Housing Paralegal

Exciting Opportunity at Judge and Priestley Solicitors LLP

Our Values

• Expert - We will invest in the continual development of our people, team and also technology to ensure that we continue to be experts in all that we do.
• Professional - We are accountable to our clients, colleagues, and all those with whom we engage to ensure that we are open, transparent and act with integrity in all that we do.
• Friendly - Whilst at all times being professional, we will ensure that we are approachable and seek to put those with whom we deal, at ease in their dealings with us.

We are a leading regional law firm, serving a wide range of national and international commercial and private clients from our Head Office in Bromley. Established since 1889, we’ve come a long way and today we are a modern, progressive practice, proud of our record on diversity and inclusion and reputation for training and promoting staff from within the business.

Our Housing Management team has over 30 years’ experience in delivering legal services to social housing providers and to private landlords. Our team is ranked in Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners guides.

Are you a paralegal with at least 6 months of legal housing experience with a 2:1 degree? Are you looking to manage your own caseload and seeking a career opportunity within a leading regional law firm? Then this is the job for you!

We have a flexible hybrid working policy with three days a week required in the office. Due to its success our reputable, highly experienced and friendly Housing Team is expanding and is looking for an enthusiastic, driven and committed individual to join them. Our dedicated team offer a comprehensive service to our landlords and each of our senior solicitors is noted in the Legal 500 2020 as either a "recommended lawyer" or a "leading individual".

What you will be doing

• You will be responsible for your own caseload consisting of mainly disrepair, possession, injunction and private landlord matters, meeting financial and billing targets and assisting other fee earners.
• You will also draft advice court documents, bundles, witness statements, statement of costs together with briefing and corresponding with Counsel.
• You will undertake legal research, attend clients’ offices and Courts, undertaking financial due diligence and new enquiries.
• You will also provide clients with a dedicated and professional service, provide administrative support to the team and be responsible for file maintenance.

This opportunity is much more than a job, it is a career.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

• You will have at least 6 months experience within a legal Housing department in a solicitor’s firm or a professional services firm – Desirable
• Experience of using case management systems – Desirable
• Good communication skills both verbally and in writing - Essential

Qualifications

• LLB minimum 2:1 or Cilex level 3 of 6

Benefits

• Profit Share Scheme - We want all our employees to have a share in the success of the firm. This non contractual bonus is paid in June based on the profit from the previous financial year.
• Volunteer Sabbatical - We offer our employees up to 2 days paid leave a year to contribute towards our CSR efforts.
• Long Service Awards - We recognise long service through special lunches, extra time off and a monetary reward.
• Wellbeing - Worklife Central - This multi-format programme covers four main topic areas: Careers, Families, Wellbeing and Inclusion. Support and resources are available through a wide range of online live talks, support groups and workshops, long and short-form videos accessible on demand and a library of articles, blogs and podcasts.
• Medicash - You will be enrolled into our scheme which provides cashback on a range of health services.
• Pension - All employees are entitled to join our auto enrolment pension scheme. You will be enrolled in the pension after 3 months of employment dependent on age and salary.
• Generous & Flexible Annual leave - We have a minimum of 25 days across the firm and you will receive an additional day’s holiday after every completed year of service to a total maximum of 30 days. You are also able to carry over up to 5 days of unused holiday entitlement.
• Birthday off - If your birthday falls on a working day, you can have that day off as an extra day’s leave.
• Maternity, Paternity and Adoption Leave - We include family friendly policies when after two years’ service you will be eligible for our enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption leave.
• Death in Service Insurance - All employees will be entitled to 2 x salary.
• Legal Fees - After one years’ service, you will be entitled to a contribution towards legal fees.
• Recruitment Incentive - We offer up to £2,000 (dependent on level of seniority) referral bonus to say thank you for introducing a job candidate that becomes employed by J&P and passes their probation.
• Season Ticket Loan - After probation, you are entitled to apply for an interest free advance for a season ticket to use public transport to reach your place of work.
• Cycle to Work Scheme - Allows you to make a saving of 25% - 39% on the retail price of a bike.

At Judge & Priestley, we invest in our expertise. We recruit the best people and we are proud to retain them. Our teams have access to the latest resources and the continuing professional development opportunities they need to remain at the forefront of commercial legal practice.