Junior Practice Assistant (Criminal Litigation)

Hours: 9.30am - 5.30pm and as required, flexible applications considered

Working week: Monday - Friday

Department: Practice Support

Purpose of job: The Junior PA is an integral part of fee earning teams; providing a high level of professional support to Fee Earners. The Junior PA is expected to take on tasks, support projects and provide departmental administrative support; playing a critical role in managing daily administration for their stakeholders whilst working collaboratively in close liaison with the PEs and PAs.

Working alongside the department PAs in the coordination of tasks with effective delegation to DPS, PAA and other support teams as appropriate; ensuring completed tasks are checked for accuracy, demonstrating attention to detail, and ready to return to the fee earner by given deadlines.

Key Responsibilities:

• Proactive diary management; looking ahead at fee earner diaries to remind them of diary commitments, taking responsibility for ensuring that they have all supporting paperwork and information for each meeting or appointment.
• Arranging internal and external meetings and conference calls, ensuring the smooth running of such meetings and making the appropriate arrangements (e.g. room setup, ordering refreshments etc.) and liaising with other support departments as required.
• All elements of travel management; booking and arranging travel, preparing detailed itineraries, researching options to ensure the most cost-effective choice.
• Professional client liaison, being a first point of contact by telephone and email; taking messages, passing on information and dealing with queries as appropriate in a timely manner.
• Efficient mailbox management for fee earners.
• Assisting with new business enquiries, following departmental processes.
• Assisting with file opening by carrying out conflict checks under supervision and as directed; assisting with the preparation of all relevant documentation.
• Monitoring new matters to ensure all of the necessary information and documents have been received (e.g. engagement letters/instruction forms/monies on account/money laundering documentation and other compliance documents), informing fee earners when documents are not received and assisting as required.
• All elements of document management on the firm’s CMS.
• Liaising with the PAA team and Records Management Team regarding file closures and archiving.
• All elements of billing and financial management in accordance with practice area and firm procedures.
• Processing expenses, requesting and processing disbursements from external parties, preparing electronic bank transfers, assisting with time recording as needed.
• Liaising as needed with business support services across the firm, to include: BD & Marketing, Finance, People & Culture, IT, Business Acceptance Team, Office Services & Building Wellness Team.