A day in the life of Harkiran Dhingra, Paralegal at Helix Law

Fun fact about me: I lived and worked in Melbourne for a year post university. 

One of the most rewarding aspects of being a paralegal/trainee is the responsibility you are given so early in your career. Alongside assisting partners and senior solicitors on their matters, I also have responsibility for my own cases. These are matters that I have brought into the firm myself, where I take the lead on the day-to-day conduct of the case under the supervision of a partner. It is a great opportunity to develop independence and build client relationships, while always having the support and guidance of experienced colleagues.

This week has been particularly busy, with several deadlines across my own cases.

I usually arrive at the office at around 8:40. I start by checking emails, responding to client queries and reviewing my task list for the day. I like to write my priorities down on paper and tick them off as I go.

Earlier today, one of my clients confirmed that they had approved the Letter of Claim I had drafted. Although I had drafted letters like this before (any many in far more complex matters), there was a heightened sense of responsibility in sending one in a matter of my own. After making the final amendments, I sent it to the opponents. It was a satisfying moment, as this is often the first pre-action step and marked an important milestone in progressing my client's case.

I then turned to another of my own matters, finalising written advice for the client before sending it to the Richard, the partner supervising me. Once that urgent work was complete, I moved on to a number of other tasks, including drafting a letter due that day. 

I usually take lunch at around 13:00. Our office is in the centre of Brighton, so I often use the opportunity to get some fresh air with a walk around the North Laines before heading back to work.

In the afternoon, I dealt with a couple of new enquiries from prospective clients. the aim is to provide an initial steer on their legal position, explaining how we may be able to assist and provide a cost estimate if they wish to instruct me.

After taking these enquiry calls, Richard, having reviewed my advice from the morning gave me a call to explain his suggested amendments. I spent some time finalising the advice before sending it to the client. Even when you are taking ownership of your own matters, you never feel isolated, and I always feel supported by those supervising me.

With that completed, I turned to the work due the following day. Getting ahead where possible is particularly helpful in litigation, where priorities can change very quickly.

Sure enough, later in the afternoon I was asked to deal with an urgent piece of work that needed to be completed before close of business. I put my planned work to one side and focused on the urgent task, which was completed, reviewed and sent out before the end of the day.

I usually leave the office between 5:30pm and 6:00pm. Looking back on the day, what stands out is the variety of work. In one day, I had progressed my own cases, prepared client advice and pre-action correspondence, spoken to prospective clients, assisted on partners' matters and responded to an unexpected urgent task.

The responsibility you are given, combined with the support of experienced colleagues, creates an environment where you are constantly challenged, and encouraged to learn and develop.