As a student with The Institute of Legal Secretaries and PAs, it is always a good idea to acquire a clear appreciation of exactly how the English legal system works. From the conventions of Parliament that have accrued over many centuries to how evidence may be given in court in light of the fact that we now live in an advanced technological age. It is this latter dimension of our judicial system that we will turn our attention to in this article.
A few years ago I wrote a really detailed blog about dealing with confidential electronic documents and paperwork. This is obviously an important subject for assistants because we have to, have to, have to keep our Executive’s confidence. We must be trustworthy and, as hard as it is, keep all confidential matters to ourselves.
In England and Wales mediation has become a common feature of many types of litigation. Sir Rupert Jackson’s 2009 report on civil litigation recommended that the courts can and should in appropriate cases encourage mediation. This may be limited to simply pointing out its benefits or requiring an explanation from parties when they are not willing to meet and/or discuss mediation. However, where a party is found to have unreasonably refused to mediate, they can be penalised in costs by the court.
Here is a selection of vacancies from our Legal Secretary Jobs Board this month:
Receptionist/ Administrator – Dewar Hogan
Location: City of London
Salary: TBC
Dewar Hogan, a niche property firm based in the City of London, is looking for a full time Receptionist/Administrator to start as soon as possible.
Legal Secretaries are a crucial but sometimes overlooked part of the conveyancing process, as they perform a number of different roles which contribute towards the smooth running and ultimate success of the project.
During the job-seeking process, it is crucial that candidates understand the importance of taking advantage of every opportunity available to them to show their value to the prospective employer. Writing a covering letter is an essential part of this process.
On 1 October 2017 we saw the long-awaited pre-action protocol for debt claims come into force. A pre-action protocol is a set of steps contained in the Civil Procedural Rules that parties must follow before a claim is made. The idea behind having a protocol is to promote early settlement of claims and reduce legal costs. If a party ignores a protocol, then he or she may be subject to a penalty in legal costs allowed by the Court.
Do you ever feel you should be further along on your goals and projects, given how much time you’ve been spending in your workspace?
Sometimes life can be overwhelming with work, family, friends and the activities we are involved in. Many of us can feel disorganised, stressed and not in control of our lives. We never seem to have the time to do everything we want.
A current hot topic in the world of online technology and social media is that of data protection and the integrity and security of our personal online information.
