Diocesan Registry Clerk & Legal PA

As a firm, we are committed to offering our clients a diverse range of legal services. One of those specialist services is our ecclesiastical practice, which is the largest in the UK. The team advises the Church of England at every level and on every kind of issue that churches may face. Our specialist lawyers also advise a wide range of clients of other denominations and faith-based charities.

The department is currently looking for a Diocesan Registry Clerk who will also provide legal PA support. The mix of this role is roughly split 50/50 and will be able to offer a fantastic range and variety of work:

• As a diocesan registry clerk, you will work closely with the Registrar to operate the diocesan registry for a diocese of the Church of England.
• As a legal PA, you will support the head of department and one other partner in the administration of their practices and the team.

A diocesan registry is the legal office of a diocese. Winckworth Sherwood operates the diocesan registry for eight dioceses in South East England. Our role is to advise the clergy, staff and volunteers within a diocese on the legal issues they encounter, as well as to provide a number of formal legal services. The chief legal officer is the diocesan registrar (a partner in the firm) who is supported by a diocesan registry clerk.

Some of your tasks as a diocesan registry clerk will be:

• Assisting with the legal processes by which clergy are ordained and admitted or licensed to offices, including preparation of the necessary documentation.
• Dealing with applications for marriage licences and queries about marriage law.
• Developing and maintaining close working relationships with all those whom the diocesan registry serves, including senior clergy and administrators of the diocese, parish clergy, volunteers and members of the public.

 Some of your tasks as a Legal PA will be:

• Managing diaries and arranging meetings, booking rooms, travel and refreshments where necessary.
• Operating the firm’s financial and practice management systems, including logging of expenses, timesheets, payments, file opening and closing and invoicing.
• Formatting and finalising documents to a high-quality and ensuring that electronic filing is up-to-date.

You will be someone who thrives on having a varied working day, managing differing tasks concurrently. The opportunity to work alongside a wide range of people, both internally and externally, will be something that excites you. You will pride yourself on the high level of documentation that you produce and relish the opportunity to join a team who have a very strong vocational interest in ecclesiastical law.

Knowledge of the structures and workings of the Church of England would be a distinct asset. Full training will be provided but prior experience in a legal or church setting would be an advantage. In return, you will be joining one of the best ecclesiastical practices in the country and be surrounded by supportive, knowledgeable colleagues.

Winckworth Sherwood is an exciting, diverse, and growing business. We are a full-service law firm with a diverse client base, that prides itself on providing market-leading advice across a broad range of sectors and markets. Delivering a first-class service is key to everything we do.

Our clients range from some of the UK’s largest businesses and institutions, housebuilders and developers through to investors, professional partnerships, family offices, not for profit organisations and private individuals – all of which benefit from the flexible, practical approach of our lawyers.

We recognise that our people play a key part in our success and as a result we are committed to their development and well-being. We actively encourage a healthy work-life balance and flexibility, keeping our people motivated and stimulated to deliver great things.

Application review

Your profile will be screened by a member of the WS recruitment team. If you CV is shortlisted, you will be invited to have a 1st interview to discuss your interest in the vacancy and your experience. No AI is used in our application screening process! Every candidate who applies to this role will be told if they have been successful or not in moving to the next stage.

1st interview (via Teams)

This will be with our Recruitment Manager. He will discuss your interest in the role, what you are looking for professionally, and ask some competency/behavioural questions that relate to the key skills/behaviours needed for this position.

Every candidate who reaches this stage will be offered the chance to have a feedback call with our Recruitment Manager to understand why they weren't progressed to the next interview stage, so that you can use this feedback to help with other job applications.

Final interview (In person at our London office)

You will meet the two partners you will be supporting, both as a PA and as a diocesan registry clerk. During this meeting, you will learn more about the position, the firm, and team dynamics.  You will also get the opportunity to meet one of the three other registry clerks to gain their insight into the role as a registry clerk.

Every candidate who reaches this stage will be offered the chance to have a feedback call with our Recruitment Manager to understand why they weren't offered the position, so that you can use this feedback to help with other job applications.

Offer of employment

If you are successful and accept our offer of employment, we will submit your details to our background screening company (Giant), who will conduct a series of background checks. Once these have been completed and we have separately validated your proof of right to work in the UK, a start date can be agreed, and your onboarding schedule can be planned.