Job Description

Paralegal – Prison Law – Dartford

We are seeking a diligent and empathetic Prison Law Paralegal to join our growing Prison Law team, based at our Dartford office.

The ideal candidate will have a strong interest in Prison Law, excellent communication skills and a genuine commitment to supporting clients throughout what can be a challenging and complex legal process.

As a Prison Law Paralegal, you will work closely with solicitors and other members of the team, assisting with a range of prison law matters and providing high-quality support to clients. The role will also involve a range of administrative duties, supporting the smooth running of the team and ensuring that case files and records are accurately maintained. This role provides an excellent opportunity to develop your experience within a specialist area of publicly funded legal work.

Your Profile

The ideal candidate will demonstrate:

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• A genuine commitment to supporting clients, many of whom may be vulnerable or facing challenging circumstances.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage a varied caseload effectively.
• Excellent attention to detail and the ability to maintain accurate and well-organised case files and records.
• The ability to communicate effectively with clients from diverse backgrounds.
• Good administrative and IT skills, with the ability to manage routine administrative tasks accurately and efficiently.
• The confidence to work independently whilst also contributing positively as part of a wider team.
• A professional, empathetic and resilient approach.
• The ability to balance legal casework with the administrative requirements of the role.

The Role

Working alongside our Prison Law solicitors, your responsibilities will include:

• Assisting with the management of a caseload of Prison Law matters.
• Conducting initial consultations with clients and gathering relevant information regarding their circumstances and legal issues.
• Undertaking legal research and assisting solicitors with case preparation.
• Liaising with clients, prisons, the Probation Service, courts and other relevant organisations and professionals.
• Preparing correspondence, applications and other legal documentation.
• Maintaining accurate and up-to-date electronic case files.
• Monitoring case deadlines and ensuring that work is completed within required timescales.
• Assisting solicitors with the preparation of cases and evidence.
• Attending prisons, courts and other relevant hearings or meetings where required.
• Providing regular updates to clients and ensuring that communications are handled sensitively and professionally.
• Assisting with the administration of legal aid matters and maintaining accurate records.
• Undertaking general administrative duties to support the Prison Law team, including updating records, processing documentation, maintaining schedules and assisting with the day-to-day administration of cases.
• Assisting with the organisation and administration of meetings, appointments, prison visits and other case-related activities.
• Ensuring compliance with the firm's procedures, professional standards and legal aid requirements.
• Working collaboratively with colleagues to ensure effective case coverage and a high standard of client service.

What we are seeking

We are looking for someone who:

• Has previous experience working in a legal environment, ideally within Prison Law, Criminal Law or another area of publicly funded legal work.
• Has an understanding of, or willingness to learn about, the Legal Aid Agency and publicly funded work.
• Has excellent organisational and time-management skills.
• Is confident communicating with clients and professional organisations.
• Can work effectively under pressure and manage competing priorities.
• Is comfortable undertaking both legal and administrative work as part of their role.
• Is able to adapt quickly and demonstrate a willingness to learn.
• Has a genuine interest in developing a career within Prison Law.

Previous Prison Law experience would be advantageous, although we will also consider candidates with relevant Criminal Law or Legal Aid experience who are looking to develop their career in this specialist area.

Working with us

We offer continuous training and support to foster your professional growth as a valued member of our dynamic and expanding team.

Our offices are friendly and work entirely paperless, with significant investment in modern IT to enable you to work efficiently. Our team work on a hybrid basis, with a split of office and remote working, based on the principle that we trust our colleagues to meet their targets and deadlines.

Our comprehensive benefits package includes generous annual leave allowances, providing 23 days plus bank holidays/Christmas and New Year. We regularly review and increase annual leave allowances based on service.

We offer competitive salaries and bonus structures, enabling team members to share in the successes of the firm.

Employee benefits with GT Stewart

• Salary: £24,784.50 per annum
• 23 days annual leave with additional birthday leave
• Pension scheme with employer contribution
• Administrative support
• Ongoing training and development
• Hybrid working arrangements
• Colleague support for case coverage
• Supervision and mentorship
• Annual appraisals and salary reviews
• Bi-annual social events
• Additional perks and benefits
• Competitive training packages

We are a distinguished multi-office Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners firm, recognised for excellence across various legal domains.

If you are passionate about supporting clients, have a strong interest in Prison Law and are looking to develop your legal career within a supportive and growing team, we would love to hear from you.

Please submit your CV and a cover letter to our dedicated HR team via email at recruitment@gtstewart.co.uk.