approachable and caring
• To be tenacious in the pursuit of our objectives
• To be efficient in the provision of our services
• To work with a foundation of integrity.

If you thrive on being busy and can adapt well to new challenges, then we will give you all the training and support you'll need to help you succeed in this highly rewarding role.

Our Benefits - What We Can Offer You

• 25 days holidays as standard plus bank holidays - You can 'buy' up to 35hrs of extra holiday too.
• Generous and flexible pension schemes.
• Volunteering days - Two days of volunteering every year for a cause of your choice (fully paid)
• Westfield Health membership, offering refunds on medical services alongside our Aviva Digital GP services.

We also offer a wide range of well-being initiatives to encourage positive mental health both in and out of the workplace and to make sure you're fully supported. This includes our Flexible by Choice programme which gives our colleagues more choice over a hybrid way of working subject to role, team and client requirements.

We have been ranked in the Best Workplaces for Wellbeing for Large Organisations for 2024!

Our responsible business programmes are fundamental to who we are and our purpose. We're committed to being a diverse and inclusive workplace where our colleagues can flourish, and we have established a number of inclusion network groups across our business to support this aim.

Our commitment to Social Responsibility, community investment activity and tackling climate change is a fundamental part of who we are. It's made up of four strands: Our People, Our Community, Our Environment and Our Pro Bono.

Additional Information

As part of the Irwin Mitchell Group's on-boarding process all successful applicants are required to complete the group's employment screening process. This process helps to ensure that all new employees meet our standards in relation to honesty and integrity therefore protecting the interests of the Group, colleagues, clients, partners and other stakeholders.

We carry out pre employment screening to establish your eligibility to work in the UK, criminal record and financial checks with our trusted 3rd parties.

The employment screening process will fully comply with Data Protection and other applicable laws.

Irwin Mitchell LLP is an equal opportunity employer.

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