Apprentice Legal Assistant - 6696

1
South West
Bristol
Horizon House
Staff Grade 2
Fixed Term
Full Time
Legal Services
Salary £16,130 per annum pro-rata (rising to £17,923 pro-rata on successful completion of the apprenticeship)
The Environment Agency is a public body sponsored by Government. Our mission is to make the environment a better place for people and wildlife and we work closely with our colleagues in Defra to achieve this goal.
To do this we need to ensure that the Environment Agency acts lawfully and takes appropriate legal action. The Legal Services team work in enforcement, litigation, permitting and appeals, negotiations and advising governments in England and Wales.
We also provide research, analysis and legal advice for all parts of the Environment Agency. This not only relates to environmental law but also to administrative law and human rights, planning and property, commercial and procurement interests, employment law and information and data protection.

We are appointing an Apprentice Legal Assistant to work as part of the Legal Support Team to provide administrative support to lawyers in their work. Over the course of your apprenticeship you’ll learn how a business operates and be able to apply this knowledge on a day to day basis. You will be supported throughout by your manager and colleagues and you’ll gain experience in a range of office responsibilities every day.
Legal Services has lawyers based in Bristol as well as dispersed across England and Wales. You will be based in Bristol city centre and there will be opportunities to travel to other offices around the country. The apprenticeship will last for 18 months with the opportunity to apply for vacant posts at the end.
We are looking for someone who has the following qualifications and can demonstrate the following experience and skills in their application and at interview (if you don’t have work based examples, examples from school, college and outside interests are fine):-

• Ideally ‘A’ Levels (or equivalent) but a minimum of five GCSE’s (or equivalent) including English and Maths at grade A-C
• Able to communicate effectively with people at all levels in a polite, confident and assertive manner
• Good written communication and computer skills
• Willing to work on your own initiative to tight and demanding deadlines
• Have the ability to develop and maintain relationships with immediate team members and those from other teams
Closing Date: 27th October 2017 at 23:55 hours

Your responsibilities in the team will to provide local administration support to a team of about 20 lawyers including:

• Organising lawyers’ travel arrangements and hotel accommodation;
• Support with editing, formatting and writing Word documents and Powerpoint slides;
• Managing the booking of meeting rooms;
• Working with Facilities to ensure we have a regular supply of office stationery;
• Helping to prepare bundles of documents for use in Courts and Tribunals;
• Taking meeting notes;
• Recording the weekly whereabouts of lawyers;
• Liaising with other Legal Services’ administration staff in other offices around the country;
• Supporting the PA to Director of Legal Services.

For further information please contact John Morgan - johnr.morgan@environment-agency.gov.uk

27/10/2017, 23:55 hours

Basic Check
20 Months
Works in Teams
The successful candidate must demonstrate that they can forge good working relationships and team working skills
Uses Initiative
The successful candidate must demonstrate that they have common sense and can use their own initiative in delivering work
Focuses on Customers and Partners
Customer service is important. The successful candidate must demonstrate that they will think about their internal customers in Legal Services
If you are applying from the Civil Service please note that the Environment Agency is not a part of HM Civil Service and you would not be a Crown Servant in the event of being appointed. Therefore, you will not be eligible for continuous service. For applicants who currently work in local government or other bodies listed in the Redundancy Payments (Continuity of Employment in Local Government etc) (Modification) Order 1999, you may be eligible for continuous service for the purpose of calculating any future redundancy payment. If you are unsure of your status then you should contact your own HR Team.

We are fully committed to having a diverse and inclusive workforce to reflect the communities we serve. We welcome flexible working patterns for all our vacancies, including job share, so please include clearly any information regarding your preferred working arrangements on your application.

We also have a Guaranteed Interview Policy to support those with a disability who are seeking employment. We have committed to guaranteeing an interview to anyone with a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the post.

The Environment Agency, as a Non-Departmental Public Body, is committed to providing value for money and utilises Central Government frameworks and contracts for all external recruitment needs. For this reason, we are unable to engage with the market directly through post, email or phone calls . Should you wish to become a support supplier on one of these frameworks or contracts please visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/become-a-crown-commercial-service-supplier/becoming-a-supplier-through-the-crown-commercial-service-what-you-need-to-know for more information.

This Vacancy is closed to applications.