Professional Support Lawyer - Employment

What does the role involve?

We need a qualified solicitor to provide professional legal support to the lawyers who work in the Employment, Pensions and Immigration NSL (the “NSL”).

A key part of the role will be to help to demonstrate the firm’s national expertise in employment law through supporting the generation of content to be distributed through the press, blogs, newsletters and other digital channels as well as assisting in the preparation and delivery of training courses to clients and targets.  It will also include managing employment precedents and our automated precedent documents, and conducting know how inductions for new joiners to the NSL.

The role also entails ensuring that our own lawyers are up to date on changes to legislation and best practice.

You can choose to be based in any office except London, but some travel between offices will be required.  This reflects the need for the PSL to be close to the employment fee earners based there and the opportunity to grow our reputation as a leading firm for employment advice nationwide.

This should be read in conjunction with the generic role profile which details the main responsibilities of all our Professional Support Lawyers (PSLs). 

What are the working hours?

A commitment of around 21 hours per week is envisaged.  There is flexibility around how the role is resourced in terms of spreading the working hours both across days and working hours.

Who will I be working with?

All PSLs in the NSL ultimately report to James Kidd, Partner, but you will report to Charles Pigott, Professional Support Lawyer on a day to day basis.  You will also work closely with the other Partners and PSLs within the NSL, and liaise with other PSLs more widely within the Firm as necessary.

Main duties and responsibilities 

You will be responsible for:

• researching developments in law and policy relevant to the employment sector;
• briefing partners and other lawyers on such developments to assist with their business development and client care responsibilities;
• preparing notes and briefings on such developments, as required;
• providing training on such developments, as required;
• creating and maintaining key precedent documents and details of relevant precedent resources;
• conducting know how inductions for new joiners to the NSL;
• supporting client-facing talks and articles, for example at sector conferences and in sector journals;
• attend training sessions and producing such documents as are agreed from those sessions;
• collaborating with other professional support lawyers assigned to the NSL; and
• liaising with other members of the knowledge team and the library and information service as part of the overall professional support available to the firm’s lawyers in the employment practice area.

You may be responsible for also providing the above for the Immigration sector.

What experience is required?

You will be an experienced employment lawyer with a good understanding and knowledge of the needs of clients in the employment sector. In addition, previous experience as an employment PSL is preferred.

What skills and attributes would I need?

• Committed and professional approach to improving the legal knowledge and business understanding of lawyers within the employment sector
• Previous experience in an employment professional support role, or equivalent experience in a fee-earning role
• Good communication and interpersonal skills and desire to be involved in growing the practice
• Excellent written English with ability to produce clear and engaging written materials
• Excellent IT skills and enthusiasm to develop understanding of new technologies
• Willingness to learn

Pre-employment screening

Please note that, in the event that we make an offer of employment, you will also be required to complete a self-declaration to assess your character and suitability.

Disclosure and barring service check and security clearance

This post is also subject to a satisfactory response from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) (to check for any previous criminal convictions and cautions) and, given the nature of the work-type, you may also be required to undergo national security vetting to SC level – the latter can be undertaken following commencement of employment.

And finally

Mills & Reeve is committed to building a diverse workforce and fostering an inclusive environment in which all our people can thrive. We hire people from a wide variety of backgrounds because it makes our firm stronger, and we have a collaborative culture that celebrates different perspectives and values respect for one another, working together, and openness and integrity. Our approach to flexible working means that we work in a way that achieves the right balance for our people, our clients and for our business.