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- Tasks: Join our Commercial Real Estate team as a Legal Secretary, supporting lawyers in various tasks.
- Company: We are a leading property law firm with over 100 specialists, known for our expertise and client service.
- Benefits: Gain valuable experience, work in a supportive team, and enjoy opportunities for growth and development.
- Why this job: Be part of a dynamic team, engage in exciting real estate deals, and build strong professional relationships.
- Qualifications: GCSE education, typing speed of 50 wpm, excellent communication skills, and a positive attitude required.
- Other info: All experience levels welcome; we value teamwork and initiative.
The predicted salary is between 24000 - 36000 £ per year.
The department
We have one of the best regarded and largest dedicated property departments within the country, numbering over 100 specialists. Our property lawyers are particularly experienced in dealing with development and investment, planning, secured lending and landlord and tenant matters.
Our lawyers come from a range of backgrounds, including major City practices, other major national and regional firms, industry and local government and include individuals with construction, planning and commercial expertise. The depth and range of expertise means the team can work together in major and complex transactions on cost effective terms, providing our clients with true value for money.
The team currently comprises a number of specialist qualified Commercial Real Estate solicitors and Partners, making us one of the largest Commercial Real Estate teams in the East of England.
We have the strength and depth of expertise to ensure we deliver the service you would expect in respect of technical quality, practical approach and timeliness of advice.
The property team has experience in all areas of contentious and non-contentious legal matters, representing clients from a broad range of public and private organisations as well as individuals and senior executives and we are proud to act for sector leading clients nationwide and some of the East of England’s most important businesses and institutions.
Purpose of job
This is an excellent opportunity for an ambitious Secretary to join our successful and growing Commercial Real Estate team in Ipswich. We are seeking someone who will work as a member of our existing team of secretaries and administrators to support the lawyers in all aspects of their work. We are looking for the right person for this role, and all applicants will be considered on their individual merits, regardless of their prior experience – we are as happy to work with someone at the start of their career as we are someone with decades of experience; what matters to us is your ability to work effectively and efficiently as part of a team, supporting others and being supported by them.
The successful candidate will have the opportunity to work with our lawyers in delivering excellent client service on the full range of Commercial Real Estate deals, both locally and nationally, including residential and commercial development, investment sales and purchases, leasing and asset management (acting for both landlords and tenants), real estate finance and general advisory work.
Accountabilities
Technical ability:
- Producing and amending documents with speed and accuracy
- Formatting, paginating, numbering and presenting documents in house style
- Proof reading all work, checking for spelling and grammar
- A user of key software packages and applications, including the Land Registry portal, DocuSign and third party search providers, and taking responsibility for any training needs to improve relevant skills needed to meet business requirements
- Working proactively with colleagues to ensure documentation meets client expectations and deadlines
- Processing property searches, responding to search provider queries and collating/tracking results for lawyers to review.
- An understanding of ledgers and the ability to deal with any enquiries relating to credit/debits and client account balances.
Administrative skills:
- Managing the diaries of lawyers in Microsoft Outlook to include:
- Making appointments
- Arranging meetings/conferences
- Sending and responding to appointments
- Booking restaurants
- Processing expenses claims, payment requisition forms and returned advances
- Maintaining and updating accurate client and other contact details on our database
- Processing forms including new client forms, new matter forms, money laundering forms, training course booking forms and similar
- Ensuring that all electronic and paper filing is up to date and maintained at regular intervals
- Preparing narratives and bills and keep billing files up to date
- Carrying out photocopying and scanning as required
- Scheduling deeds and documents and making arrangements for their storage
- Assisting lawyers with their file management, including monitoring inactive files and dealing with file closing formalities.
Professional Skills:
- Promptly clarifying instructions should they or deadlines be unclear
- Responding to internal and external telephone enquiries politely and professionally, taking accurate telephone messages, and passing them to the appropriate person
- Supporting other secretarial team members proactively and providing cover when necessary to ensure that work is completed on time and to a high standard
- Providing full support to lawyers in the full range of their activities and carrying out any other duties as reasonably requested.
General Approach
- Showing a positive approach and interest in the work of our team
- Showing initiative when responding to queries and actively trying to solve problems
- Supporting the lawyers to meet clients’ demands
- Building and maintaining strong working relationships with other members of the team, including lawyers and other secretaries and administrators, and actively working in the interests of the whole firm.
The candidate
- Secretarial qualification or educated to GCSE
- Typing speed of at least 50 wpm
- Excellent spelling and punctuation
- Excellent written and verbal communications
- Ability to use discretion
- Excellent IT skills, including Outlook, Word, PowerPoint and Excel
- Positive and enthusiastic approach to teamwork
- Good telephone manner
- Adaptable and flexible
- Self-motivated, ability to use initiative and provide pro-active support to fee-earners
- Ability to pay attention to detail and check own work
- Reliable and well organised
- Ability to remain calm and work under pressure to meet strict deadlines
- Commitment to ongoing learning and development
Legal Secretary employer: Owen Reed
Contact Detail:
Owen Reed Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Legal Secretary
✨Tip Number 1
Familiarize yourself with the key software packages mentioned in the job description, such as the Land Registry portal and DocuSign. Having hands-on experience or knowledge of these tools will give you an edge during the interview.
✨Tip Number 2
Highlight your ability to manage multiple tasks efficiently, especially diary management and document preparation. Be ready to share examples of how you've successfully handled similar responsibilities in the past.
✨Tip Number 3
Demonstrate your proactive approach by preparing questions about the team and their projects. This shows your genuine interest in the role and helps you understand how you can contribute effectively.
✨Tip Number 4
Emphasize your teamwork skills and your ability to support others. Share specific instances where you've collaborated with colleagues to achieve a common goal, as this aligns with the team's values.
We think you need these skills to ace Legal Secretary
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV highlights relevant secretarial skills and experiences that align with the job description. Emphasize your ability to produce documents accurately and manage diaries effectively.
Craft a Strong Cover Letter: In your cover letter, express your enthusiasm for the role and the team. Mention specific examples of how your skills can contribute to the Commercial Real Estate team and demonstrate your understanding of the legal environment.
Showcase Your Technical Skills: Highlight your proficiency in key software packages mentioned in the job description, such as Microsoft Outlook, Word, and any experience with the Land Registry portal or DocuSign. This will show you are prepared for the technical demands of the role.
Demonstrate Teamwork: Provide examples in your application of how you have successfully worked as part of a team in previous roles. Emphasize your ability to support colleagues and maintain strong working relationships, which is crucial for this position.
How to prepare for a job interview at Owen Reed
✨Show Your Team Spirit
Emphasize your ability to work effectively as part of a team. Share examples from your past experiences where you supported colleagues and contributed to group success, as this role requires collaboration with lawyers and other secretaries.
✨Demonstrate Technical Proficiency
Be prepared to discuss your experience with key software packages like Microsoft Outlook, Word, and any relevant applications such as the Land Registry portal. Highlight your typing speed and accuracy, as these are crucial for the role.
✨Highlight Your Attention to Detail
Since the role involves producing and amending documents, it's important to showcase your proofreading skills and attention to detail. Provide examples of how you've ensured accuracy in your previous work.
✨Exhibit a Positive Attitude
Convey your enthusiasm for the role and the property sector. Discuss how you approach challenges with a positive mindset and your commitment to ongoing learning and development, which aligns with the company's values.
