Paralegals and Trainees

We enjoy taking on paralegals from a range of backgrounds and seeing them progress in their careers. Not only does our training help our paralegals develop their legal skills but it also broadens their characters and professional resilience.

We are completely open to your career development and the only limiting factor is you. One of our trainees is now a partner at Heald Solicitors, illustrating that if the talent and desire to work is there, anything is possible.

Lawyer Training Program

All prospective lawyers start in the firm as a paralegal. We feel working as a paralegal first will give you the opportunity to gain some ‘real world’ experience and have a better idea of how you would like to develop your career.

If you already have extensive experience as a paid paralegal, we would like to see evidence of your commitment to a career as a solicitor, and in particular with a firm broadly of the nature of ours.

If you are interested in a paralegal role at Heald Solicitors please send your CV and coving note to [email protected]

Paralegal Programme

Paralegals are an integral part of the team, working alongside our solicitors and legal executives. Depending on your level of experience you will work directly on cases, with the support of another member of the team, and will be relied upon to make a valuable contribution. We expect you to get fully involved, take ownership of your work and achieve the best result for the client.

Some paralegals become career paralegals while others wish to progress to become a CILEx or a Solicitor. Whichever you choose we will help you.

Career Development

The CILEx and Solicitors’ training routes are drawing closer together now that the SRA’s Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) is active. Whichever route that we choose between us we will support your development to become qualified.

Paralegal to Trainee Programme Application Process

Applications for our Paralegal to Trainee Programme should be sent in the early spring leading to interviews in early summer with places taken for September that year. Please send your application by letter or email, with a full CV to [email protected]

We typically take on one to two paralegals per year who would like to qualify as a solicitor and normally offer at least one a training contract after they have been with us for a year.

In general terms we will be looking for:

• Consistently high academic achievement demonstrated by A-level grades in academic subjects, Bachelor’s degree grade (and the quality of the awarding institution)
• A non-law Bachelor’s degree can score as highly as an LLB when you have passed a GDL or equivalent LLM. Other post-graduate qualifications (LLM etc.) are not essential, but all qualifications, where relevant are taken into account. This may include non-legal qualifications, skills or experience where we see potential to benefit or develop the business of our Firm.

Interview Process

At Heald, we seek talented, well-rounded, sociable and energetic team players who will be a credit to themselves and our firm in all they do. Candidates will be shortlisted for interview by those criteria.

At the interview, we will be looking for additional evidence of your perceptiveness and your aptitude for a career in law, including some appreciation of the needs of a firm such as ours. Milton Keynes has much to offer as a vibrant business, cultural and social centre whose growth outstrips national and regional averages. Since we hope that the appointment of a successful candidate will be the start of a long-term relationship, your willingness to settle in the locality will also be of interest to us.

Beyond Work

No matter what type of role you apply for, evidence that you have talents and lively interests beyond the academic and the law are of interest to us. The field of activity – sport, music, politics, the arts, faith group, charity/community work etc. is not important, although evidence of high achievement or leadership positions in team activities will impress more than mere participation in solitary pursuits. If you have travelled, the destination is less important to us than what you did with your time abroad.

Join Our Team

If you would like to join Heald Solicitors as a Legal Executive or a Paralegal-Trainee, please email your CV and covering letter to [email protected].