Job Description - Fee Earner
Job Title: Fee Earner
Reporting to: Managing Partner/Head of Department
Job Purpose: To undertake fee earning work and provide a profitable contribution to the work of the department. Ensure the successful development of the firm in line with the business plan.
Objectives:
- To provide high quality legal advice.
- To provide assistance and advocacy for both existing and new clients.
- To contribute to maintaining the high standards of client care.
Main Duties:
- Conducting all matters on behalf of clients.
- To assist fee earning work undertaken by colleagues - e.g to assist with workloads, sickness, holidays.
- To encourage and promote the image and ethos of the firm.
- Management of support services for which they are responsible for, including supervision of office juniors.
- To undertake financial control with particular regard to cashflow control through collection of monies on account and billing procedures.
- To provide constant updates to client's corporate agents on matters.
- Dealing with any queries raised by client on particular matters.
- To maintain legal knowledge through training.
- Compliance training as when needed.
- Any other duties within the scope and spirit of the post as required.
Person Specification:
Personal Qualities/Character
Qualification/Experience
Skills/Abilities
Strong leadership skills.
Law degree or equivalate.
Ability to work independently.
Strong business development and networking skills.
At least 2 years' legal experience.
Attention to detail.
Strong client relationship skills.
Supervisory/Management experience.
Ability to work well within a team.
Competencies:
Act honestly and with integrity, in accordance with legal and regulatory requirements and the SRA Standards and Regulations, including:
- Recognising ethical issues and exercising effective judgment in addressing them
- Understanding and applying the ethical concepts which govern their role and behaviour as a lawyer
- Identifying the relevant SRA principles and rules of professional conduct and following them
- Resisting pressure to condone, ignore or commit unethical behaviour
- Respecting diversity and acting fairly and inclusively
Maintain the level of competence and legal knowledge needed to practise effectively, taking into account changes in their role and/ or practice context and developments in the law, including:
- Taking responsibility for personal training and development
- Reflecting on learning from practice and learning from other people
- Accurately evaluating their strengths and limitations in relation to their demands of their work
- Maintaining an adequate and up to date understanding of relevant law, policy and practice
- Adapting practice to address developments in the delivery of legal services
Work within the limits of their competence and the supervision which they need, including:
- Disclosing when work is beyond their personal capability
- Recognising when they have made mistakes or are experiencing difficulties and taking appropriate action
- Seeking and making effective use of feedback, guidance and support where needed.
- Knowing when to seek expert advice
Draw on sufficient detailed knowledge and understanding of your field(s) of work and role in order to practise effectively, including:
- Identifying relevant legal principles
- Applying legal principles to factual issues, so as to produce a solution which best addresses a client's needs and reflects the client's commercial or personal circumstances.
- Spotting issues that are outside their expertise and taking appropriate action, using both an awareness of a broad based or legal knowledge (insofar as relevant to your practice area) and detailed knowledge of your practice area.
Applying understanding, critical thinking and analysis to solve problems, including:
- Assessing information to identify key issues and risks
- Recognising inconsistencies and gaps in information
- Evaluating the quality and reliability of information
- Using multiple sources of information to make effective judgements
- Reaching reasoned decisions supported by relevant evidence