Interview with Ellie Braddick – ILSPA Graduate, Legal PA and Law Student

This month, ILSPA had the pleasure of speaking to former Student, Ellie Braddick. Ellie studied with ILSPA a couple of years ago and it was wonderful to speak to her about how her career has progressed since completing her Legal Secretaries Diploma. Now a Legal PA in Central London, Ellie balances her busy job supporting 6 fee-earners with studying for a Law Degree.

Find out how Ellie juggles work and studying, why she thinks ILSPA gave her a behind-the-scenes insight into her role and what her plans are for when she graduates. 

Can you tell us a bit about your background and your current role?

Applying the Hierarchy of Needs to Your Work

Previously, we wrote an article for our Students about applying the hierarchy of needs to their studies. In this article, we would like to explain how those needs can be applied to your work too.

For those of you who haven’t heard of this theory before, the hierarchy of needs was developed by Abraham Maslow who was famous for his work in positive psychology. He believed that our needs form a pyramid, where basic physiological factors must be met first so we can then satisfy other needs such as safety, belonging and self-esteem. When we have our needs met at each level, we have the confidence and motivation to progress to the next. The highest level is self-actualisation.

How Does Inheritance Tax Work?

Inheritance tax is a proportional payment of a person's assets paid back to the government once they have passed away. It’s a complicated topic, as there are exemptions and varying rates according to personal circumstances. For law students and legal secretaries, there’s a number of factors that you must take into account when advising an individual on their inheritance tax requirements.

Many people want to try and reduce their tax liability as much as possible. Providing accurate advice during a client’s will-writing process and advice to relatives after a death can help with this. To help you begin to grasp the ins and outs, we’ve created a short guide to how inheritance tax (IHT) works.

You Are Invited to National Paralegal Day 2023 at The House of Commons

The National Association of Licensed Paralegals (NALP) will be hosting the third National Paralegal Day with an evening event at the House of Commons in London on Wednesday 8 November 2023, from 7.00pm to 9.00pm.

The event will also host NALP’s very first ‘NALP Paralegal Achievement Awards’, which are being launched this year as part of National Paralegal Day. The Awards are for:

Which Natural Attributes and Skills Can Make a Good Legal Secretary?

One of the best things about having a Legal Secretary or PA career is that it is a varied and exciting role. It requires a range of skills and attributes and because of this, the role suits a variety of different people. Knowledge of law and legal procedures, being computer literate and an understanding of law firm procedures are all excellent skills to have, but what are the foundations of a good Legal Secretary? What natural attributes and skills can someone bring to the role that haven’t been gained through work experience?

Discretion

Gain Microsoft Office Specialist Certifications at a Discounted Rate!

Microsoft Office is an essential program in a Legal Secretary's repertoire. Whether it’s formulating documents in Word, tracking hours in Excel or fine-tuning an office presentation in PowerPoint, you would be hard-pressed to find a Legal Secretary or PA who does not use a Microsoft Office program daily. Microsoft Office skills are highly sought after and often mandatory with recruiters when they are looking to fill their next Legal Secretary vacancy. For these reasons, it is clear that Microsoft Office certifications are both sensible investments and hugely beneficial additions to your skill-set.

An Interview with a Legal PA - Jamie Ricks, Senior Legal PA at Baker McKenzie

This year’s PA of the Year Awards is fast approaching. Achieving a PA of the Year Award is the ultimate recognition of your hard work, dedication, and accomplishments as a business support professional. With a special category for Legal PAs, the awards champion both PAs, EAs, and Office Managers, alongside those working in the legal niche.

In this article, SecsintheCity interviewed Jamie Ricks - 2022 finalist at the esteemed PA of the Year awards. Within this interview, Jamie discusses his development as a Legal PA, his role at Baker McKenzie, and his advice for those entering the PA of the Year awards.

How did you become a Legal PA?

The Guide to Diary Management for Legal PAs

The role of Legal PAs is varied and requires them to have a wide and diverse skill set. One skill that is essential and very in demand is that of diary management. Diary management is sometimes overlooked as a specific skill, but nothing could be further from the truth.

SecsintheCity found in their most recent salary survey that diary management was listed as one of the most in-demand skills for professionals across the board, being stated by 21% of their audience. In collaboration with ILSPA, they have created this guide for Legal PAs to help them become experts in the field.    

Calendar organisation: