Paralegal - Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom - Irwin Mitchell

Description

Our Team

Our Public Law & Human rights team undertake a range of work in the areas of judicial review, civil liberties (including inquests and actions against public authorities), education, social care, healthcare and medical treatment, mental capacity and Court of Protection welfare disputes. Our lawyers are experts in their field.

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 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. We have 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.

The successful candidate will be assisting a Solicitor based in the Newcastle office with a busy caseload which may include inquests concerning deaths in state detention, civil claims against public authorities, broader judicial review work, community care, litigation support and health and welfare cases in the Court of Protection. Experience of inquests, civil litigation and/or health and welfare cases is desirable but not necessary.

The team has expertise in the following types of cases:

The successful candidate must be able to demonstrate a genuine interest in the areas of work referred to above.

Successful candidates will have excellent client care skills and a sensitive and sympathetic understanding of clients' needs. As a firm we are committed to protecting clients' rights and the successful candidate should also have good communication skills in order to be able to work effectively with a range of people. Successful candidates will be expected to travel to attend court and visit clients; a driving license and access to a vehicle is highly desirable.

Candidates will also be expected to have excellent analytical and organisational skills, be committed to teamwork, take a thorough approach to documenting their work, be IT literate, attentive to detail, and have 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, then we will give you all the training and support you'll need to help you succeed in this highly rewarding role.

Applications close on Wednesday 22nd May 2024

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 to work in a way that best suits you. This includes our Flexible by Choice programme which gives our colleagues more choice over how they wish to work subject to role and client requirements.

We have recently been ranked in the Best Workplaces for Wellbeing for Large Organisations for 2023

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.