Paralegal Apprentice (L7 Solicitor Apprenticeship)

The role offers an exciting opportunity to join the fast paced Legal, Regulatory and Compliance team. Which currently includes 5 permanent qualified lawyers, 2 legally qualified paralegals, 5 regulatory/compliance professionals and 6 operational support operatives.

This is an ideal opportunity intended for entrants into the legal profession and provides candidates with a unique opportunity to apply their legal knowledge in a commercial context. Practical legal experience is therefore welcomed but not necessary.

Successful candidates will gain exposure to a variety of challenging legal matters such as GDPR, contracts and litigation.

The role offers work in the dynamic team and includes working directly with external lawyers litigating on complex high value disputes. Candidates will gain valuable exposure in preparing for trial and attending court.

Successful candidates will also work closely with all stakeholders and senior management to reduce the legacy debt and improve customer experience in our bulk litigation work. There are also opportunities to work alongside our commercial counsel in their work on GDPR and negotiating and putting in place contracts.

The successful applicants will be highly motivated problem solvers who are able to manage their time and conflicting obligations well and process , analyse and evaluate large sets of data. We are looking for critical thinkers who can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of debt recovery.

Duties:

To be able to explain clearly to customers the circumstances around their account and draft and negotiate settlement agreements To own the customer’s enquiry or issue from receipt to resolution, ensuring that promised actions are completed, and the customer is kept up to date via the debt collection agency or solicitor Work with the internal team and/or external solicitors to conduct litigation To accurately identify the root cause of the customer’s situation and produce accurate litigation triage forms so next steps can be determined by a qualified solicitor To adhere to all regulations, policies and guidelines To assist in on-the-job training and development of other team members and provide specialist support to deliver outstanding performance Support with legal matters, including GDPR, review and negotiation of contracts including simple variation agreements and support on more complex matters Conduct legal & regulatory research as required Carry out administration, including writing letters, filing documents, taking notes, etc

Training:
Solicitor Level 7 (Master's degree) Apprenticeship Standard

Training Outcome:
It is expected that the successful Paralegal will qualify as a solicitor and may be promoted to Legal Counsel at Water Plus, if an opening is available

Employer Description:
We’re the UK's largest water retailer and trusted by over 360,000 business customers throughout England and Scotland. From supermarkets to multinational manufacturers, national chains to corner shops, the public sector to charities, we support organisations of all sizes across all sectors with their water accounts. And we’re award winners for our work that’s helping our customers to save water and lower their environmental impact too.

Working Hours :
Monday to Friday. Shifts to be confirmed.

Skills:
Communication skills,Attention to detail,Organisation skills,Interpersonal skills,Typing skills,Minute taking skills,IT literate,Reliable,Adaptable and flexible,Confidential,Methodical,Sensible,Pragmatic,Diplomatic and tactful,Results driven,Determined