About us
Meridian Lawyers is a dynamic and innovative law firm with offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Newcastle, Brisbane, Perth and Canberra. Clients look to our experienced and award-winning team for advice in Insurance, Corporate & Commercial, Workplace Relations & Safety, Commercial Litigation & Dispute Resolution, Property and Health Law.
We are known for providing exceptional quality legal advice that is both strategic and practical. It is this blend of technical expertise and the personal relationships we have with our clients that sets us apart from our competitors.
Role Purpose
Meridian Lawyers is a dynamic and innovative law firm with offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Newcastle, Brisbane, Perth and Canberra. Clients look to our experienced and award-winning team for advice in Insurance, Corporate & Commercial, Workplace Relations & Safety, Commercial Litigation & Dispute Resolution, Property and Health Law.
This fantastic role is for a junior to intermediate Legal Assistant looking to grow their career as a Legal Support professional or take their first step into the legal profession. The purpose of this role is to provide comprehensive secretarial, administrative and paralegal support to two Principals and their wider team of lawyers within the Corporate and Commercial team in our Melbourne and Sydney Offices.
This high performing team works on a wide variety of interesting matters across a range of areas of law, including commercial, corporate, intellectual property, privacy, financial services, mergers and acquisitions and conveyancing. This is a pivotal, fast paced legal support role with a varied workload, competing priorities, key deadlines and an opportunity to work alongside an experienced Legal Secretarial team and preeminent lawyers. With this comes the prospect for mentorship to support career growth.
Key duties and responsibilities
Administrative and Practice Management Tasks
- Client service focus, liaising with both external and internal stakeholders, including making first contact with new clients as needed
- Opening new matters and conducting conflict check searches
- Maintaining electronic filing to ensure all files are up to date
- Administering a legal helpline service for a major network of financial service providers
- Assisting fee earners with good practice hygiene including:
- Preparing WIP and pre-bills in a timely manner
- Working closely with Finance Team to assist with monthly billing and debtor management
- Managing monthly billing cycles, using Aderant Expert software
- Assisting with monthly reporting processes
- Managing fee earner continuing professional development obligations
- Fee earner diary and email management
Paralegal Tasks
- Assisting in the maintenance of intellectual property and business name portfolios
- Administering and conducting various paralegal tasks within an in-house legal counsel service for a not-for-profit organisation
- Conducting legal research tasks and due diligence
- Drafting and amending legal correspondence
- Document preparation
- Preparing briefs
Supporting the team in business development and marketing (including co-authoring legal articles for publication)
Education
- Completion of Higher School Certificate (or equivalent)
Experience
Our ideal candidate will have some previous experience in a legal support or administrative role in a professional services/corporate environment, however it is not necessary that this experience is within legal professional services as you will be provided with on the job training.
You are well known for your commitment to excellence, ability to maintain confidentiality as well as your strong client service orientation. You will be someone who thrives in a fast paced environment, willing to learn, with a can do attitude, and takes a genuine interest in your work and is a proactive team player with strong attention to detail.
Law students or recent graduates looking to make their first step into the legal profession will be considered. Paralegals looking to take on a legal support role that involves team management and business development are also encouraged to apply.
If you are looking for a fast-paced role and a willingness to be a key member of a motivated and friendly legal team, then we’d love to hear from you.
Skills
- Demonstrated administrative and organisational skills
- Professional composure with the ability to maintain confidentiality, discretion and integrity
- High level of attention to detail
- Sound problem solving skills
- Strong initiative along with a proactive approach
- Strong communication skills – verbal and written
- Strong typing skills
- Ability to prioritise tasks with ease
- Allocates appropriate amounts of time to complete own and others work
- Uses technology to maximise efficiency
- Proven client service orientation
Personal Qualities
- Is an active team player and seeks to build relationships with peers and team members.
- Demonstrates a can do attitude and a willingness to help others
- Contributes ideas, opinions and suggestion in team discussions
- Shows enthusiasm and responsiveness to clients
Next Steps
If this sounds like the right opportunity for you then please submit your CV via this advertisement.
Visit www.meridianlawyers.com.au/careers to meet our people and learn more about this role and our business.
