The role of a Legal Secretary in the United Kingdom is viewed as a specialist niche area within the legal profession. Law firms rely heavily on Secretaries due to their expertise in administration and technology and their knowledge of law and legal procedures. Based on that theory, Legal Secretaries are beneficial not just to law firms. Anyone who has achieved the Legal Secretary Diploma from The Institute of Legal Secretaries and PAs can be sought after in many business sectors. 

Banking and Finance 

On 1 April 2013, the provisions of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act came into effect to cut the legal aid bill. Legal aid has been withdrawn for clients who are involved in family disputes such as child residency disputes. Prior to the changes in April, the Legal Services Commission enabled Family Law clients access to legal aid for all services. 

How the Changes Affect Family Law 

As we become more technology savvy across all industries, there has been an impact on the recruitment process. In the past, a straightforward printed CV, sent in the post with a covering letter, would be the standard procedure of application; however, times have changed. Video CVs, online CVs, online automatic applications, all mean that there are a number of ways that jobs can now be targeted. The application process is more varied, but if you tackle it with professionalism and tenacity, this simply means there are more opportunities for you.

In a law jobs market as competitive as today’s, it is likely that an active jobseeker will have to face up to many rejections. Letters, phone calls and emails bringing the news that you have not been selected for the Legal Secretary job you set your sights on are painful to receive. There may be times when you feel like giving up, especially if you are experiencing several rejections in succession.

But now is the time to tap into your inner strength. To keep on track until the right job for you is in the bag, it’s vital to stay focused and positive.

Silver River Productions have been asked by Channel 4 to produce a new history series that tells the story of social change over the past 40 years through the stories of four different professions – Doctors, Police Officers, Teachers and Secretaries.

The films will be constructed from the testimonies of workers. Each profession’s history will be told from the perspective of the people who lived through it, telling stories that are funny, shocking and revealing and giving viewers a personal, human insight into social changes we’ve all taken for granted.

The law is an ever-changing area as legislation and case law is continually conceived. As a Legal Secretary, it is important to remain in touch with the law, and it is a part of your job which needs you to be on your toes. 

Professional-level job adverts used to state that candidates were required to be ‘computer literate’. As I remember, people used to interpret this nebulous phrase to mean anything from ‘can type’ to ‘knows how to program’ – and, of course, everything in between.

By the end of the 1990s the interpretation had standardised on ‘proficient in MS Word and Outlook’ or, if your skills were rather more enhanced, ‘can use the whole MS Office suite’. This remains the bread and butter of anyone’s computer skills, and having MS Office on your CV is more of a comfort factor for the reader these days.

Think about how happy your firm would be if you could take on more responsibility and be more productive in your role. If you were to further your knowledge of law, you could be more involved in legal procedures and save your employer precious time and money. Not only would it be beneficial for the company, but it would lead to greater job satisfaction for you.

If you find yourself falling behind in your studies through the Institute of Legal Secretaries and PAs, or with any other courses for that matter, the first and most important thing to do is avoid panicking! Almost every Student who has ever attempted a course of study has fallen behind at some point, so it is quite normal. If you need that little something extra to catch up with your studies, here are some tips that can help:

The current economic climate means some law firms are tightening their belts, so, as always, it is vitally important to stand out from the crowd if you want to fulfil your career potential. Over the next few issues of ILSPA’s Legal Secretary Journal, I’ll be offering advice on how you can both stand out and stay true to the career path of your choice.

I’ve been a recruitment consultant with Douglas Scott for the past two years, placing legal business support staff all over the UK. Prior to this I worked at the Co-operative Bank in a human resources role, and I’ve also provided a business support role. So I am delighted to help Legal Secretaries further their careers.