Paralegal

Do you have a law degree, GDL or LPC?

If so read on...

We are looking for talented individuals to join Burges Salmon as a Paralegal to support the highly ranked Planning team on a fixed term contract basis for 6 months. As a Paralegal you will work alongside our industry leading lawyers to deliver the outstanding client service we are so proud of. 

Planning team

The firm's market-leading planning and compulsory purchase lawyers provide strategic advice to clients across a range of industry sectors and are “highly respected nationwide as a key player in the area” and “open and straight in dealings. Lovely to work with” (L500, 2021). The team is recognised as Tier 1 in the legal directories and operates at the top level of the legal market, delivering planning and CPO advice to clients in the private and public sectors across the UK.

We are involved in the entire development process – from devising consenting strategy to project delivery and everything in between. Unlike in many firms, our planning unit is distinct from the real estate department and wins work and clients on its own with clients in a variety of sectors, including leaders of the renewable energy, infrastructure, local government and land development sectors.

Key clients include:

Environment Agency, Historic England, National Trust, Department for Transport, Highways England, Sofia Offshore Windfarm Limited, Equinor, Historic Royal Palaces.

Who are we looking for?

• We are ideally looking for individuals who have completed an undergraduate law degree , or a post-graduate legal qualification e.g. GDL or LPC.
• Although previous Paralegal experience would be beneficial, it is not essential.
• You will need to demonstrate excellent attention to detail and an ability to produce high-quality work under tight deadlines.
• Our Paralegals work closely with lawyers within the construction team on both contentious and non-contentious work, so being a team player is essential.

Key Responsibilities

The role of a paralegal in the planning team is varied and requires you to be creative, proactive and committed; your core responsibilities will include the following:

• Reviewing documents (for example reviewing and amending Environmental Statements supporting consent applications)
• Assisting with the drafting of documents and agreements (for example drafting/amending planning and highways agreements)
• Undertaking legal research and producing notes or reports of that research
• Attending project and client meetings as required
• Attending and assisting with Inquires or Hearings
• Document production and collation (for example producing bundles for Inquires or Hearings)
• Assisting others in the team with marketing activities such as the preparation of webinars, seminars and articles
• Undertaking communication with clients and others by email, letter, phone and Teams.
• Providing transactional support
• Assisting generally on planning and CPO matters as required.

What can we offer?

In addition to a competitive salary, we offer you the opportunity to work on high profile legal work under the supervision of experienced lawyers and valuable experience from a Top 50 firm that will enhance your CV and future career prospects.

Our commitment to excellence has also recently been recognised by Investors in People who have awarded us Platinum accreditation.