Employment Paralegal

Linklaters is a leading international law firm, with 30 offices in 20 countries worldwide. Ours is an environment of outperformance. We achieve this not with targets and incentives, but by fostering a positive, supportive, fair, and open atmosphere. We respect and value difference but insist on inclusivity. We celebrate all aspects of diversity and challenge any form of bias. This is vital to our ability to work as one team, with a common goal.

Linklaters are a people business. Being best in class in the eyes of our clients means that our people must be exceptional. We look not only for brilliant minds, but for people who will thrive in our environment: people who love working collaboratively and demonstrate the innovative, efficient, agile, entrepreneurial, and responsible mind-set we aim to bring to every interaction.

We recognise that one size does not fit all. Our goal is to embed flexibility across our firm by giving everyone the opportunity to work in an agile way, whether as a regular pattern or on an ad hoc basis, and we will be happy to discuss this further. We also recognise that women, especially, may hesitate to apply if they feel they may not meet every requirement listed despite being excited by the role. If this sounds like you, we’d really encourage you to apply.

About You

• You will have demonstrable experience working at paralegal level (or above), alongside a genuine interest in employment law. Ideally, you will have gained direct experience within an employment law setting, either in private practice or in-house (for example, within an HR or employment legal team).
• Experience within professional services or financial services environments would be advantageous. Candidates with around 2+ years’ relevant experience are particularly encouraged to apply.
• A legal qualification is desirable; candidates who are qualified lawyers or who have completed (or are working towards) the SQE or LPC will be viewed favourably. An LLM or equivalent postgraduate qualification would also be an advantage.
• You will be proactive, highly organised, and able to manage multiple workstreams effectively. Strong communication skills and excellent attention to detail are essential, along with the ability to engage confidently with a range of stakeholders.
• A strong commitment to learning and developing within an employment law environment is key. You should demonstrate curiosity, adaptability, and a willingness to build your expertise over time.

Your role

Due to an ongoing high level of work and the forthcoming transition of our function to a global Centre of Excellence for ER and in-house employment law, we have an exciting opportunity for a smart, proactive and keen Employment Paralegal in our team. This is a permanent role, based in the UK, and primarily supporting our two in-house Employment Lawyers and the wider employee relations, policy and in-house employment law team.

In particular, we expect this individual to support with:

• ER cases (including support with relevant aspects of disciplinary, grievance, performance and capability processes and investigations etc, and the tracking of cases in a clear and orderly manner);
• conduct of claims and employment litigation (including assisting with tasks like disclosure and DSAR responses);
• helping maintain, extend and manage our library of template contractual and policy documents (both in the UK and on a global basis);
• helping track our external legal spend and manage the smooth recording and processing of invoices etc;
• supporting the team with relevant project work, including assistance with producing employment law updates and relevant training materials for the wider HR team/business, as we move to a global Centre of Excellence.

This role will be a key source of support for our in-house Employment Lawyers and help unlock essential capacity in the team to help us deliver greater global oversight, consistency and best practice across the business. We are looking for a pragmatic, versatile and collegiate individual who is able to hit the ground running and quickly establish good working relationships with colleagues and key stakeholders. You will need to be able to be proactive, user-friendly and approachable. The successful candidate will also be organised and able to manage and prioritise a varied workload that can involve tight deadlines.

What sets us apart

• We offer a truly global work experience and the opportunity to be involved in strategic projects that drive innovation and shape the future of our business.
• We belong to a firm that embodies its corporate social, environment, and governance responsibility commitments.
• We remain focused on talent and having the best people which will result in a diverse workforce.
• Having got the best people, we want them to feel included, valued and respected so they can perform at their best.
• We advocate a speak-up culture to empower our people in sharing their voices and an open-door policy to ensure they are listened to.
• We invest in custom-fit career paths for our people in line with their talents and aspirations.
• We provide agile working solutions to meet the changing needs of our people and our business.
• We are committed to people first relationships based on mutual trust, respect, and appreciation.
• We support the health and wellbeing of our people, providing a safe space to talk about emotions and mental health with access to expert advice as needed.
• We invest in developing leaders of the future who demonstrate emotional intelligence and a passion to discover, coach and develop the talents of others.

Our commitment to you/Linklaters

We are a friendly, informal practice and are committed to providing you with the support and training you need to maximise your potential. We place great value on working as a team in a positive, supportive, fair and open working environment. We respect and value difference and insist on inclusivity, celebrating all aspects of diversity because we want everyone to feel that they belong. You will be challenged, mentored and supported in the development of your career and given access to professional learning and skills-based programmes aimed at providing you with the tools to meet your career ambitions.

This list of responsibilities and skills is not exhaustive. It is intended to describe the general content of, and requirements for the performance of this job, and as such, the role may also include the undertaking of additional tasks as required.

How to Apply

Applications are only accepted online via the portal. Questions must be directed to the recruitment team on: tempbtrecruitment@linklaters.com and not the practice or partners.

Technical Skills

This list of duties and responsibilities above is not exhaustive. It is intended to describe the general content of, and requirements for, the performance of this job. As such, the role may also include the undertaking of additional tasks as required.

Application Policy

Applications and CVs (direct or via agency) are only accepted online via the portal. Queries related to our roles must be directed to the relevant recruitment team and not the partners, practices or stakeholders.

Equal Opportunities

As a responsible business, it is important that we represent the diversity of our people, our clients and our communities. We know that diversity makes us a better law firm and helps us attract the best talent, drive innovation with diversity of thought, and deliver the best experience to everyone who comes into contact with us. We recruit on the basis of merit, irrespective of age, disability, gender, gender identity, race or ethnicity, marital status, religion, sex, sexual orientation or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate.