Paralegal Employment Opportunities at Aston Carter Solicitors May 2012 1
Getting started This employment package aims to give you information about a fantastic employment opportunity at Aston Carter Solicitors. It covers the following aspects: What Aston Carter solicitors are offering? Career Development Routes Employment opportunities in detail Applying for this position What Aston Carter Solicitors is offering? Aston Carter Solicitors is currently offering paralegal employment opportunities for its London offices. Here are the highlights of this particular position: Competitive Salary as paralegal from 15,000 to 18,000 Permanent employment contract as paralegal Fully funding your Legal Practice Course (LPC) Bespoke 6-month self-funded paralegal course and training Up to 800 hours of practical experience over the 6-months training Program Fantastic career progression within a rapidly-expanding law firm Getting unmatchable legal experience from solicitors with several years of experience within the legal industry. Up to 60 training contracts per year for the right employees (depending on performance) 2
Career development routes 3
Aston Carter employment opportunities in detail Job Role Specifications Starting: Upon successful completion of the 6 months paralegal training Job Title: Paralegal Schedule: Full-time Salary: 15,000 18,000 per year (depending on previous experience) Training: Up to 5 hours of CPD training available on a weekly basis fully funded by the firm (outside working hours). We recommend that every employee utilizes these training hours available. Departments you would be able to work in: Personal Injury General Civil and Commercial Litigation Immigration, Asylum and Human Rights Family Law Criminal defence Other practice areas In addition to that Aston Carter Solicitors will be offering up to 60 training contracts per year only for those employees with a good performance record. Benefits of the employment Climb the stairs of success while working with highly experienced solicitors Getting the right practical training and experience to excel in your field Competitive salary in a professional environment Start working in the legal industry without job seeking Fantastic career progression within a rapidly-expanding company 4
Paralegal Course and Training Provider: External legal training institution Location: Harrow (Greater London) Legal Training Specialisation Personal Injury General Civil and Commercial Litigation Immigration, Asylum and Human Rights Family Law Criminal defence We highly recommend that candidates focus on one practice area only. Paralegal Training Cost The cost of this paralegal training is 9,500. Aston Carter Solicitors will not cover the expense of this training program and hence it will have to be borne by the candidate. Length of course 6 months full time split into theoretical and practical stages. Format The aspiring paralegal will go through this paralegal training on a full-time basis being 9am 5pm from Monday to Friday. The training and tuition can be flexible according to your circumstances. Salary Full time paid employment will commence on completion of the training programme Employees will not be paid until they commence work in the firm on a full- time basis after their training. 5
Why is this paralegal training beneficial for you? In order to excel in the legal industry you have to have academic excellence but also personal skills and abilities including: Time management and project planning. You will be given complete information about the business which will enable you to understand the importance of time management and effective business planning. You will become familiar with and achieve expertise in relevant time management and project management software packages. Business development and Marketing. The Importance of business and marketing cannot be emphasised enough. We want our employees to understand the importance of business development and marketing. We believe that every single employee of any business is also a marketer of that business. We generate funds and income from delivering quality services. A lack of business acumen greatly reduces businesses viability and in turn will reduce the employee s ability to identify the needs of a business. We will give you the opportunity to apply the knowledge that you would have gained in practical business development and marketing. Communication skills. You will attain integral communication skills using multiple channels e.g. complete proficiency in Outlook and other email systems. You will become familiar with using video, audio, conferencing and business E- media tools including blogging and forums. Team working and commitment to continuous personal development. Our organisational structure is such that you will be completely involved in communicating and liaising with your colleagues and team members. You will be significantly improving your knowledge base and experience by being constantly engaged in exchanging information, experiences and ideas. 6
Problem solving skills. We will involve you in various types of computer programming in order to increase your problem solving abilities. You will be put in real life situations where you will collaborate with your colleagues and decipher complex problems and scenarios resultant in building a solid foundation for your career. Versatility. In the legal industry no two days are the same. We will give you the necessary knowledge on processes and procedures on each area of law that we are engaged in. Numeracy skills. The ability to understand financial statements and interpret accounts with precession. IT skills. You will become proficient in word processing, case management systems, spreadsheets, financial accounting packages, emails and information retrieval systems. Typing skills. We believe that typing skills are of great importance since all our employees are computer-based. If your speed is not up to the market standard (60-70 words per minute) your efficiency when processing a document will be greatly affected and this will have a knock -on effect on your productivity. 7
Paralegal Training Contents The paralegal training is split into two main stages: 1. Stage one (8 weeks) Marketing, Management and business development. Understanding of the processes and procedures of the core practice areas of the firm. 2. Stage two Specialisation of a single practice area. Manual Case Working and Management. Computer, IT and typing Skills Package. Case Management System Training. Case working with real clients and real cases under the supervision of highly experienced solicitors, high court advocates and barristers. Legal Training Accreditations Those who successfully complete the legal training will get: a) Certificate of Legal Training: A certificate of proof of completion of paralegal programme and training. b) Professional performance report: A complete analyses of all and any activity undertaken during the paralegal training programme together with a fully-detailed report and statistics of proficiency and performance. c) Other accreditations from recognised legal training and teaching institutions including the Police Station Accredited Representative Qualification. 8
Legal Practice Course (LPC) Course Format: Part-time. The employee will be enrolled on the LPC on a part-time basis while working as a paralegal on a full-time basis. Cost: Fully funded by Aston Carter Solicitors. Normal tuition fee can go up to 12,900. Duration: 2 years (approximately) Provider: London-based teaching institution 9
About the employer Aston Carter Solicitors is a law firm offering legal services to clients across the United Kingdom. They offer a broad range of services but specialise in Personal Injury, General Civil and Commercial Litigation, Immigration, Asylum and Human Rights, Family Law and Criminal defence. The firm was established back in 2009 in Birmingham but its client-focus approach and its outstanding service has led the Firm to expand rapidly opening offices in London, where they are now concentrating their efforts. Find out more about Aston Carter Solicitors on their website at www.aclaw.co.uk Aston Carter Solicitors considers its employees to be an integral part of their business operations and considers them as invaluable assets of the organisation and hence the firms commitment to invest in its employees. About the recruitment agency SASS Business Solutions is a business consultancy that specialises in management, finance, marketing, IT and recruitment services. Created back in 2005, the company was established in order to meet the growing requirements of the current developing business world. The specialist teams at SASS Business Solutions employ their expertise in order to create unique solutions and packages according to the needs of their clients. Find out more about SASS at www.sassb.co.uk 10
Applying for this position Entry requirements Eligibility to apply for this fantastic opportunity is dependent on you satisfying the employer as to the following: Qualifications a qualifying law degree, GDL/CPE or similar qualification to be eligible to be enrolled in the Legal Practice Course. LPC Enrolment Requirements: You must be eligible to undertake the LPC without any further educational requirements. Permission to work in the UK You must be able to demonstrate that you are entitled to work and be employed in the United Kingdom without restriction. Recruitment Process The recruitment process consists of four main stages: Application Stage Psychometric Testing Personal Interview Receive a Job Offer Send your CV today to Recruitment Services SASS Business Solutions SASS Business Human Resources hr@sassb.co.uk 11