With the Paralegal profession being acknowledged as the fastest growing within the legal services sector, it’s important to dispel some of the myths and incorrect assumptions that surround the profession.

All Paralegals are law graduates who wish to become Solicitors or Barristers

This premise is just wrong: many graduates still aspire to enter these conventional professions. However, not all graduates wish to become Solicitors or Barristers. Some may want to become career Paralegals or Paralegal practitioners. The cost of qualifying for the conventional professions is so prohibitive that many graduates see the Paralegal pathway as a viable career alternative.

Paralegals are just glorified Legal Secretaries

A Personal Assistant (PA) is tasked with carrying out administrative and organisational duties on behalf of an executive in an organisation that may be private, public or non-profit.

Individuals also hire PAs to manage their busy schedules. PAs are required to be flexible and productive in the duties they are assigned, so they should stay motivated. When PAs self-motivate, they develop a drive from within that pushes them to focus on achieving both personal and organisational goals.

We are looking for the brightest and most talented Legal PAs for the PA of the Year Awards 2020. If you work in a law firm and want to celebrate the achievements of a colleague, or if you’re a Legal PA yourself whose hard work deserves some recognition, then we want to hear from you.

If you aren’t quite convinced to submit a nomination yet, read on to find out first hand from Legal PA of the Year finalist Eleanor Lawson about her experience with the PA of the Year Awards 2019.

Hello, Eleanor. How did you become a Legal PA?

Technology has long played a role in making the workplace more efficient — and artificial intelligence (AI) is no different. Capable of automating time-consuming and mundane tasks, AI is designed to make operations easier. In fact, it's already making positive changes in the legal profession, with the DoNotPay chatbots in London and New York being prime examples. Regarded as the world's 'first robot lawyer', the chatbots have helped over 160,000 people contest parking fines for free, and are now being trialled in small-claims courts.

Those who have studied land law through an ILSPA course will already be familiar with the terms freehold and leasehold. These are legal definitions created by the Law of Property Act 1925 and relate to the extent of a person’s ownership of land. Another type of land ownership, commonhold, was introduced in 2002, but it struggled to establish itself and fewer than 20 commonhold developments have been built to date. This month, we are reporting on how this lack of interest in commonhold ownership may be about to change.

Many office support professionals in the early stages of their careers are actively seeking mentors to help them develop and advance in the world of work. However, these professional relationships are by no means one-sided, often offering a range of benefits to mentors and mentees alike.

Despite the gradual easing of lockdown restrictions, many Personal Assistants (PAs), Executive Assistants (EAs) and office support professionals are still working from home, meaning they may have a little more time on their hands than they’re used to. If you’re an experienced PA or EA with knowledge to pass on, advice to give and stories to tell, why not invest a few hours each week in the learning and development of an aspiring professional?

Legal Secretaries and Paralegals are essential additions to any law firm. Both roles provide support for lawyers with preparing cases and general administrative work. But what’s the difference between a Paralegal and a Legal Secretary? This article will tackle that question and also provide you with insight into the similarities between a Legal Secretary and a Paralegal.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Legal Secretary

Legal Secretaries work in law firms to provide administrative support to lawyers. Daily tasks include producing legal documents, performing research, transcribing interviews, preparing legal forms, organising diaries and generally keeping the office running smoothly. Sometimes they also attend court, which can be interesting.

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

Family Legal Secretary – Clayton Legal  

Location: Finchley

Salary: £25,000 - £38,000

The ideal Family Legal Secretary will be responsible for; Dealing with incoming client queries, meeting and greeting clients, undertaking audio and copy typing on behalf of the Fee Earners and attending client meetings to provide secretarial support alongside reception duties.

The successful applicant will possess previous legal secretarial experience within Family Law, able to demonstrate excellent typing speed & accuracy, excellent communication skills and a friendly, bubbly, and approachable demeanour.

View the full job description here:           

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

Junior Secretary – Donohoe & Co Solicitors  

Location: Marylebone

Salary: £16,000

Donohoe & Co Solicitors is a niche divorce and family law practice based near Marylebone High Street. We are looking to recruit a permanent, full-time junior legal secretary to assist with copy and audio typing (using digital dictation), filing, answering the phone and such other administrative duties as may be required by the firm from time to time.

View the full job description here:          

https://www.institutelegalsecretaries.com/jobs/candidate/job/173487/

With businesses reopening and an end date fixed for the furlough scheme, some employers are starting a phased return of their staff. Here’s TotallyLegal’s advice for returning to work after furlough.

According to the results of Business Live’s recent Great Big Business Survey, over half of the businesses polled had taken advantage of the government’s furlough scheme since it came into effect in March, with 28.5% reporting that they had furloughed more than 75% of their workforce.