Paralegal - Public Law and Human Rights (5932) in Newcastle upon Tyne

We’re a national law firm with a local reach. Our legal experts are here for you. Whether it’s personal or business, we understand that everyone’s situation is different. 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.

Your Role and What You’ll Be Doing

There is an exciting opportunity available in our Public Law and Human Rights team in our Newcastle office working alongside a team of solicitors, mainly working within the area of education. The team works nationally and specialises in assisting private clients to appeal to the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal, the Education Health and Care Plan process and liaising with the local authorities in respect of any failings. The work is varied and includes work with schools and colleges along with some legal aid work.

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
• Be willing to travel to the Newcastle office twice a week
• Have some paralegal or public law experience, particularly within the areas outlined above (experience in other areas of law would be advantageous but is not essential)
• Demonstrate excellent client care skills, with a sensitive and empathetic understanding of clients’ needs
• Have strong analytical and organisational skills, with a thorough approach to documenting work
• Be IT‑literate with excellent attention to detail
• Be able to work both independently and as part of a team to deliver the best outcomes for our clients
• Have a working knowledge of legal aid systems (desirable)

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.

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. We’re proud of our values, and we’re looking for people who share them.