The civil justice system aims to ensure that there is a fair way for individuals and businesses to recover money they are owed. This aim has to be balanced against the need to protect the rights of those who owe money. The Ministry of Justice is currently consulting about the use of default judgments. The aim behind the consultation is to ensure that the process for debt recovery strikes a fair balance between the legitimate right of a business or individual to pursue a money claim and the right of the debtor to know about a claim against them and have the chance to defend themselves.

Lawmaking in the UK is about proposals being made by the Government and finally being passed by Parliament. Proposals from the government are aimed at shaping a better society or to address specific issues and problems. Laws come to the government’s attention originally because of the different political parties competing for support from the British voters. They will campaign about their visions for the country, setting out how they would go about changing things. The winning political party is the one that forms the next government, basing its legislative agendas on what its manifesto is.

Proposals to government come from different sources

Every year Career Legal publishes a review of the legal market. Their 2018 market review has been very enlightening, particularly in respect of the changing role of Legal PAs in the big-city law firms.

If you are currently studying with ILSPA, you have the opportunity to attend one of the tours which take place monthly at the Royal Courts of Justice. The feedback which we receive from students shows the tour to not only be an enjoyable and informative day out, but also a valuable resource for their studies.

For your interest, inspiration that anything is achievable and also, I hope, enjoyment, I set out below in summary how I progressed my career from secretary to qualified lawyer and subsequently programme leader for over ten years at The Law School at The University of Westminster.

It all started following my A-levels and a brief spell in retail, as I decided to embark on a legal secretarial course at Enfield College. Although I struggled with Pitman shorthand, I very much enjoyed the trips to The Old Bailey and local County Court. I left Enfield College a far more able and organised individual, with a very high typing speed (my forte) as well as a legal secretarial qualification enabling me to secure employment.

Are you studying a Legal Secretary course and need to improve your everyday secretarial skills? Or maybe you are qualified as a Legal Secretary but feel you need to improve your everyday secretarial skills on the latest software?

Lewis College provides a range of distance learning courses for secretaries, and the Institute of Legal Secretaries and PAs has kindly asked us to discuss some of the courses we offer.

ILSPA’s Legal Secretary Jobs Board brings together Legal Secretary positions from around the country into one convenient place. It is the only niche Legal Secretary Jobs Board in the UK, and there are a wide range of roles advertised, from trainee to experienced. Recruiters and law firms advertise their roles with us because they know that our candidates have the experience and skills that they are specifically looking for. This means that there is a wealth of senior and experienced roles available which are perfect for those of you looking to progress in your career.

After the personal tax allowance and the duty on alcohol and tobacco, one of the most eagerly scrutinised elements of the UK Government’s Annual Budget Statement is Stamp Duty. More correctly known as Stamp Duty Land Tax, this is a levy that is of interest to anyone who is considering the purchase of a house.

What is Stamp Duty?

Stamp Duty is a tax levy that is payable on the purchase of a residential property or piece of land. The tax is applicable to freehold and leasehold, whether the transaction is financed by a mortgage or is an outright purchase. Stamp Duty is also payable on second and subsequent homes but at a different rate.

Who pays Stamp Duty?

At SecsintheCity’s PA of the Year Awards 2017, there were two Legal PA winners. Meet Lyn Lennox, Legal PA at The Law Society and winner of the Outstanding Achievement Award.

How did you become a PA?

I studied a PA Diploma and A levels at college, after which I became a Legal Secretary at a major London law firm. After this role, I was lucky enough to be recruited as a PA to a Chairman of a London surveyors.

What’s great about your job at The Law Society?

SecsintheCity has just launched its new mobile app, which allows jobseekers to get the latest PA, EA and admin jobs direct to their phones as soon as they’re posted.

The app allows users to apply for the latest jobs with global brands, FTSE-listed firms and market-leading recruiters by:

• Saving searches to get notifications when relevant jobs are posted
• Uploading their CV to iCloud, Google Drive or Dropbox to apply for jobs on their iPhone
• Shortlisting jobs to apply for later