Are you an organised and efficient legal professional with a passion for personal injury law? Join the Employers’ Liability and Public Liability (EL/PL) team within JMW Solicitors’ award-winning Personal Injury department as a Paralegal.

You will join a supportive and successful team focused on delivering exceptional service and the right outcomes to our clients. Working closely with our experienced fee earners, you will play a key role in ensuring the smooth and efficient running of their caseloads alongside our team of paralegals and trainees.

This is a role which provides excellent development opportunities for those in the early stages their legal career in personal injury who aspire to progress. There will be plenty of scope and encouragement for you to learn and develop your legal knowledge and skills while dealing with a wide variety of personal injury matters.

The Department

Each year, JMW’s Personal Injury department secures millions of pounds in compensation for clients across the UK by taking positive action on their behalf and presenting the strongest possible case. Our team of expert personal injury lawyers produce some of the best results in the industry. They pride themselves on providing a high level of customer service and understand how an injury can have an impact on clients' day-to-day lives.

Over decades of success, we have received recognition from numerous legal institutions, including being ranked in band 1 for personal injury work in the Northwest for both Chambers and Partners and the Legal 500, and receiving the Corporate Supporter Award at the inaugural Child Brain Injury Trust Diamond Awards for our ongoing support and fundraising for the charity.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

Our paralegals provide support across the team. They are responsible for a wide range of general, administrative, and other legal services related tasks delegated by fee earning colleagues, including:

• Drafting Claim Notification Forms, and client and witness statements
• Preparing instructions to medical experts and counsel
• Drafting Schedules of Loss and court documents
• Requesting, reviewing and collating medical records
• Drafting instructions to counsel
• Researching case law on liability and quantum
• Liaising with clients and updating on case progress
• Responding to information requests
• Preparing court bundles
• Dealing with billing and disbursement payments

Knowledge, Skills and Experience Required

Applicants should preferably have experience of EL/PL work, though we are open to considering those with more general, practical Personal Injury experience. You must also demonstrate:

• Knowledge of the law and practices applicable to Personal Injury and EL/PL work
• Full understanding of Civil Procedure Rules relevant to personal injury law
• Experience in Word, Excel and Outlook
• A very high standard of written communication and attention to detail, particularly when preparing emails, letters, reports and other professional documents
• Strong oral communication skills that include dealing directly with clients in a professional and empathetic manner
• Team working ethic
• Ability to work well under pressure and pro-actively prioritise and complete work to a high standard set by senior fee earners
• Experience using Proclaim Case Management System would be advantageous but is not essential

Working for JMW 

As well as a rewarding career, JMW offers its colleagues many other opportunities and benefits, including:

• A minimum of 25 days' annual leave (increasing with length of service) plus office closure between Christmas and New Year
• Employee Pension Scheme – SMART pension scheme
• Travel Insurance – covering you and eligible family members
• Death In Service - 3 x basic salary
• Private Medical Insurance (subject to opting in) and option of contributing to add eligible family members
• Income Protection - cover of up to 75% of salary
• Access to an interest free travel pass/parking loan
• A one-hour early finish, one Friday a month
• Two days a year to do charitable work, with a huge variety of events to get involved in
• The opportunity to participate in sports teams, hobby clubs, and social events
• Access to our Employee Assistance Programme and trained Mental Health First Aiders
• Annual promotions process open to all
• Work and employee referral schemes

Hybrid working is available after an initial settling in period.