Chambers is seeking to recruit two Junior Clerks to join its highly respected practice management team. Reporting to a Practice Manager, the successful candidates will assist in the day-to-day smooth functioning of the practices of the barristers designated to their team.

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Job summary/Key accountabilities

• Providing at all times an effective and efficient practice management service to all members of chambers
• Assisting the Senior Practice Managers, Practice Managers and Practice Assistants in the day-to-day smooth functioning of the practices of barristers
• Deputising for the Practice Managers or Practice Assistants as and when required
• Ensuring that chambers remains strictly at all times within the requirements of the BSB Handbook

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Specific responsibilities

General clerking function

• Ensuring at all times, via your own personal conduct, that chambers’ clerking function remains within the requirements of the BSB Handbook;
• Answering telephone or video calls in a timely and professional manner as per established quality standard procedures (including the calls to colleagues if and when required);
• Dealing with or where suitable referring onwards to the relevant barrister or member of staff, any queries or enquiries that might generally arise – either verbally, via the telephone, by email or in writing - and ensuring clear and comprehensive notes are kept on the LEX system at all times;
• Entering instructions/case related papers and any other notes as may be necessary on the LEX system and ensuring they are passed immediately to the relevant member of chambers or practice management members for action/information;
• Ensuring chambers complies at all times with its established best practice procedures in respect of money laundering, complaints, conflict searches and fair distribution of work requirements;
• Professional management of the diaries of all members as and when required;
• Ensuring that a high quality level of support is received by members of chambers at all times in relation to their attendances at court and at conferences: for example, but not limited to, ensuring the time and location of hearings/conferences is communicated well in advance; ensuring where necessary the prompt delivery to and collection from court of papers; the copying of authorities; allocating/agreeing in advance which clerk will attend court with the barrister if assistance is required; and any other reasonable barrister requests and requirements in relation to the above;
• Ensuring, as and when required, the prompt exchange and lodging of Skeleton Arguments and lodging of Minutes of Order and associated record keeping in line with the Code of Conduct;
• Ensuring full details of any requests for fee quotes are passed on to another member of the clerking team as soon as is practicable and recording full details of any quotes given on the LEX system when it has been agreed that you should give the quote yourself;
• Taking full details of any fee disputes as and when they arise and promptly referring matters onto the practice managers or to the fees team for consideration.

Junior clerking/support function

• Taking the lead in dealing with printing requests on behalf of team members e.g. emailed instructions and other paperwork etc.;
• Collecting/receiving and distributing the DX/general post eachmorning;
• Organising, franking and taking the general outgoing post to the post box each evening, the outgoing DX to the main Document Exchange building and ensuring requests for special/recorded deliveries are dealt with efficiently as and when they arise;
• Ensuring the timely collection of deliveries from the main reception throughout the day as and when informed;
• Assisting in the process of the regular and timely return of completed paperwork back to solicitors and other clients (or confidential shredding if agreed with the barrister/client) and in particular ensuring the build-up of boxes and papers in corridors is kept to a minimum at all times;
• Assisting with the regular post-runs around the buildings.

Other/General

• Deputising for the Practice Assistants in their absence as and when agreed with the Senior Practice Managers and/or Practice Managers;
• Ensuring that co-operation and good working relationships are developed/maintained with the practice management team, and ensuring that support is provided and as and when necessary in order to ensure that the practice management function performs effectively and efficiently at all times;
• Supporting members of chambers, where required, in the regular seminars/talks given by chambers generally, individual interest groups and individual members of your team, including the following up of leads/feedback as appropriate;
• Generally supporting and assisting chambers’ Head of Business Development and Marketing and Marketing Manager in the marketing of chambers and its members and ensuring, on such occasions, that a professional image is presented at all times;
• Any other tasks as may reasonably be required from time to time required by the senior staff management, members of chambers and chambers’ clients in order to properly and fully fulfil the role required by Chambers as a member of the practice management team.

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Person specifications

• A-levels, BTEC, ILM 3/5, other qualifications preferred
• School leavers, graduates or clerks with 1-2 years’ experience
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Motivated, proactive and eager to learn
• Capacity to work effectively in a highly pressured environment
• Ability to work as part of a team and on own initiative
• Well-presented, articulate and ambitious

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Benefits

• Payment of reasonable travel costs
• Performance-linked bonus
• Private medical insurance
• Workplace pension
• Annual holiday allowance