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For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead legal training and develop knowledge resources to keep our lawyers at the top of their game.
- Company: Join Schillings, a dynamic firm focused on reputation, privacy, and security.
- Benefits: Enjoy a collaborative culture, career growth opportunities, and a fun work environment.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by advancing legal knowledge and supporting your colleagues' development.
- Qualifications: 4+ years PQE in relevant legal fields and strong communication skills required.
- Other info: Be part of a team that values innovation, collaboration, and excellence.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 ÂŁ per year.
Professional Development Lawyer
Reporting to: Senior Professional Development Lawyer, Senior Legal Adviser (min. 4 days per week)
Job Purpose
The Professional Development Lawyer will play a crucial role in advancing the firm\’s legal knowledge strategy and training initiatives. Working closely with the Senior Professional Development Lawyer, Senior Legal Adviser, and Learning & Development Manager, you will organise and deliver legal training, develop and maintain practical knowledge resources, and ensure that our lawyers remain at the forefront of our specialist practice areas. You will also play a key role in contributing to firmwide knowledge initiatives and upskilling new joiners, newly qualified solicitors and foreign qualified lawyers.
Role Accountabilities
- Legal Expertise
- Develop, maintain and demonstrate an expert level of legal knowledge and experience in our core areas: litigation, defamation, privacy, confidence, harassment, DPA/GDPR and related areas.
- Monitor legal, legislative and regulatory developments in our core areas, communicating key changes to fee‑earners timely and in a practical manner.
- Provide assistance to lawyers on complex legal research queries and act as a sounding board for niche or intricate legal issues.
- Knowledge Management & Internal Resources
- Improve and maintain the firm\’s knowledge repository, including precedents, templates and internal guidance.
- Collaborate with fee‑earners to promote and encourage the use of knowledge systems and legal tech tools and ensure that the systems remain intuitive, accessible and embedded in daily practice.
- Draft legal team template documents and standard forms, as needed.
- Actively contribute to a culture of continuous learning and knowledge sharing across the legal team and wider firm.
- Training & Development
- In collaboration with the Senior Professional Development Lawyer, design, deliver and co‑ordinate legal training programmes that enhance technical excellence, regulatory compliance, and commercial awareness across all levels of the legal team and, where appropriate, across other disciplines.
- Support new legal team members by delivering induction sessions and ensuring access to core knowledge resources.
- Identify and evaluate external legal training providers and programmes to complement internal learning initiatives.
- In collaboration with the Learning & Development Manager, support Paralegals through SQE training and examinations, including guidance on preparation, access to resources, and tracking progress.
- Stay abreast of developments in legal and technical innovation, including AI, and drive forward related training and development initiatives to ensure fee‑earners are equipped to use emerging technology effectively.
- External Engagement & Resources
- Assist the Clients & Markets team with drafting articles and contributing to external resources, publications, briefings and presentations.
- Encourage and support fee‑earners to contribute to the firm\’s thought leadership and content strategy.
- Regulatory & Compliance
- Support lawyers in meeting their CPD requirements (including the SRA and the requirements of foreign lawyers\’ regulators), including maintaining accurate records and verifying attendance where required.
- Monitor and assess developments that may impact the firm and prepare guidance on any relevant legislative or regulatory changes.
- Work with the Compliance team to embed regulatory awareness into training and knowledge initiatives.
- Legal Research Platforms, Subscriptions & Resources
- Manage subscriptions to legal research platforms and databases, ensuring access to core resources such as Lexis+, Westlaw, Practical Law and others as appropriate.
- Identify, recommend and implement (as necessary) other platforms that align with the firm\’s practice areas and strategic priorities.
- Keep subscriptions and platform usage under regular review to ensure cost‑effectiveness, relevance and user engagement.
- Identify and purchase textbooks and online subscriptions that support legal research and professional development.
- Act as a point of contact for platform training, troubleshooting and feedback collection.
Person Specification
- Adaptable and comfortable with ambiguity and rapid change.
- Enthusiastic about developing knowledge systems.
- Self‑starter with the desire and ability to continuously acquire, build upon and share knowledge.
- Collaborative team player with the ability to develop and work in a fast paced, intellectually rigorous environment.
- Demonstrates highest standards of professional and personal integrity.
Knowledge and Experience Required
- Experienced legal professional, with a minimum of 4 years’ PQE in reputation management, privacy, cyber litigation, employment litigation or commercial litigation.
- Proven ability to form and maintain highly effective working relationships with all team members and levels of seniority. Experience working in large cross‑disciplinary teams beneficial.
- Ability to identify and define legal technical training needs and design the optimum content to meet those needs; able to write, prepare and deliver bespoke legal technical training content effectively.
- Demonstrated excellent written and oral communication skills; and the ability to convey information clearly and accurately.
- Strong project management skills, with a proven track record of working under pressure, planning and prioritising work, and delivering to tight or changing deadlines whilst maintaining excellent attention to detail.
- Strong commercial and business acumen with the ability to deliver creative and pragmatic solutions.
- Proven strong IT skills in MS Office packages.
Life at Schillings
Schillings is a multidisciplinary advisory firm with expertise in reputation, privacy and security. We work with UK and international clients to successfully manage high‑stakes opportunities and threats, using a unique combination of capabilities: legal; intelligence; communications; security and diplomacy. Our culture is collaborative, fun and welcoming, with a positive culture, strong values (Innovative; Bold; United; Excellent) and a developed service ethic. We are committed to sharing learning and creating development opportunities so you can progress your career with us. Many of our people have been with the firm for over five years.
Seniority level: Mid‑Senior level
Employment type: Full‑time
Job function: Legal
Industries: Business Consulting and Services
Referrals increase your chances of interviewing at Schillings by 2Ă—.
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Professional Development Lawyer employer: Schillings
Contact Detail:
Schillings Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Professional Development Lawyer
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with people in the legal field. Attend events, join online forums, and don’t be shy about reaching out to professionals on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings!
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your expertise! When you get the chance to chat with potential employers, make sure to highlight your knowledge in areas like litigation and privacy. Share examples of how you've contributed to training or knowledge management in your previous roles.
✨Tip Number 3
Be proactive! If you see a role that excites you, don’t wait for the perfect moment. Apply through our website and follow up with a friendly email expressing your enthusiasm. It shows initiative and can set you apart from other candidates.
✨Tip Number 4
Prepare for interviews by brushing up on current legal trends and developments. Being able to discuss recent changes in legislation or innovative legal tech will impress interviewers and demonstrate your commitment to staying at the forefront of the industry.
We think you need these skills to ace Professional Development Lawyer
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to highlight your experience in legal training and knowledge management. We want to see how your skills align with our needs, so don’t hold back on showcasing your expertise!
Show Off Your Communication Skills: Since this role involves a lot of training and collaboration, it’s crucial to demonstrate your excellent written and oral communication skills. Use clear and concise language in your application to reflect this ability.
Highlight Your Legal Knowledge: We’re looking for someone with a strong grasp of our core areas like litigation and privacy. Make sure to mention any relevant experience or qualifications that showcase your legal expertise and understanding of current developments.
Apply Through Our Website: To make sure your application gets the attention it deserves, apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your details and keep track of your application!
How to prepare for a job interview at Schillings
✨Know Your Legal Stuff
Make sure you brush up on the core areas mentioned in the job description, like litigation and GDPR. Be ready to discuss recent legal developments and how they might impact the firm. This shows you're not just knowledgeable but also proactive about staying updated.
✨Showcase Your Training Skills
Prepare examples of training programmes you've designed or delivered in the past. Highlight your ability to engage different audiences and adapt content for various levels of expertise. This will demonstrate your capability to enhance the firm's training initiatives.
✨Be a Team Player
Emphasise your collaborative skills during the interview. Share experiences where you've worked with cross-disciplinary teams or supported colleagues in their professional development. This aligns with the firm's culture of collaboration and continuous learning.
✨Get Familiar with Legal Tech
Since the role involves promoting legal tech tools, be prepared to discuss any relevant technologies you've used. Show enthusiasm for emerging tech and how it can improve legal practices. This will highlight your adaptability and forward-thinking mindset.
