Paralegal - PLHR

Overview

We’re a national law firm with a local reach. Our legal experts are here for you. Whether it’s personal or business, we understand that everyone’s situation is different. We’re more than just a law firm – we’re a team of people working together to help individuals and businesses navigate life’s ups and downs. Working here you’ll feel a part of our friendly and inclusive environment.

We’ll value you for who you are and what you bring. We support each other and push boundaries to achieve incredible things and make a real difference to our clients and communities. We’re always looking to support our colleagues to work in a way that works best for them and everyone else, including our clients, the business and the regulators.

Our Public Law & Human Rights team advise and represent clients on a broad range of issues including:

• Inquests
• Judicial Review
• Actions against the police, including for false imprisonment, malicious prosecution, discrimination and assault
• Human Rights Act cases

Our Public Law and Human Rights department is ranked as a leader in a range of fields in both the Chambers & Partners and the Legal 500 directories and many of our solicitors are ranked individually. We are instructed in interesting and often high‑profile, cutting‑edge cases. We have forged a national reputation for our work on test cases and a national reach, with public law teams in ten offices across the country.

We hold Legal Aid Agency contracts in public law, community care and actions against the police and are also instructed by privately funded individuals, professional associations and institutions including national and local charities and other voluntary organisations. We work closely with our colleagues and teams in Irwin Mitchell to provide a holistic service to our clients.

• Paralegal or public law/human rights experience, particularly within the above areas or other areas of law, would be an advantage, although this is not essential. The successful candidate must be able to demonstrate a genuine interest in the areas of work referred to above.
• Excellent client care skills and a sensitive and sympathetic understanding of clients’ needs. Good communication skills to work effectively with a range of people.
• Excellent analytical and organisational skills, commitment to teamwork, a thorough approach to documenting work, IT literacy, attention to detail and the ability to use their own initiative. A working knowledge of legal aid systems is also desirable. This position would suit well‑motivated individuals with intelligence, ambition, lateral thinking skills and sound judgment. You must hold an undergraduate degree or equivalent.

If you thrive on being busy and can adapt well to new challenges, we will give you all the training and support you’ll need to help you succeed in this highly rewarding role.

• 25 days holidays as standard plus bank holidays. You can ‘buy’ up to 35 hours of extra holiday.
• Generous and flexible pension schemes.
• Volunteering days – Two days of volunteering every year for a cause of your choice (fully paid).
• Westfield Health membership, offering refunds on medical services alongside our Aviva Digital GP services.

We also offer a wide range of well‑being initiatives to encourage positive mental health both in and out of the workplace and to make sure you’re fully supported. This includes our Flexible by Choice programme which gives our colleagues more choice over a hybrid way of working subject to role, team and client requirements. We have been ranked in the Best Workplaces for Wellbeing for Large Organisations for 2024.

Our responsible business programmes are fundamental to who we are and our purpose. We’re committed to being a diverse and inclusive workplace where our colleagues can flourish, and we have established a number of inclusion network groups across our business to support this aim.

Our commitment to social responsibility, community investment activity and tackling climate change is a fundamental part of who we are. It’s made up of four strands:
Our People, Our Community, Our Environment and Our Pro Bono.

As part of the Irwin Mitchell Group’s on‑boarding process all successful applicants are required to complete the group’s employment screening process. This process helps to ensure that all new employees meet our standards in relation to honesty and integrity, therefore protecting the interests of the Group, colleagues, clients, partners and other stakeholders.

We carry out pre‑employment screening to establish your eligibility to work in the UK, criminal record and financial checks with our trusted 3rd parties. The employment screening process will fully comply with Data Protection and other applicable laws.

Irwin Mitchell LLP is an equal opportunity employer.