Paralegal Apprenticeship (Manchester)

Summary

Pinsent Masons is seeking to recruit Apprentice Paralegals to join our Vario Paralegal Centre of Excellence based in Manchester. This is an exciting opportunity to join a prestigious corporate law firm, working towards a fully sponsored Paralegal qualification delivered by the University of Law.

Annual wage

£21,850 a year

Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

Our apprenticeship salaries are subject to review on an annual basis. Up to date details can be found on our website.

Training course

Paralegal (level 3)

Hours

Monday to Friday between 9.30am to 5.30pm.

35 hours a week

Possible start date

Monday 1 September

Duration

2 years

Positions available

2

Work

As an apprentice, you’ll work at a company and get hands-on experience. You’ll gain new skills and work alongside experienced staff.

What you’ll do at work

Pinsent Masons Vario provides a range of professional services to our clients. These include managed legal services, flexible legal provision, legal project management, legal technology consultancy and company secretarial.

We have developed the Paralegal Centre of Excellence, which brings together a range of paralegal skills and capabilities and provides a variety of services to both our lawyers and our clients.

A paralegal is a highly valued member of a legal team that has extensive knowledge of the law and legal matters, but is not a qualified lawyer. Paralegals undertake a wide variety of administrative and legal work. The work our paralegals do is a key part of how we deliver legal services and they can choose to specialise in a specific area of the law.

Throughout your apprenticeship you will be based in one or two teams (this may include Construction & Projects, Property, Finance & Banking, Disputes, Intellectual Property, Cyber Data & Privacy, Employment, Corporate), enabling you to develop a good understanding of the specific areas of law. You may also have an opportunity to assist other teams depending on business needs.

The type of tasks an Apprentice Paralegal can expect to assist with on a day-to-day basis can vary but may include:

Helping to manage the documentation required in legal matters, including creating bundles of documents that will be used in court.
Helping to create and maintain template documents (precedents) that will be used in legal transactions.
Taking minutes and writing up notes for meetings or legal proceedings.
Conducting legal research and writing up advice notes.
Drafting legal documents such as settlement agreements, contracts, and legal pleadings.
Other ad-hoc duties and tasks as dictated by the business and client needs.

As you progress in your role, you will be introduced to more advanced tasks to help you build a portfolio and work towards the paralegal qualification.

You will be supervised by an experienced MLS (managed legal services) delivery manager and supported by your team, your buddy, and a dedicated early talent team. You will receive full training which will combine on-the-job learning and formal structured sessions to ensure you are fully equipped to succeed in the role.

Some travel within the UK and Ireland might be required during your apprenticeship. We will reimburse any travel-related business expenses in line with our policy to enable you to meet the business needs and access relevant training opportunities.

Where you’ll work

3 Hardman Street

Manchester

M3 3AU

Training

An apprenticeship includes regular training with a college or other training organisation. At least 20% of your working hours will be spent training or studying.

College or training organisation

THE UNIVERSITY OF LAW LIMITED

Your training course

Paralegal (level 3)

Equal to A level

Course contents

assist in administering procedures using most effective channels to progress caseloads.
conduct legal research using selected sources such as legal databases.
solve legal technical problems within their remit and escalating as needed.
present findings from legal research in line with organisational expectations.
assist in applying the principles of Law to stakeholder cases.
assist with legal matters and transactions within the organisation.
communicate using plain English to provide clarification and explanation of the legal process and standard legal terms.
organise and administer workflow such as legal files, case management and accounting systems to progress work within service level expectations.
carry out file management activities such as prepare and collate bundles, take and file accurate notes, close and review files, maintain databases and version control.
use a range of digital tools and technologies, for example to draft legal documents, conduct legal research, carry out data analysis and collaborate with others.
apply fraud protection measures and cyber security procedures in relation to transactions, keeping up to date with approaches.
undertake activities to ensure a clear picture of a stakeholder’s needs and risks throughout legal transactions.
assess risks and benefits to the stakeholder of different options and making recommendations to senior team members to ensure that they work in the stakeholders’ best interests.
assist in administering procedures using most effective channels to progress caseloads.
conduct legal research using selected sources such as legal databases.
solve legal technical problems within their remit and escalating as needed.
present findings from legal research in line with organisational expectations.
assist in applying the principles of Law to stakeholder cases.
assist with legal matters and transactions within the organisation.
communicate using plain English to provide clarification and explanation of the legal process and standard legal terms.
organise and administer workflow such as legal files, case management and accounting systems to progress work within service level expectations.
carry out file management activities such as prepare and collate bundles, take and file accurate notes, close and review files, maintain databases and version control.
use a range of digital tools and technologies, for example to draft legal documents, conduct legal research, carry out data analysis and collaborate with others.
apply fraud protection measures and cyber security procedures in relation to transactions, keeping up to date with approaches.
undertake activities to ensure a clear picture of a stakeholder’s needs and risks throughout legal transactions.
assess risks and benefits to the stakeholder of different options and making recommendations to senior team members to ensure that they work in the stakeholders’ best interests.

Your training plan

Apprentice paralegals have a dedicated weekly study day during which they study legal foundation subjects and skills modules delivered by the University of Law as well as prepare for a range of assessments. Paralegal apprentices spend the remaining four days per week working with colleagues in the office.

Throughout your studies you will complete regular tasks and receive feedback from your subject tutor, as well as meet with the Skills Coach to support your progress.

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

Minimum English, Maths, and three other subjects (grade C or 4 or above)
Any subjects (grade CCC or above)

Let the company know about other relevant qualifications and industry experience you have. They can adjust the apprenticeship to reflect what you already know.

Skills

Communication skills
IT skills
Attention to detail
Organisation skills
Problem solving skills
Administrative skills
Logical
Team working
Initiative
Interest in business
Personal responsibility

About this company

Pinsent Masons is a global 100 law firm, with over 3,800 employees operating from 27 offices across Europe, Asia Pacific, Africa and the Middle East. We have a long-standing reputation for delivering high-quality legal advice rooted in a deep understanding of the sectors and geographies in which our clients operate. Our expertise is recognised globally. In recent years we have achieved more tier 1 rankings in The Legal 500 UK guide than any other firm, and been counted among the most innovative law firms in Europe and Asia Pacific by the Financial Times. The firm has significant international credentials in the global energy, infrastructure, financial services, real estate and technology, science and industry sectors. We are a Disability Confident and top Stonewall employer, a Valuable 500 member, a founding member of the Mindful Business Charter, signatory of the Race at Work Charter and a proud partner of Neurodiversity in Law. We encourage and value different ideas and styles of thinking. It’s with different perspectives that we’ll find solutions to our clients’ most complex challenges. It’s how we’ll deliver outstanding results today, and tomorrow. We’re proud to have been placed amongst RateMyApprenticeship Best 100 Employers 2024-2025.

https://www.pinsentmasons.com/careers/early-talent/england/apprenticeships (opens in new tab)

Company benefits

Our benefits include private healthcare policy, pension scheme, interest-free season ticket loan, interest-free gym membership loan, and cycle to work scheme.

After this apprenticeship

Upon successful completion of your paralegal apprenticeship, you could have the opportunity to apply for paralegal roles at Pinsent Masons and explore a range of future progression opportunities available within our Paralegal Centre of Excellence. Alternatively, depending on role availability and individual preference, you could also apply for our solicitor apprenticeship programme.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

PINSENT MASONS LLP

Early Talent Team

apprenticeships@pinsentmasons.com

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000287244.

Apply now

Closes on Thursday 30 January

When you apply, you’ll be asked to sign in with a GOV.UK One Login. You can create one at the same time as applying for this apprenticeship.

After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.

Company’s application instructions

Please complete the online application (registration form, application form, and online blended assessment) to apply for this role. The applications will close at 5pm on 30th January 2025. Following the deadline, we will screen all applications and share the outcome with the candidates. Successful candidates will be invited to an in-person assessment centre which will take place in March/April 2025.

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