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BARRISTER'S CLERK
CARDIFF
£30,000 - £40,000 (Dependent on Experience)
My client is a set of barrister's Chambers based in Cardiff. The members of the set practice only civil and public law and serve all regions throughout England and Wales. There are currently 22 Members of Chambers, and the successful applicant will be expected to take the lead in the clerking function of this set.
Applicants will ideally possess some experience of Meridian (Case Management System) and have a good exposure to civil practice, including personal injury, public law and chancery work. This role would ideally suit someone who is currently operating as a No. 2 in an existing set who is looking to increase their levels of responsibility (and reward) by stepping up to the plate and leading from the front.
To a large extent you may be responsible for running the business activities and administration of chambers. The role is integral to the success of the set of chambers as a business and as a practice. You must be familiar with court procedures and etiquette and have, or be keen to develop, an expertise in the type of law undertaken by chambers.
This demanding but rewarding role requires a combination of commercial acumen, legal knowledge and strong interpersonal skills.
Typical activities will vary according to the level at which you are working, but may involve:
1. Discussing with a client the most appropriate barrister to take the case in terms of specialisation, particular abilities, experience and availability (being aware of any potential conflict of interest where barristers from the same chambers are representing opposing parties);
2. Agreeing the appropriate fee to be charged in each case, taking into account relevant factors, and negotiating this fee with the instructing solicitor;
3. Planning a case in detail to take into account factors such as conferences, preparation time and estimated number of days in court, then arranging meetings with the instructing solicitor, client and barrister to discuss the case;
4. Informing the client's solicitor of progress and of any factors that could cause delay (re-negotiating the agreed timetable of work as required);
5. Planning the workload of each barrister to avoid clashes of court times;
6. Proactively seeking work for the chambers by keeping in touch with solicitors and undertaking other marketing activities, such as holding seminars and hosting events;
7. Referring cases to more appropriate chambers where a lack of specialist expertise could jeopardise the outcome of the case;
8. Maintaining awareness of cases that are likely to be coming to the chambers
9. Keeping up to date with specific areas of law and the specialisms of the barristers within the chambers;
10. running business activities and the administrative systems of chambers to meet quality standards;
11. Researching information using the internet and other paper-based sources;
12. Using court listings and computer-based diary systems in planning workloads;
13. keeping accounts and arranging the collection of case fees;
14. Discussing with junior barristers the areas of law that they wish to develop and allocating cases that will develop that expertise.
Interested parties should apply with their CV in confidence to Justin via legaljobs@legalpeople.co.uk.