Paralegal - Property Disputes

Birketts LLP; Cambridge; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 52,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Long service holiday

Private healthcare

Staff profit share

Pension salary sacrifice

Life Assurance

CSR Day

Maternity/Paternity Leave

Subsidised gym membership

Electric car scheme

Dress for your Day

Job summary

Birketts LLP in Cambridge is seeking an experienced candidate to join the Property Disputes Team. You will handle tenancy agreements, notices, and possession options for private lettings, while drafting pleadings and advising clients and Counsel.

You will conduct legal research, keep abreast of sector changes, and manage deadlines and time recording under supervision within a busy disputes practice.

Qualifications

• Law degree or equivalent experience.
• Interest in residential lettings/private rented sector.
• Ability to undertake legal work requiring technical and procedural understanding.
• Competence in accurately recording time and understanding chargeable work.
• Strong legal research and investigative skills.
• Advanced written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Drafting and reviewing tenancy agreements and advising on occupational arrangements.
• Drafting, reviewing and serving notices.
• Advising on possession options and relevant legislation impacts.
• Preparing and reviewing pleadings, witness statements, and settlement documents.
• Preparing instructions to Counsel and conducting legal research.
• Keeping up to date with legislative changes in the sector.
• Attending court hearings, mediations, and negotiations as appropriate.
• Manage a caseload of residential letting matters under supervision.

Skills

Legal research

Time recording

Attention to detail

Communication skills

Education

Law degree

Tools

Microsoft Word

Excel

Outlook

Case management

Job description

Birketts is a full service, UK Top 50 law firm. With a heritage spanning 160 years, we have more than 700 lawyers and legal professionals and over 600 staff based in Bristol, Cambridge, Chelmsford, Ipswich, London, Norwich and Sevenoaks. We advise businesses, government and public sector organisations and individuals in the UK and internationally across four principal practice groups: Real Estate, Corporate Services, Dispute Resolution and Private Client.

The team you will join

Our Property Disputes Team sits within our wider Dispute Resolution Division and acts for a wide range of clients including private individuals, partnerships, trusts, registered social landlords and corporate clients in both the public and private sectors.

The work you will be doing

• Drafting and reviewing tenancy agreements and advising on occupational arrangements
• Drafting, reviewing and serving notices
• Advising on possession options and implications of relevant legislation to the private rented sector
• Preparing and reviewing pleadings, witness statements, and settlement documents.
• Preparing instructions to Counsel
• Conducting legal research and preparing clear, concise advice notes for clients and senior team members
• Keeping up to date with legislative changes in the sector
• Attending court hearings, mediations, and negotiations as appropriate.
• Manage a caseload of residential letting matters, working under supervision of experienced solicitors
• Attending appropriate business development opportunities
• Working to deadlines
• Maintaining accurate time-costing procedures
• Ensuring compliance with file management
• Proactively support other members of the team and to provide cover as and when necessary

Please note that this job profile is not an exhaustive list of duties but merely an outline of the key components of the role. You may be required by your line manager to take on additional responsibilities when requested.

What we are looking for

• Law degree or equivalent experience
• Demonstrable interest in and/or knowledge of relevant law and legal procedure relating to residential lettings/private rented sector
• Ability to undertake legal work requiring technical and procedural understanding
• Competence in accurately recording time and understanding chargeable work
• Strong legal research and investigative skills
• Advanced written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to analyse information and present findings clearly and precisely
• Strong attention to detail to produce work documentation which is consistently of a high standard
• Professional integrity and a commitment to providing excellent client service
• To be competent in using Microsoft Word, Excel, time recording software, case management, Outlook and digital dictation

Hybrid Working

Due to the nature of work required, this role is fully office based.

We welcome applications from people looking for flexible, agile, and part-time roles and we are happy to explore your preferred working patterns as part of your application.

As a Birketts colleague, you will be eligible to receive a wide range of benefits:

• Long Service holiday award - 1 extra week every 10 years continuous service
• Private Healthcare with BUPA (offered after probation is passed)
• Staff Profit Share and Individual Performance Bonus Scheme
• Salary sacrifice (Pensions, Staff Profit Share)
• Life Assurance - 4 x salary / Permanent Health Insurance
• Paid CSR Day
• Enhanced Maternity/Paternity Leave
• Subsidised gym membership
• Electric car scheme
• Dress for your Day Policy

You can find out more on our website: https://www.birketts.co.uk/recognition-reward-benefits/

Inclusivity and Culture

At Birketts, our culture is driven by ambition and a commitment to positively impact all the communities we serve. We are dedicated to the success, development, and wellbeing of our colleagues, helping them achieve their goals and seize the opportunities that come with our growth.

Birketts is committed to being an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our policy is unequivocal: we do not tolerate discrimination based on age, disability, sex, race, religion or belief, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, or sexual orientation.

We pride ourselves on being an inclusive organisation that actively promotes equality of opportunity for all, valuing the right mix of talent, skills, and potential. We welcome applications from a diverse range of candidates, and selection for roles is based solely on individual merit.

If you require this advert in an accessible format, please visit https://diversityjobsgroup.com/company/birketts/

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

At Birketts, we recognise the evolving role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the legal profession and recruitment. We welcome innovation and understand that candidates may use AI tools to support their job applications. However, we expect all applicants to use AI responsibly and ethically.

Our expectations regarding AI use in applications:

• Your application should reflect your own voice, experiences, and insights. AI may assist in structuring or refining your responses, but it must not replace your personal input.
• Do not use AI to misrepresent your qualifications, experiences, or skills. Any form of exaggeration or fabrication may result in rejection from the process.
• If you have used AI tools to assist with your application, be prepared to discuss how and why you used them during the interview process.
• Do not submit content generated by AI tools that may include personal or sensitive data not intended for public disclosure.
• AI-generated content should be reviewed and edited by you to ensure accuracy, relevance, and alignment with the role and our firm’s values.

We are committed to fair and inclusive recruitment practices. The use of AI should enhance, not compromise, your application. We encourage candidates to demonstrate critical thinking, commercial awareness, and a genuine interest in our firm.

If you have any questions about our expectations or the use of AI in your application, please contact our Talent Acquisition Team via [e-mail]