The legal secretary plays a vital role in the everyday workings of the employment, immigration and pensions department to support the lawyers in the team. You would be working in a team of four partners, ten associates, a trainee, a professional support lawyer and one other secretary. You would be supporting lawyers on both employment and immigration matters.
The list of job duties below is not exhaustive but gives a flavour of the variety of work involved.
The legal secretary plays a vital role in the everyday workings of the employment, immigration and pensions department to support the lawyers in the team. You would be working in a team of four partners, ten associates, a trainee, a professional support lawyer and one other secretary. You would be supporting lawyers on both employment and immigration matters.
The list of job duties below is not exhaustive but gives a flavour of the variety of work involved.
KEY DUTIES
Document management/document production
- Providing a comprehensive and timely word processing service for the creation and amendment of documents using Word, Excel, Workshare, BigHand, PowerPoint and other systems
- Ensuring documents returned to the lawyers accurately reflect the original request. This will include proof reading the document, checking spelling, grammar, sense, amendments and presentation
- Preparing, collating and indexing legal documents and bundles, for example for tribunal hearings and for Home Office immigration applications
Client Support
- Acting as the point of contact for lawyers, as required, including taking messages and answering new enquiries
- Supporting the billing process including preparing the bills, ensuring that fee updates are sent and that bills are sent within the agreed time frame and assisting lawyers and finance in relation to unpaid bills
- Assisting lawyers and the compliance team with file opening, the anti-money laundering process and drafting engagement letters and opening new matters
- File closing
- Liaising with the finance team in relation to the invoicing and payment of disbursements, including Counsel’s fees and immigration fees
- Calling the Home Office and tribunals as and when required
- From time to time uploading documents to the Home Office system
Team Support
- Adding client information to the relevant database
- Updating fee trackers
- Updating team procedures and providing detailed handover notes, as required
- Answering telephone calls promptly
- Providing cover for other secretaries during breaks, absences and busy periods
- Booking training courses and professional memberships for lawyers and maintaining records of training
- Assisting in putting together presentations
- Proactively seeking work to assist other team members when they are busy
Administrative Support
Managing all manner of administration including:
- File management
- Photocopying/scanning
- Managing lawyers’ emails and correspondence including drafting replies to routine correspondence when required
- Organising and supporting travel and accommodation arrangements
- Managing expenses claims for lawyers
Diary/Meeting management
- Keeping lawyers’ diaries up to date in Outlook
- Arranging meetings, liaising with reception as required
Know How
- Assisting lawyers with the online filing of know how
- Assisting in production of the weekly training materials for the employment team
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EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS
Essential
- Proven experience of working as a secretary, ideally in a legal environment
- Good knowledge of Word, Outlook, PowerPoint and Excel
Desirable
- A minimum of 5 GCSEs (or equivalent) including English and maths at Grade C or above
- Advanced knowledge of Word, Outlook, PowerPoint and Excel
- Experience of billing processes
Skills, Aptitude & Experience
- Accuracy and attention to detail
- Experience of working in a team environment
- Proven organisation and administration skills
- Excellent English and grammar
- Good numeracy skills
- Flexible work ethic to meet the Firm’s requirements
- Resilient and calm with a confident and professional demeanour
- Ability to perform under pressure to see work through to completion and meet tight deadlines
- Proactive and self-motivated, demonstrating the ability to use initiative
- Ability to be a team player and to build a positive rapport with clients and other employees
- Willingness to learn new IT systems, internal processes and procedures
- Good judgement and commonsense
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Stevens & Bolton is one of the largest teams of lawyers in the South outside London. Independently recognised as one of the UK's leading national law firms we build deep relationships with our clients, whose satisfaction with our services is the true measure of our success.
We want enjoyment to be a primary driver in the working day - and a key 'reason to be here' for our employees. It's a philosophy that comes from the top and cascades through the organisation. It is upheld through a combination of factors: delivering quality in everything we do; securing stimulating, challenging work that stretches and rewards; employing truly distinctive, diverse people who willingly engage, collaborate and support; committing to continuous development for everyone; and providing a sustaining environment in which people can learn and grow. |