Paralegal

Salary: Grade 2 - £33,663 per annum – including £5,023 London Weighting

Location: London – Old Street

Contract: Permanent

Full time – 35 hours per week

Closing date:  Thursday 17th March 2026 at 11.30 pm

Please note this role is being advertised as a Paralegal but on appointment the job title will be Legal Adviser.

We are looking for an enthusiastic individual with legal experience to join Shelter as a Trainee Paralegal/ Legal Adviser and help us deliver an effective service for people experiencing housing issues in London. This is an exciting opportunity to play a key part in standing up to the housing emergency.

About the Role

You will support our solicitors to maintain an active caseload, enabling our clients to enforce their housing rights while ensuring a high standard of client care. Your role will be varied and will include taking instructions and witness statements, drafting letters, making applications, providing court representation and making sure time recording income targets and professional and quality standards are met. You will work closely with the team in London Hub to continuously improve and integrate our services.

About you

You will need a good understanding of Civil Procedure Rules, be able to write reports and meet financial targets, as well as being able to provide a good standard of professional service and client care. You will have excellent communication skills, both in writing/drafting and face-to-face along with proficiency using case management systems and time recording. If you have housing law experience and Legal Aid/ CCMS this would be an advantage but is not essential. You enjoy collaborating as part of a team and are able to encourage and support colleagues to meet Shelter’s strategy.

Benefits

We offer a wide range of benefits, including 30 days of annual leave, enhanced family friendly policies, pension and interest free travel loans. Our employees also have access to a tenancy deposit loan, payroll giving, cycle to work scheme and an employee assistance programme.

About the Team

Our Legal team is based around England and is made up of over 100 people, delivering housing advice and litigation services for our clients. Working closely with other teams in Shelter Services, we take referrals from them including certified litigation work, controlled work and Housing Possession Court Duty Schemes.

Our London hub specialises in providing housing advice and emergency homelessness work, intensive support to families, people experiencing domestic abuse and people experiencing multiple disadvantage along with practical DIY assistance.

About Shelter

Home is a human right. It’s our foundation and where we thrive. Yet every day millions of people are being devastated by the housing emergency.

We exist to defend the right to a safe home. Because home is everything.

We need ambitious, passionate people to join us. This is your chance to play a part in the fundamental change we are striving to achieve.

Our enemy is the social injustice at the core of the escalating housing emergency. To win this fight, we must be representative of the people we are here to help and those who support our movement. In all our people decisions, we take pride in being inclusive, equitable and transparent. We are committed to combating racism both within and outside Shelter. We welcome you on our journey to becoming truly anti-racist.

How to apply

Please click ‘Apply for Job’ below. You are required to submit a CV and a supporting statement. Your supporting statement should include responses to the 'About You' points outlined in the Job Description of no more than 350 words each. Please provide specific examples following the STAR format and ensure you demonstrate how you address the behaviour below throughout your responses:

• We prioritise diversity and have an inclusive and open mindset

Any applications submitted without a supporting statement will not be considered. 

Safeguarding Statement

Safeguarding is everyone's business. Shelter is committed to protecting the health, wellbeing and human rights of those we support, and enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect. All our staff will be expected to observe professional standards of behaviour and conduct their work in line with our Safeguarding Policies.

Shelter does not accept unsolicited CVs from external recruitment agencies nor accept the fees associated with them.