Junior Practice Assistant

Full-time (Monday - Friday (9.30am - 5.30pm)) London

Responsibilities Overview

• Proficient typing, organisational and administrative support to fee earners (whether partners, associates or trainees), dealing with client, practice area, pillar, sector and firm matters.
• Demonstrates an interest in and commitment to practice area and the firm strategy.

Organisational Support

• Personally organised and aware of fee earners’ workload and organisation requirements.
• Works efficiently and effectively with other practice assistants and Business Services staff, providing support and responding positively to requests and in a timely manner.
• Responds to the needs of the business by working additional hours when required to ensure deadlines are met.
• Updates own voicemail, out of office, Outlook calendar and HR system to ensure they are an up-to-date indication of availability (including external and internal meetings, training sessions, annual leave and annual appointments).
• Processes relevant applications, forms, or searches, seeking advice and guidance where necessary.
• Developing a good knowledge of all systems/processes used within the team.
• Developing an understanding of the scope of work undertaken by the firm’s Business Services teams and works effectively with them, for example Word Processing team, Docucentre and Finance.

BD and Client Relationship Management

• Fosters excellent relationships with clients and colleagues and is seen as a point of contact for fee earners.
• Proactively seeks out tasks and new responsibilities and supports others in the team when required.
• Recognises, respects and honours client confidentiality always. Raises any concerns regarding breaches of confidentiality to their fee earner or DSM.

Document Production

• Creates new documents from the firm’s templates and precedents, using contact data from the CRM system where appropriate.
• Ensures that documents are generated as new documents and not copied from old documents unless working with the firm’s precedents.
• Saves new versions of documents if major changes/amendments need to be made. Ensures an accurate document comparison can be performed later if needed.
• Proof-reads all documents for spelling, grammar and sense, querying wording where appropriate.

IT Skills/Systems

• Saves all client related documents (including the Terms of Engagement and Client Care Letter) to the relevant client folder in the document management system rather than to personal folders.
• Ensures documents can be shared electronically with confidence.
• Seeks guidance from others if unsure where to file the document(s).
• Attends training sessions, as required, to develop a proficiency in all of the firm’s core IT applications.

File Management

• Follows file management guidelines as specified in BASS.
• Adopts a pro‑active approach and works with fee earners to ensure effective file management, including maintaining filing on a daily, or at least weekly basis to ensure all files are organised, processed and recorded appropriately.

Financial Risk Management

• Develops a good understanding and knowledge of all finance forms.
• Assists in the preparation of bills.
• Develops an understanding of the file opening process, including AML practices and conflict searches, seeking fee earner guidance where necessary.
• Undertakes / engages with the firm’s regular compulsory FarrerCompliance training.

Additional Contribution

• Pro‑actively invests time and effort and encourages others to do the same into firm‑wide business activities to help improve the working environment. For example supporting the firm’s work on purpose; equity, diversity and inclusion; corporate responsibility; wellbeing, or other economic, social and governance activities.

Skills and Experience

• Previous secretarial experience in real estate in a law firm essential.

Person Specification

• Aligns with the firm's values, vision and strategy.
• Arrives ready and prepared for the working day and demonstrates excellent timekeeping.
• Has a positive outlook, friendly approach and is respectful to others.
• Demonstrates effective listening and questioning to ensure clarity of a situation, issue or request.
• Works as a team player, offering help when with spare capacity and is willing to assist other fee earners in the practice area or department during busy periods.
• Demonstrates an interest in and commitment to the practice area, departmental and firm aims and objectives.
• Has a caring approach to self and colleagues.
• Ensures Learn.Know.Grow mandatory and elective training is complete for own level.
• Respects diversity and acts fairly and inclusively.
• Reflects on and learns from mistakes and other people.
• Has excellent timekeeping and prioritises work effectively.
• Is flexible, reliable, co‑operative and has a professional approach to work.
• Works as a positive, friendly and helpful team player.
• Communicates in a positive and constructive manner.
• Recognises, respects and honours client confidentiality at all times.

Education and Qualifications

• Qualified to GCSE standard, grade C/ level 4 (or equivalent) at Mathematics and English essential.

Special aspects

• Standard office hours are 09.30 to 17.30 Monday to Friday, but it is essential that the applicant is committed, flexible and prepared to work beyond the normal office hours when necessary and in response to demand.
• Farrer & Co operates an agile working framework under which members of the firm are expected to spend at least 40% of their working hours in the office.
• Farrer & Co is an equal opportunity employer which welcomes applications from candidates from all backgrounds.

Comments

• Farrer & Co conducts a pre‑employment screening which includes a Criminal History Background and Credit Check for successful candidates.