Knowledge Paralegal (Competition - 12 month FTC)

Full Job Description

We are recruiting for a Knowledge Paralegal to join our Competition team, based at the firm’s head office in London. This is a 12-month Fixed Term Contract opportunity.

Slaughter and May has an extensive competition and regulatory practice. We have an outstanding reputation in merger control, antitrust, competition litigation, market investigations, State aid and regulatory work. Our competition practice includes over 100 lawyers based in London, Brussels, Beijing and Hong Kong; they are all specialists in competition and sectoral regulatory law.

The Knowledge Paralegal’s duties will include assisting the group’s Professional Support Lawyers (PSLs) and contributing to the development and maintenance of content on the know-how and intranet systems. The paralegal also occasionally works with fee-earning members of the group, providing support on a range of different matters as well as dealing with ad hoc queries. There is a significant administrative aspect to this role.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES //

The key responsibilities of this role are set out below and there may be others that are not listed. You may be required on occasion to work outside our normal working hours of 9:30am to 5:30pm.

Training

• Liaising with the PSLs and Executive Assistants to co-ordinate the planning and scheduling of training sessions, including dedicated programmes for trainees and newly qualified solicitors.
• Working with Executive Assistants to facilitate the delivery and recording of internal training sessions, and to monitor and report on attendance.
• With the PSL Counsel, co-ordinating the Group’s weekly all-hands meeting to discuss new legal developments and client work.
• Helping to design and prepare materials for client training and other BD events.

Know-how collection, creation and research

• With the Knowledge and Information Manager, taking an active role in sourcing and putting in place solutions to improve the capture of precedents and other know-how content.
• Monitoring and proactively updating the Group’s intranet pages.
• Dealing with enquiries from those working with the know-how and intranet systems.
• Assisting with ad hoc legal research enquiries of fee-earners.
• Supporting the PSLs in updating group tools and practice guides.

Current awareness

• Contributing to horizon scanning exercises and assisting with other current awareness tasks, including drafting of articles on legal and policy developments of relevance to the Group and its clients.

Knowledge team support

• Proposing and implementing/using innovative ideas and advanced technologies to improve efficacy and streamline processes with the team.
• Working with the knowledge team Executive Assistants to arrange the logistics for Knowledge team meetings.

CANDIDATE PROFILE //

Candidates for this position must have:

• Strong academic qualifications, including a degree (2:1 degree or above from a top university preferred) or post-graduate diploma in law and completion of the LPC.
• The ability to communicate effectively to all levels of staff, including lawyers, Executive Assistants and business services.
• Excellent organisational and time management skills, with the ability to manage multiple tasks and prioritise work effectively.
• A keen interest in EU and UK competition law and policy.
• Ability to pick up new legal concepts and terminology quickly.
• Excellent research skills and eye for detail.
• Good IT skills, including experience using applications such as MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint and MS Outlook, and an ability to learn new IT systems quickly.
• Self-motivation and ability to work independently and pro-actively where appropriate.
• Strong team player, ability to adapt and fit into a diverse team, reliable, flexible and willing to take on new challenges.
• An interest in legal tech tools and innovation strategy.
• High level of professionalism and integrity; displays the highest standard of professional ethics.