Everyone knows that attending a job interview is a nerve-racking experience – and it doesn’t get easier with age!

The reason for the anxiety is that you are being put under a microscope. You are being scrutinised, and sometimes by several people, not just one.

To gain some insight and advice on this topic, our partner Simply Law spoke to our Patron, Amanda Hamilton. In this article, she shares her top tips and techniques for excelling in a Paralegal interview.

Going before a panel increases the anxiety ten-fold. You’ll probably be worrying and asking yourself: do I look okay; will I be able to answer their questions; what if I’m so nervous that I can’t even remember my own name?

Nominations have now opened for the 2022 PA of the Year Awards, hosted by SecsintheCity – the UK’s number-one job site for Business Support Professionals – and in association with Tay Associates.

The annual event is held to acknowledge and celebrate the talent and achievements that Business Support Professionals deliver for businesses throughout the UK. Each year, we endeavour to ensure that more and more attention is given to Personal Assistants, Executive Assistants and Office Managers for the excellent work that they carry out – the PA of the Year Awards are crucial to those efforts.

PA of the Year Award Categories

This year’s iteration has several categories, including:

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

Junior Office Assistant – Owen Reed

Location: London

Salary: £21,000

Junior Office Assistant required to undertake a number of general office administration and reception duties. They will need to work closely with other administrative staff to help maintain a smooth and efficient office. The successful candidate must be proactive in their work habits and show high interest and engagement in all tasks delegated to them. They must learn quickly and will gain valuable experience that will enable them to develop further within the firm.

This role would suit a Legal Secretaries Diploma Graduate.

View the full job description here:           

Setting goals is an important part of building a long and successful legal career. For many, the ultimate goal as a Legal Professional is to secure a position with one of the biggest legal firms in the City, working on high-profile clients and gaining seniority in a competitive field.

However, increasingly, many people in the legal sector are seeking a good work-life balance as one of their key goals, and may be looking for more control. Joining a boutique firm can offer these benefits, as well as many of the same advantages as working for a City firm, and can be considered as a viable alternative.

The rise of boutique law firms

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Please note:

The long-anticipated era of “no-fault” divorce came into force on 6 April 2022, nearly two years after the passing of the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act.

Under the new system, couples will no longer need to make allegations about the conduct of a spouse. Instead, either one or both spouses will be able to make a statement that the marriage has irretrievably broken down. This statement will be enough to prove that the marriage has come to an end and will allow the Court to make a Divorce Order.

Some civil disputes could be characterised as emotionally charged, but few are as contentious and hard fought as matters involving the home. This month we have two examples of highly contested cases and a call from the court for compulsory ADR.

First, we will consider a boundary dispute over 17 inches of land where the legal costs ran to over £200,000. These figures speak for themselves, but if you had any doubt, the circuit judge who heard the case confirmed that the cost was “beyond my comprehension.” He was also critical of the fact that both parties wanted the claim to be heard in the multi-track (reserved for claims worth more than £25,000) when it was a small claim (i.e. valued at less than £10,000, where costs would have been limited).

Last month, over 9 million people across the world came together to show their care for our planet’s future. By switching off their lights for an hour at 8.30 p.m., they demonstrated that small actions can make a big difference. During the darkened hour, people sat by candlelight and had the opportunity to reflect on how they could reduce their impact further.

Those lucky enough to work remotely at the start of the COVID-19 era were able to keep themselves and their companies going, despite the intense pressures of that challenging time. 

This shift to remote work fundamentally changed how we use IT. Use of Zoom increased by 30x in April 2020 as meetings moved online. Slack workspaces proliferated. And corporate spending on cloud services grew by nearly 40%.

It increasingly seems that many of these changes will remain in place, as the pandemic continues and organisations appreciate the benefits of keeping at least a partial remote footing.