Hopkin Murray Beskine

Vacancy – Paralegal

Hopkin Murray Beskine have a vacancy for a paralegal to assist our busy housing and public law team.

We are a long established Islington firm with clients from across London and beyond, who come to us because of our expertise in family, housing and public law. We have a thriving legal aid practice together alongside privately funded work. Our solicitors are leaders in their fields and we are recommended by the Chambers UK Guide and Legal 500.

We are looking for candidates with an interest in public law and housing work. We provide a collaborative workplace where you will be well supported and supervised. We have excellent resources including a modern practice management system, which you will be trained to use. We invest time in our paralegals, and many of our paralegals go on to complete training contracts with us.

Paralegals in our housing and public law team support solicitors in a range of interesting work, including judicial review, housing possession and disrepair claims in the County Court, illegal eviction, and homelessness challenges and appeals. Paralegals have a varied role, from helping with the County Court duty possession scheme to preparing cases for the Court of Appeal, Supreme Court and European Court of Human Rights. The team regularly undertakes high-profile strategic litigation.

The role will require someone who is well organised and has good communication skills. You will be expected to work hard, be flexible, produce excellent written work and establish relationships with a range of clients, from privately paying clients to vulnerable homeless people. We expect applicants to have a law degree or to have completed the CPE/GDL. It would also be a suitable role for applicants who will be undertaking the LPC or BPTC part-time. Previous relevant experience is desirable but not essential.

The appointment will be for a fixed term of 12 months, with a possibility of further progression.

We seek to recruit a diverse workforce and welcome applicants from all backgrounds. We are an accredited London Living Wage employer.

Closing date: 5pm on Tuesday 3^rd May 2022

Please note that interviews for shortlisted applicants will be held on Tuesday 10^th May 2022.

To apply to join our enthusiastic and successful team, download our application pack at www.hmbsolicitors.co.uk

Shelter

Solicitor

£39,139 pa plus excellent benefits

Sheffield

Closing date: Tuesday 3rd May 2022 at 11.30pm

Are you commercially aware, with proven post qualification experience that includes handling cases involving housing and homeless law? Then join Shelter as a Solicitor and you could soon be playing a vital role at the heart of our Legal team in Sheffield.

About Shelter
A home is a fundamental human need, as essential as education or healthcare. Yet millions of people across Britain struggle on a daily basis with homelessness, bad housing conditions, soaring rents, discrimination and the threat of eviction. So, we are striving for change, with individuals, in communities, across society, and leading the way to a safe home. We need ambitious, best-in-class individuals who are passionate about our cause to join us at this exciting time. This is your chance to play a part in the fundamental change we are striving to achieve.

At Shelter we are united by our purpose to defend the right to a safe home. Our enemy is the social injustice at the core of the escalating housing emergency. We believe that to win that fight, we must be representative of the people we are here to help and those who support our movement for change. In all our people decisions, we take pride in being inclusive, fair, equitable and transparent.

We have committed to combat racism both within and outside Shelter and welcome you on our journey to becoming a truly anti-racist organisation.

About the team

Shelter Sheffield has been providing housing advice and support to the city’s residents for over 20 years. Taking a holistic approach to helping people to alleviate their housing issues, our multi-disciplinary team specialises in emergency homelessness work, intensive support to children and families, people experiencing domestic abuse, and people with multiple and complex needs. We also hold a housing legal aid contract, as well as a contract to deliver the Doncaster housing possession court duty scheme.

About the role

Working under a housing legal aid contract to deliver legal advice to meet the specialist quality mark, you’ll be part of a legal team that seeks to deliver strategic change to improve services for the homeless in South Yorkshire and help prevent homelessness. As well as taking on casework and help deliver that change through legal challenge, we’ll also rely on you to represent tenants at Doncaster court under the aforementioned housing possession court duty scheme.

About you
Some experience of working under a housing at legal aid contract would be useful, as would supervisor status for legal aid purposes, however, these are not essential requirements. What is for certain though is that you have a proactive, results-driven approach, the ability to actively contribute new ideas and approaches and the communication skills it takes to work effectively both independently and as a member of a team.

Benefits
We offer a wide range of benefits, including 30 days of annual leave, enhanced family friendly policies, pension and interest free travel loans. Our employees also have access to a tenancy deposit loan, payroll giving, cycle to work scheme and an employee assistance programme.

Shelter helps millions of people every year struggling with bad housing or homelessness through our advice, support and legal services. And we campaign to make sure that, one day, no one will have to turn to us for help. We’re here so no one has to fight bad housing or homelessness on their own.

To find out more about the role and the benefits of working for Shelter please visit our website. Apply to be part of our team and be the change you want to see in society.

Safeguarding is everyone’s business. Shelter is committed to protecting the health, wellbeing and human rights of those we support, and enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect. All our staff will be expected to observe professional standards of behaviour and conduct their work in line with our Safeguarding Policies.

We are happy to talk about flexible working, personal growth, and to promote a workplace where you can be yourself and achieve success based only on your merit.

Shelter does not accept unsolicited CVs from external recruitment agencies nor accept the fees associated with them.