Practice Administrator (Legal Secretary) - Environment & Planning
- Provide high-level secretarial and administrative support to a partner and team of lawyers.
- Manage diary, client meetings, travel arrangements, and billing processes.
- Collaborate with other PAs and contribute to a positive team culture.
The Role
We currently have an exciting opportunity for an experienced legal secretary to join our market-leading Environment & Sustainable Development (ESD) team in Sydney as a Practice Administrator (PA) on a full-time, permanent basis.
Our ESD team is regarded as the leading environment & planning practice in Australia. In this pivotal role, you will provide high quality administrative and secretarial support to one partner and a small team of lawyers. You will also work collaboratively with other PAs across the group to provide additional ad-hoc support to other partners when needed.
This team is highly collaborative with other members of the broader team and with other practice groups nationally. They actively promote a warm, positive and supportive team culture that thrives on face to face and human collaboration.
Key Responsibilities
In this varied role, you will:
Provide high-level secretarial and administrative support.
Take charge of diary management, including organising client meetings and facilitating travel arrangements.
Actively manage phones, email, electronic diaries and voicemails.
Manage the billing process and accounts on a monthly basis, including client reporting requirements.
Inbox management and proactively prompt authors where required.
File and matter management, including the opening and closing of matters.
Undertake conflict searches on the firm's database and prepare conflict emails with efficiency.
Manage practice expenses, reporting and financial hygiene.
Administer quality and risk responsibilities for the Practice, ensuring compliance at the highest level.
Skills & Experience
To be successful in this role, you will have:
Minimum 5 years’ experience in a legal secretarial role supporting Partners or C-level executives.
A proactive mindset - the ability to jump in, take initiative, and actively contribute to the smooth operation of the practice.
A positive, friendly, solutions and team-focused mindset.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
A flexible and collaborative approach to working with different stakeholders and their unique styles.
An organised, efficient approach to administrative tasks with the ability to effectively prioritise to meet deadlines.
Experience with billing processes, including using Aderant / CMS or similar financial software.
Intermediate level skills with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).
Why Join Clayton Utz?
At Clayton Utz, we’re more than just a law firm – we’re a community that values our people and their contributions. When you join us, you’ll enjoy:
World-class infrastructure and resources to keep your skills sharp and ahead of the curve, including leading AI platform, Harvey.
A focus on health and wellbeing, with initiatives to support your physical and mental health, including lifestyle and gym membership discounts via our partnership with AIA Vitality.
Up to 26 weeks’ paid parental leave, with flexibility over two years, plus paid superannuation.
The option to purchase up to 4 weeks of additional leave annually.
How to Apply?
We prefer to work directly with candidates, if you are interested in this role, please click the ‘Apply’ button or contact the consultant, details below, for more information. Clayton Utz is an inclusive employer that supports flexible work arrangements, please feel free to discuss your flexibility needs with the recruiter for this role.
Consultant Contact Details
Nicole St John, (02) 9353 4928
Accessibility and Inclusion
We are committed to making reasonable adjustments to provide a positive, barrier-free recruitment process. Do you require any support or reasonable adjustments to complete your application? If so, please contact the recruiter via the above telephone number or via email to recruitmentsupport@claytonutz.com.
For more information on Clayton Utz, please visit www.claytonutz.com or follow us on LinkedIn here.
Agency submissions
Clayton Utz does not accept agency submissions unless the agency is specifically contacted by a member of the Clayton Utz Recruitment Team. Please do not forward candidate profiles or resumes to Clayton Utz partners, hiring managers or other employees - this will not constitute as an introduction to the firm and Clayton Utz will not be liable for a fee.
We vet all employer accounts and do our best to keep job ads safe, but scams can still occur. Be cautious when sharing personal information — never provide financial details or make payments during the application process. For extra security, use the Apply button on our site when proceeding.