The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) was established in 2007 as an independent body responsible for regulating the 180,000 Solicitors in England and Wales. The SRA’s purpose is to protect the public by ensuring that Solicitors and those working for them meet very high standards. The key way that the SRA does this is by publishing and enforcing Principles for the profession and a Code of Conduct contained in the SRA Handbook. This month we will be considering the biggest change to the Handbook since it was introduced in 2011.

Jemina Blake studied ILSPA’s Legal Secretaries Diploma back in 2012. After graduating she worked for one of the leading law firms in the South East and continued to study. She completed a Level 4 Diploma in Paralegal Studies with NALP and a Level 5 Diploma in Business Management. Now Jemina has used her impressive experience and qualifications to start her own business, My Legal Transcription. ILSPA spoke with Jemina about what initially interested her about the law, why she chose to become a Legal Secretary and how she turned that into a business of her own.

How did you become interested in working within the legal profession?

So you’ve perfected your CV, you’ve trawled through the job boards and found the best positions, you’ve sent in your applications after painstakingly rewriting your covering letter multiple times...the list goes on. Lo and behold, you’ve secured an interview. Congratulations! That is fantastic news.

As the interview date approaches, however, your initial excitement may start to give way to some of those pesky interview nerves. This is entirely normal, but why does it happen? Are you overthinking it, perhaps? Maybe you’re desperate to impress your future boss, or you want to prove yourself to your family? Whatever is playing on your mind, you won’t be the only one to have felt like this before an interview.

As new developments in artificial intelligence and automation continue to influence modern life, one thing is for certain: no industry will be immune to change – not even the legal profession, a sector historically known for its reluctance to move in line with the times.

Today, a technological revolution has come knocking on the door of this prestigious profession, promising cost-efficiency, enhanced productivity and client satisfaction. Lawyers know they must respond, but they aren’t wrong in recognising that the integration of cognitive computing will change the face of the sector forever.

Where professionals in the legal sector could once lean entirely on their knowledge and experience of the law, today’s law graduates must prepare themselves for a brave new world.

Tech-savvy

If you want to work in the legal sector but aren’t sure exactly what kind of firm you want to work for, a law fair is a great opportunity to hone your interests. You’ll be able to meet firm representatives face-to-face and ask them any burning questions you have about life at their firm.

What is a law fair?

If you’ve ever been to a careers fair—a conference-style event with different employers representing a range of companies—a law fair isn’t far off that experience. The difference being, of course, that every company there will be law-related. Law firms, barristers’ chambers and other companies with a legal focus or department will be on hand to talk about their organisation, provide you with brochures and guides, and answer all of your questions.

On 27 & 28 March, 2019, London’s ExCeL will play host to the latest edition of Legalex. This industry-leading show will create Europe’s most comprehensive and all-encompassing trade show package for legal professionals.

This year, the exhibition promises to be the most forward-thinking to date - housing 200 cutting-edge exhibitors and 150 educational seminars from some of the world’s top legal experts and innovative thinkers. Leading the industry as the most accomplished event for forward-thinking, ambitious and successful legal firms looking to modernise their practice. LegalEx 2019, is one not to miss.

Here is a selection of vacancies from our Legal Secretary Jobs Board this month:

Junior Secretary – Judge Sykes Frixou   

Location: London

Salary: Negotiable   

Judge Sykes Frixou has an exciting new opportunity for a college student to join the firm as a Junior Secretary.

The role will require someone to undertake work in all areas of law that they practice in. They will provide in house training and are prepared to offer external training opportunities for the right candidate.

View the full job description here:

https://www.institutelegalsecretaries.com/jobs/recruiter/job/140670/

Ever since the concept of proportionality was introduced to legal costs as part of the Woolf reforms in 1999, the courts and legal practitioners have wrestled with what this actually means. As part of Lord Justice Jackson’s package of reforms in 2007 the test was set out in the Civil Procedure Rules (CPR) Part 44. This part of the CPR provided that only costs which were considered proportionate to a case would be allowed. Costs which were considered disproportionate would either be disallowed or reduced even if the costs were reasonably or necessarily incurred.

To give a bit more clarity about what the courts consider when deciding whether costs are proportionate, they will look at:

(a) the sums at issue in the proceedings;

(b) the value of any non-monetary relief in the proceedings;

On the 8th November 2018, the 7th annual PA of the Year awards took place at the prestigious Ivy Restaurant in London. Hosted by SecsintheCity – the UK’s only job site dedicated to Personal and Executive Assistants – the ceremony recognises and champions the very best talent and achievements in the industry.

We asked Amy Franklyn, Legal EA at Bird & Bird LLP and winner of the Legal PA of the Year award, to give us a rundown of her career thus far and tell all about the glamorous awards ceremony.

Q: How did you become an EA?

Does that glass ceiling look familiar? For many within a support role whether you are a Personal Assistant in banking or the right hand man/woman to a celebrity, career progression within the support industry can be a difficult path to tread. However, it is not impossible.

Being an Assistant can be the greatest role in the world, preparing you for bigger things should you wish to take the leap. Unsure how to start when your to-do list is already long enough or your inbox is bursting with 1000 emails? It’s easier than you think!

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