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Legal Assistant

Salary - £33,000 p/a -12-month contract commencing September 2025

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join Keating Chambers for the year as Legal Assistant. You will be joining a leading commercial set specialising in high-profile construction, engineering, IT, telecommunications, and energy related disputes, which typically involve issues relating to the law of contract, tort, and restitution. 

The Legal Assistant position does not require any prior specialist knowledge of construction law or experience of the construction industry. However, the role will be very demanding.  As well as assisting members of Chambers with research for ongoing or contemplated proceedings, the successful candidate will assist in preparing presentations, seminars and articles relating to Chambers’ principal practice areas. The candidate will also assist in books and other publications that members of Chambers are involved in. 

Applicants should be motivated, able to work under pressure and to tight deadlines, and manage several projects at any one time. Previous appointees have completed the BVS/BTC or equivalent and this is regarded as highly desirable for the role. The ability to understand and analyse complex legal issues and to communicate clearly is essential. So too is a high level of competence with both online research tools (including Westlaw, Lexis, i-law, Justis, Lawtel, BAILII and Construction Law Reports) and paper sources (such as Halsbury’s Laws/Statutes).

In return, Keating Chambers offers the successful applicant a salary of £33,000 p.a. and an interest-free loan to cover travelling expenses to and from work (if required) and pension scheme.  In addition, the role will provide unrivalled exposure to areas of Chambers’ work and to leading practitioners involved in high profile work.

The full job description is available here, and the application form can be downloaded here. Please find application guidance at the bottom of this page.

Duties Responsibilities

The Legal Assistant will be required to:

  1. Undertake broad legal research-based work for ongoing and contemplated proceedings. This includes researching points of law and on occasion, supplying notes summarising those points, finding authorities for barristers, finding Standard Form Contracts and relevant commentaries and acting as a first port of call in the library to identify and supply relevant textbooks and law reports.
  2. Provide barristers with a comprehensive monthly update of case-law relevant to Chambers’ areas of practice.
  3. Provide draft copies of talks/PowerPoint slides for seminars, presentations, and draft articles/notes for journal articles.
  4. Conduct research for publications that members of Chambers are involved in and assist with editing/proofing the publications.
  5. Draft case summaries for the barristers’ website profiles.
  6. Assist as needed with preparation of documents and authorities for court and other proceedings.
  7. Any other tasks as reasonably required by the barristers, Practice Manager, Chief Executive Officer, Head of Operations, Head of Finance or Joint Directors of Clerking. 

The Legal Assistant’s duties will be subject to the following responsibilities:

  1. To meet regularly with their Line Manager to review workload and to help plan upcoming commitments, especially in the early months.
  2. To undertake continued training as appropriate for the role.
  3. To assist in other areas of Chambers work as directed to ensure the smooth running of Chambers.
  4. To work in a safe manner and to identify any health and safety hazards and advise the Head of Operations or Head of Finance.

Duties and responsibilities are subject to change depending on the requirements of Chambers’ business.

Support

The Legal Assistant is line managed by the Practice Manager. Whilst the Legal Assistant is a one-person role, there is wider support from the staff team by way of a part-time librarian and the junior clerks. The Legal Assistant is based on the staff floor but has access to an additional desk space in the 5th floor library.  

Applications should be made by email to Fran Creighton on fcreighton@keatingchambers.com.  Please provide a completed application form and a covering letter, entering LEGAL ASSISTANT POSITION in the subject of the email by midday on Monday 16th June 2025. Each application should name two academic referees who will be contacted prior to any offer being made. 

 

It is anticipated that first round interviews will take place remotely and second round interviews will take place in Chambers. Dates for these will be announced in due course but we aim to complete the recruitment process by mid July 2025. Employment will commence early September by arrangement.

Full job description can be found here.

Application form can be found here.