2021

Can a contract employee become permanent? Absolutely. Businesses hiring temporary staff will often consider these candidates for a permanent position, depending on the needs of the company. While there is no guarantee that you’ll receive a permanent job role as a temporary recruit or freelancer, there are definitely advantages if you decide to seek a position at the company. So, how do you go from a temp to perm recruit? Here, we share our top 13 ways to go from a temp to a permanent contract.

What is a temp to perm role?

If I asked you to estimate how many passwords you have, what would your guess be? 20? Maybe 30?

Chances are you’re underestimating. According to research by NordPass, the average person has 100 passwords.

If you’re supporting multiple executives, chances are that number is even higher for you.

Think about it. You need a password to boot up your work computer, log in to your network, access your office intranet, open your project management software and access your cloud server. That’s five passwords before you can even start your workday!

Do you work with sensitive material? Your files are probably password protected. Do you handle your executive’s inbox? There’s another password.

Apprenticeships are an arrangement in which someone learns and trains whilst working. Since 2016, a number of organisations including law firms have launched legal apprenticeships programmes. Doing a legal apprenticeship would help one avoid the increasingly expensive costs which may be associated with university degrees. Going through this route, the candidate will be paid a salary throughout the scheme. Those who choose legal apprenticeships can expect to see the same standards as those who choose traditional routes.

This article will focus its discussions on general legal apprenticeships with a focus on apprenticeships which could be used to qualify as a Legal Secretary.

Who can apply?

The requirements of a legal apprenticeship are generally:

Whilst we all know we should wear seat belts when in a car, how often have you or someone you know driven off while still fiddling to secure the belt? Alternatively, have you ever had to ask your passengers “Have you got your seat belt on?” after the journey has started?

As a driver you might be acutely aware of your responsibilities when it comes to children travelling with you, but what about older passengers? Where does legal responsibility rest – on the driver to insist that belts are put on, or on the passengers to look out for themselves?

As a law degree student at the University of Sussex, Evelina Tarabuta has a keen interest and in-depth knowledge of law. When seeing how competitive the job market was for law graduates, she realised that she needed something to give her some practical experience, and make her stand out in the crowd. So, after some research, Evelina chose to study ILSPA’s Legal Secretaries Diploma. Her career has gone from strength to strength since qualifying. She has started her own business and now offers legal services to a range of clients.

We spoke to Evelina about her company, her pro-bono work and her future plans.

What were you doing before studying with ILSPA?

How many emails do you have in your inbox right now? 20? 50? More than 100? If your number is anything higher than zero, I have some tips for you!

For most admins, email is a major pain point. In the time it takes you to read one email, three more pop up. Add that to all your other administrative duties, and the thought of a clean inbox seems almost laughable. But these simple strategies can make inbox zero a reality!

Change your mindset

Think of your inbox as a processing facility rather than a warehouse. The “package” (the email, in this case) is sent to the “facility” (your inbox) to be dealt with, not stored indefinitely.

There are many reasons why someone should write a Will, but one of the less obvious is to ensure that digital (as well as physical) assets are dealt with correctly.

This year, the UK is hosting the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26). It is taking place from 31 October to 12 November in Glasgow. The conference will bring together world leaders, climate experts, activists and campaigners through talks on climate change. Agreements will be made between different parties as to how to tackle the escalating crises. Hopefully positive ones!

The goals of COP26 are to:

Reduce carbon emissions to net zero by 2050

Countries must aim to significantly reduce their carbon emissions by 2030 and then reduce them further to net zero by 2050. This can be done by:

• Phasing out coal

• Stopping deforestation

• Switching to electric vehicles

Whether you are studying one of ILSPA's courses or working in a law firm, note taking is a significant part of a Legal Secretary’s role whatever stage you are at in your career. Efficient note taking can save you time, help your understanding and memory, and keep you organised.

Here are ILSPA’s top 10 tips for note taking.

1. Find the format that works for you when taking notes so that it becomes natural and easy, whether it’s bullet points, annotations around text, short sentences, colour-coding or creating mind maps. Having your notes in a clear and relatable format will speed up your note taking and also help you find information again when you need to return to it.

If you tend to procrastinate on certain projects, one reason could be that you haven’t created a victory in your mind first.

When you think about a project that isn’t advancing very well, consider these questions:

• Do you have a clear vision of what success for this project looks like?

• Can you see your desired end result clearly in your mind’s eye, like you’re recalling a vivid memory?

• Is the path forward relatively clear, from start to finish?

• Can you visualise the key action steps to bring the project to completion?

• Have you firmly decided to do the project now (as in this week, this month or this quarter)?

As an ILSPA Member, you have the opportunity to be recognised for the professional development that you undertake in your career. One of our aims is to provide our members with professional recognition for the quality of their knowledge and skills, therefore we actively encourage professional development through our CPD programme and our Legal Secretary Journal. ILSPA believes that it is essential for Legal Secretaries and PAs to develop their professional expertise in order to be successful in their roles.

Temporary work offers you an alternative to committing to a role on a permanent basis whilst still allowing you to gain new skills and develop your career. Candidates temp for a variety of reasons, and whether this is to assist with a career change or to fill a gap in employment, there are many benefits which we discuss below in this article. Do also take a look at our blog, which looks at questions to ask to suss out if a temp position is right for you.

1. Enjoy flexibility

Lay-offs happen. Executives leave companies and can’t take their admins. Companies reorganise.

All these situations may sound like nightmares to an admin. But they don’t have to be career killers. If you’re in between jobs, companies or even careers, these five things can help you stay relevant to the admin profession.

1. Temp

One of the best things you can do if you’re out of work is to go to a temporary staffing agency. Temping helps you keep your skills active and develop new ones, too. Think of it as a paid job interview – the people you’re working with get to see what your skills are and you get to try out the company to see if it’s a good fit.

2. Take classes

Chances are you know a workaholic. You might even be one yourself. You know the type. They’re the first one in the office each day and the last one to leave each night. It’s not surprising to see them working from home over the weekend or cutting their holiday short to get back to the daily grind – if they allow themselves to go on holiday at all, that is.

Working hard isn’t a bad thing, but there’s a thin line between “hard worker” and “workaholic”. When you cross that line and fail to rest and recharge, you’re putting yourself at risk.

Law firms and government departments have been using new technologies to provide legal services for years. It could be argued that anyone working in the profession who does not already recognise themselves as a “technology” lawyer should get comfortable with the idea that he or she will need to become a technology “geek” in the years to come. This article will consider some of the latest IT innovations affecting the profession.

The term “lawtech” is used to describe technologies that aim to support, supplement or replace traditional methods for delivering legal services or administering the operation of justice systems. Lawtech covers a wide range of tools and processes, such as:

• Document drafting

• Automated legal research

• Client/due diligence checking

Clutter: The collection of “stuff” lying around that creates disorganisation in your workplace. It sabotages your productivity and can adversely affect your mental health day in and day out.

It’s time to get it under control!

Research has shown that cluttered spaces have negative effects on stress and anxiety levels, the ability to focus, eating choices and even sleep. It also creates a poor first impression of your perceived skills and abilities at the office when someone stops by your desk.

In one of our recent journal articles, it was reported that bugs in the digital divorce system had caused a delay in the introduction of no-fault divorces. Despite these setbacks, the digital divorce service is still set to replace the traditional paper D8 form from 13 September 2021. After this date, the Court Service will expect divorce applications to be made using the digital divorce process. There is a short transition period finishing on 4 October, but after this date, the paper D8 form will no longer be accepted. There are a few limited exceptions to the use of the online process, and paper applications will still be used for civil partnerships, judicial separation and applications for petitions of nullity.

Whether you want to be a Legal Secretary, a Paralegal or a Lawyer, the law industry can be very competitive. Because of this, it’s crucial that you do everything in your power to boost your CV. 

This is particularly important in the legal industry because lots of law graduates and professionals will have similar qualifications. Therefore, you need to work that bit harder to stand out from the crowd.

By demonstrating your passion for the industry, as well as the role you’re applying for, you could give yourself a competitive edge over other candidates. But how do you go about doing this?

Well, our partner Simply Law have put together a few suggestions for ways in which you can show employers how passionate you are about law. 

Former ILSPA Student Kimberley Evans was working as a teacher when she decided to take the plunge and go for a career in law. An encounter with a family law Solicitor prompted Kimberley to study ILSPA’s Legal Secretaries Diploma course. Since she completed the course at the end of 2018, Kimberley’s career has gone from strength to strength. She is using her current role as a Legal Secretary for the Qualifying Work Experience needed to become a Solicitor and hopes to cross-qualify as a Barrister in the future.

Finding solutions is not just what Secretaries do in their jobs every day; it’s also a necessary part of being resilient that can help us deal with life’s problems. The interesting thing about being solution-focused is that it’s not even necessary to know the details of a problem in order to fix it. You just have to focus on how you want things to be different and work towards that.

Analysing the problem won’t help solve the problem

Audio typing is a valuable skill for those wishing to improve their professional abilities as a Legal Secretary. There are a number of jobs that list audio typing as a stipulation, and although it is not a skill that is always required, it may enable you to welcome better job prospects.

We have put together a list of the best online resources for Legal Secretaries looking to improve their audio typing skills.

Typing.com

Our partner, Simply Law, recently caught up with Samantha Evans, a Legal Assistant who kindly shared what she does on an average day at work, her hopes for the future and her advice for those looking to join the legal profession.

Career path

At college, I chose to study law as one of my subjects, as I had a general interest from watching crime dramas on the television, reading John Grisham’s books, and obviously, Elle Woods in Legally Blonde! I thoroughly enjoyed the course and knew it was something I wanted to study at university. In September 2018 I started my Law Degree (LLB) at the University of Worcester.

There are various drivers forcing law firms to embrace a more diverse workforce and to attract, promote and retain talent from all backgrounds, regardless of gender, gender identity, race, ethnicity, sexuality, religion, age and socio-economic class (to name but a few).

Not only is the pressure on to have employees who reflect the society in which we live, but there is an increasing recognition that diversity leads to better decision making and increased profitability.

What are companies doing?

Some clients now require law firms to attest to their Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) policies and progress in pitches.

As an administrative professional, you understand just how much structure and organisation come into play on a daily basis. You probably have multiple systems and procedures that allow you to create order and inspire productivity. But with so many people and processes to manage, even the best of us can get overwhelmed when we look at our files, binders and calendars.

One of the easiest ways to add structure and organisation to your workspace, files and more is to use colour-coding. According to research by neuroscientists, our brains are hard-wired to process colour before virtually anything else, improving comprehension and helping us process information more quickly, as well as retaining it longer.

Every week, we carefully take time to sort out our household waste and put it in the recycling bins. We believe we’re doing our bit for the environment and we don’t give it another thought after it is taken away. We trust that it is going to be recycled.

After a recent investigation performed by Greenpeace, it was discovered that over half of our plastic waste is being shipped to countries like Turkey to be disposed of. Rather than being recycled, it is often dumped or burned on the roadside. Some of it even ends up in waterways and floats into the ocean. This has a very harmful effect on wildlife, sea life and people. Locals have reported serious health issues and haven’t been able to breathe properly due to intoxicating fumes.

The introduction of “no-fault” divorce this October has suffered a setback as it will now not be introduced until 6 April 2022 at the earliest. The reason for the delay is that the online divorce system has not been fully developed and tested. This is particularly disappointing, as the changes have not only been anticipated for several years but became a certainty in 2020 with the passing of the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act. This act brought in a much-welcomed change to the 50-year-old fault-based system which a person must for the time being still rely on to get divorced.

Everybody knows that one of the first things you need to do when you are looking for work is to write a professional, accurate and impressive CV. However, a CV is only half of the application. It does not matter how good your CV is if you do not include an equally impressive covering letter. The role of the covering letter is to entice the recruiter to go on and read your CV. In situations where recruiters are inundated with applications, a bad covering letter – or worse yet, no covering letter at all – could very well be the reason why your CV ends up in the rejected pile.

Since the Covid-19 lockdowns, many employees across the UK have become accustomed to remote working – one of the most popular forms of flexible working arrangements offered by employers. However, with offices and workplaces beginning to open back up, flexible working arrangements will not necessarily remain in place in the long term. This could create some problems down the line, with employees being dissatisfied at losing the flexibility they once had and employers having to deal with unhappy staff members.

In this blog, we will provide all the advice and information you need if you are thinking of making a request for a flexible working arrangement, and explain to you your legal rights if you decide to go down this route.

What do we mean by “flexible working”?

The March 2021 edition of our journal included the exciting announcement that our partner, Simply Law, was undergoing the biggest transformation in its 18-year history. It is with great pleasure that we can now tell you the next phase of this relaunch is live. As well as having a brand-new look, the site is jam-packed with new and exciting features as well as old favourites that have been updated or revamped – all perfectly designed to make your job search a whole lot easier. 

Not everyone has heard of the term “imposter syndrome”, but the chances are that, at some point in your career, you have experienced it. It’s the feeling that you don’t deserve the position you are in, that the faith others have in you to do a good job is unsubstantiated or that any success you have is mere luck.

Imposter syndrome can be summed up as believing you are not as competent as others perceive you to be.

The Queen’s Speech this year was delivered on 11 May. It is normally an annual event, but this has not been the case in recent years. The previous Queen’s Speech was in November 2019, when we reported on the government’s proposal to get 26 bills passed into law. This year, there are 31 bills that ministers intend to pass. Some of these bills are carried over from the last session of Parliament, but against the backdrop of Brexit and the pandemic, this is not all that surprising.

What were the government’s priorities in 2019?

Are you a Student currently enrolled on a course with ILSPA? ILSPA’s Legal Secretaries Diploma and Single Subject Legal Courses are excellent qualifications that will teach you the legal knowledge and procedures you need to become a competent and successful Legal Secretary.

We would like to highlight some other resources that will complement your studies by giving you access to even more knowledge, learning and support.

ILSPA’s Glossary of Legal Terminology

It sounds like a difficult task, doesn’t it? Questions might pop into your head like “How would I keep it clean?” or “What will people think of me?” However, Marina Testino put her reservations aside and did exactly that. Her intention was to dispel the belief that we need to continually wear new clothes to keep up with fashion, and she simply wore the same red suit for one month. Whilst finding it liberating not having to choose something different to wear each day, she made an important statement about consumerism. There is a lot to be said for keeping things simple. You can find Marina on Instagram @ #onedresstoimpress.

Good writing skills are fundamental for any Legal Secretary. Most jobs in the legal sector will have some reference in the job description to “excellent communication skills” and this will include written communication. Even if writing skills are not specified, a high standard will still be expected.

We would like to give you some tips to help you spot good legal writing, as well as provide suggestions on how you can improve your own and the standard of others’ written communication.

Keep errers in cheque?

For those seeking employment in the legal sector, there are few destinations more prestigious than the “Magic Circle” and “Silver Circle” law firms. These organisations are famous around the world, with hard-earned reputations for excellence.

This select group of legal firms have become widely known for their commitment to the very highest standards of performance and success. As such, obtaining a role with these companies can be seen as a real marker of accomplishment for the UK’s most skilled legal professionals.

Here, we explore the firms that comprise the Magic Circle and Silver Circle, looking at what differentiates these organisations and what is expected of those chosen to represent these firms.

What is the Magic Circle?

The art of concentration is an important skill to master. Whether for studying, working or managing your home life, being able to concentrate and focus when you need to is often essential. This is especially true in roles such as that of a Legal Secretary, where attention to detail and fine-tuned organisation are paramount. There is so much advice out there on how to improve concentration. You may already be familiar with tips such as taking breaks, removing distractions and creating a designated work/study environment. These things often seem like common sense, and many people try their hardest to implement them, but are they enough?

We can all agree that mental health is an important topic. But how many of us are actively prioritising it in our daily work routine? In honour of Mental Health Awareness Week, 10 – 16 May 2021, we want to share some simple things that you can incorporate into your day to help your mental wellbeing.

Get out into nature

Working on the business support offering at Interlink Recruitment has exposed me to many curriculum vitae (CVs) from Legal Secretaries and Legal Personal Assistants (PAs). In this article, I will be exploring what makes a fantastic CV for a Legal Secretary or Legal PA and what in particular makes a candidate stand out to me when sourcing for roles.

This past year has seen some unprecedented changes and unpredictable moments for most of us, in both our working and personal lives. As restrictions continue to ease and life slowly starts to shift back to “normal”, we would like to reflect on the past year. Here at ILSPA, we believe that it is important to find and focus on positives. So in the interest of inspiring and uplifting our Students and Members, we want to share some unexpected positives that have been happening in our profession over the past year.          

Recruitment

Some changes have been made as to how important conveyancing documents are lawfully signed. These changes were made early in the novel coronavirus lockdown, but they may become a permanent feature of conveyancing practice. 

Since July 2020, HM Land Registry has been accepting electronic signatures. This is not something totally new. One form of electronic signature, the digital signature, has been legally enabled since the Land Registration Act 2002. What has changed is the high level of take-up by the profession since last year. During the lockdowns of the past year, the benefit of using remote signature methods is obvious. Perhaps what has also driven this change is that the use of a simpler type of witnessed electronic signature has been permitted. The term “electronic signature” can cover:

Vicky Cons was working as a full-time Team Manager at Tesco when she decided to take the plunge and begin her studies to become a Legal Secretary. Little did she know that soon after starting her studies the world would go into lockdown. Clearly not one to be deterred, Vicky continued to work full time as a key worker throughout the pandemic. She completed ILSPA’s Legal Secretaries Diploma with a distinction and secured her first Legal Secretary role while still waiting for her results.

We are all hopeful that the lockdown restrictions will be a thing of the past soon and we will be able to return to our normal way of living. This includes going on holiday and flying to our favourite destinations. However, many of us have heard about climate change and how the aviation industry plays a major part in contributing to damaging CO2 emissions. This puts us in a bit of a dilemma, as whilst we would love to jet off to sunnier climates, we also don’t want to harm the planet.

In a job interview, the question about salary expectations is a loaded one. Talking about money is awkward at the best of times, but in an interview situation, it can be particularly tricky.

In a nutshell, while honesty is important, it’s better to avoid giving a specific figure. Give one that’s too high and you’ll quote yourself out of the role, too low and you’ll shoot yourself in the foot.

To navigate the question successfully and minimise embarrassment all around, there are a few steps you can take in advance of the interview.

Understand the question

First, you need to know the multitude of reasons interviewers ask this question. The obvious one is “to know the amount they’ll need to pay you”, but it’s not as straightforward as that.

Learning a new language as an adult is always a daunting challenge.

You might have spent years learning a new language and, finally, you have the opportunity to use these new skills in your career. Making sure that you have a high level of English aptitude is important for communicating with clients and producing important documentation.

Take a look at some of our strategies that you can implement in your daily life to improve your English skills.

Speaking English fluently

Language learners are often intimidated by communicating with native speakers in their language.

Personal Assistant diary management is a huge task. Some employers have complex and often overwhelming diaries which can take up huge chunks of your time.

To be a successful PA, it’s imperative to be able to stay on top of your boss’s diary; otherwise, it could lead to missed appointments or important life events. So, what can you do to achieve highly effective PA diary management?

In this article, we share our very best diary management tips for PAs.

What is diary management?

Diary management involves managing the diary and day-to-day life of a business leader. While this task may appear rather straightforward, there’s a lot more to it than simply keeping track of important events.

Key PA diary management tasks can involve:

We would like to highlight five key skills you can develop to ensure success in your career. Some of these skills are not exclusive to law, and you may already possess strengths in these areas. If you identify a skill that you need to work on, consider following some of the tips as a starting point for creating your own personal development plan.

Working in a team

Working as a temp is a brilliant way to explore different industry sectors and positions, and to gain valuable skills and experience. Many of our candidates end up securing a permanent position through their temporary placements, rather than going through the normal interview process, so a temp position can be a great introduction. Temping offers flexibility to fit around other commitments or to fill a gap in between permanent employment while you are job hunting. Read on to explore how temping works and what the opportunities are for turning a temp job into a permanent position.

What is a temp role?

Admins are often expected to do their jobs perfectly, and with good cause – a single mistake can be costly to your company, your boss and your career. Yet The Innovative Admin knows that failure is a necessary and integral part of the innovation process. You don’t create and implement new ideas without things going wrong along the way.

The problem is we often confuse mistakes with failures when they are not exactly the same thing.

Mistakes are inaccuracies or errors that should have been caught. Typos in a document or misquoting information are mistakes. Mistakes can also be errors in judgement, poor decision-making, or misunderstanding a request or assignment. Missing a deadline or sending information to the wrong person also fall into the mistake category.

Prodigy Learning has recently announced that it has added even more Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) courses to its website. As ILSPA Members receive an exclusive 50% discount on these courses, we want to take a moment to explain what is available, how these courses work and why now is a great time to improve your Microsoft Office skills.  

Podcasts are one of the most rapidly growing media forms of the 21st century. In 2020, an estimated 15.6 million listeners tuned in, with more than £33 million being spent on podcast advertising as businesses sought to capitalise on this boom.

For those with very little spare time on their hands – such as legal professionals – podcasts are an excellent way to digest information while going about everyday life. You can listen to a podcast while walking, running, commuting or cooking, and take in new and fascinating information in the process.

There is a plethora of excellent legal podcasts available in the UK, so it can be hard to know where to start. We’ve compiled a list of our top six legal podcasts to get you started.

UK Law Weekly

If you are currently studying a Legal Secretary course with ILSPA, there is a high chance you will be required to submit at least one achievement test as part of your course. Achievement tests are designed to assess your legal knowledge and for you to show how well you have understood the course material. For this reason, they are a very important part of your course. Your achievement test result is a reflection of your grasp of a particular area of law and goes towards your final grade.

Here is some advice on how best to complete the achievement tests.

1. Study the course material thoroughly

The COVID-19 pandemic has created some difficult times for people around the world, but those who have lost their jobs due to the resulting economic downturn are among those who have been most seriously impacted. If this relates to you, these developments can feel devastating – but there are steps that you can take to accelerate your journey back to employment.

In most cases, those who have been made redundant as a result of COVID-19 will not have lost their jobs due to any problems with their job performance or capabilities. As such, even though the current jobs market may seem demanding, it is important to remember that your credentials are just as impressive as they ever were.

With a third national lockdown in force, many legal professionals are feeling increasingly distant from their colleagues. Our recent Working From Home Survey found that 22% of legal professionals think the biggest challenge of remote working is not seeing their colleagues every day. Additionally, 21% of our audience feel less productive when working from home, and 36% of these blame their reduced output on infrequent opportunities to collaborate with colleagues.

So, what steps can we take to ensure we’re staying connected to our colleagues and remaining productive while working remotely?

One way to shift your character – and your life – in a new direction is to set a goal that’s incompatible with the limitations of your current character.

In other words, set a goal that you would never set. Then work diligently to pursue and achieve that goal.

Thinking you can’t do something because it’s out of character for you is still just a thought. You can change your thoughts, but sometimes it’s easier to change your actions and behaviours and let your thoughts play catch-up. Sometimes thoughts of who you are just get in your way and slow you down.

When you try to change yourself at the level of thought first, sometimes that works, but other times it will just lead you into a circular trap of thinking, thinking and more thinking – and never actually doing, exploring and experiencing.

If you regularly read our journal, you will have probably heard us use the term study schedule before. The benefits of organising your study time so that you stay on track are pretty obvious. Study schedules help you stay on top of your workload, avoid stress and help you meet targets. They also help you fit studying around your other commitments and allow you to have regular down-time to recharge, without falling behind. These things are all important to ensure that you study effectively and do the best you possibly can in your qualification. 

But how do you create a study schedule? Here are some steps for creating a schedule that will work for you. 

Work backwards

It is looking increasingly likely that many of us will be working from home until at least Spring 2021. What’s more, 93% of respondents who took part in our recent working from home survey agree that they would like the opportunity to regularly work remotely once office work resumes.

Although working from the sofa or in our bedrooms was great in the beginning, the novelty of this is rapidly wearing off. We’re starting to realise that we need a working set-up with more longevity in order to increase productivity, improve comfort and avoid injury when working from home. With remote working becoming the new norm, it’s time to look at how we can improve our home workspace in order to work more effectively from home.

The New Year has arrived again, and we would like to take this opportunity to thank all our Students and Members for being part of ILSPA. 2020 may have been an unusual year, but it was also very productive here at the Institute. Along with many other achievements, we launched our Live Online Classes, which enabled more Students to have access to our classes from the comfort of their own homes. Our Legal Secretary Jobs Board has continued to be busy, and our CV team have been working closely with Graduates and Members to help them find their next roles. We have continued to strengthen the relationships with our Partners, which has enabled us to provide excellent resources, discounts and opportunities for the ILSPA community. 

As the legal profession is one that benefits from clear communication, it is surprising how the language used by lawyers can sometimes be confusing. This may in part be because of the liberal use of legal jargon. In this article we will consider some common terminology used by the profession and look at what some lawyers have done to improve how they communicate. 

Let us start with a quote from a Professor of Law, Joseph Kimble, about why complicated writing persists in the modern legal profession: 

“Legalese persists for a lot of bad reasons – habit, inertia, fear of change, the overwhelming influence of poorly written opinions and forms, false notions of prestige, and any number of myths about plain language...” 

On the evening of Thursday 12 November, 20 of the UK’s most talented Personal Assistants, Executive Assistants and Office Managers celebrated their successes at the ninth annual PA of the Year Awards.

Hosted by niche business support job board SecsintheCity, the awards were held virtually for the first time. Logging on to Zoom for the awards ceremony, all the hopeful finalists and their supportive bosses fully embraced the event’s traditional black-tie dress code.

Tanya Jennings, PA to a partner at global law firm Freshfields, took the time to answer a few questions about her career so far and what it’s like to be named the 2020 Legal PA of the Year.

Here we are in the first month of a brand new year. What lies ahead of us is a clean slate of 12 months in which to seize opportunities, accomplish goals and reach new heights in our professional and personal development.  

If your goal is to have a calm, productive and joyous 2021, you may have been looking into ways to manage stress more effectively. In that case, we have excellent news for you: it is possible to find calm in a stressful situation. We may not be able to completely get rid of all the stressors in our lives, but with a few clever tricks, stress can be managed.

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

Legal Secretary – Private Client – ENL

Location: West Midlands

Salary: £19,000 - £23,000

ENL is currently seeking an experienced Legal Secretary to join a busy and thriving, Lexcel law firm. The successful Legal Secretary, will be working as part of a successful and growing private client department. This is an excellent opportunity for someone who has experience working within wills, trust and probate and wants to join a friendly and well-established team.

View the full job description here:           

https://www.institutelegalsecretaries.com/jobs/candidate/job/174188/

We want you to tell us how the legal profession has changed in the past year. Take part in TotallyLegal’s annual audience survey to have your say.

Last year was more chaotic and tumultuous than most others in recent history, with individuals and organisations across the world feeling unique and largely negative impacts from 2020’s many twists and turns.

TotallyLegal – the UK’s leading legal jobs board and a trusted partner of ILSPA – wants to learn and in turn share more with you about how the legal profession changed in 2020.

How has the job market shifted? What has been the impact on salaries and bonuses? How many legal professionals were put on furlough?

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

Assistant Company Secretary – Thomas Thor Associates

Location: Harwell

Salary: £40,000 - £55,000

Are you an experienced and qualified Company Secretary with experience of working with busy and demanding Boards and their Committees?

Radioactive Waste Management Limited (RWM) is looking to appoint a dedicated Assistant Company Secretary, reporting to the Head of Legal and Company Secretary, to be responsible for providing corporate governance advice and company secretarial support to the Board of Directors and each of its four Committees.

View the full job description here:           

Our industry partner, Simply Law Jobs, has announced that the legal job site is undergoing the biggest transformation in its 18-year history.

Based on in-depth research into the industry, as well as extensive feedback and insights provided by Simply Law Jobs’ clients and jobseekers, the site will be relaunched with a brand-new look, new and exciting features, and old favourites that have been updated or revamped.

The job site has been optimised so jobseekers and recruiters can connect in the quickest and easiest way possible. This includes better search filters, enhanced candidate profiles, prompts to provide better job advert descriptions, and an improved candidate management system to manage job applications more efficiently. 

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

Legal Secretary – Brightstone Law LLP

Location: Elstree

Salary: £24,000 (Depending on experience)

A position has become available for a Legal Secretary to support fee earners across the firm, and in particular to the Wills and Probate department, to cover maternity leave for 6 months from the beginning of March 2021. The firm is based in Elstree, Hertfordshire.

View the full job description here:           

https://www.institutelegalsecretaries.com/jobs/candidate/job/174409/

Legal Secretary – Latham & Co

Location: Loughborough

Salary: £17,000-£19,000

The Institute of Legal Secretaries and PAs is delighted to announce that Joelson will be offering mentoring to three lucky Students.

Founded in 1956 (as Joelson Wilson), Joelson is a top-ranked, multidisciplinary law firm providing first-class, partner-led services to their clients. Their services cover many sectors, including property, litigation, and corporate and commercial law. Joelson’s offices are based in Central London, although they act for clients internationally throughout Europe and all over the world. They have well-established relationships with firms throughout Europe, China and the US.

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

Float Secretary – Pickerings Solicitors

Location: Tamworth

Salary: Dependent on experience

Pickerings Solicitors is looking for an experienced Legal Secretary to join their team.    

The job holder will provide secretarial and administrative support to various departments, as and when needed, and will assist fee earners in delivering a high-quality legal service to our clients.  Responsibilities include client liaison, organising meetings, audio and copy typing, file opening, filing and the completion of legal forms.           

View the full job description here:           

Technical skills are number three in the top 10 skills required for Legal Secretaries. Many Fee Earners expect their Legal Secretaries to be tech-savvy in order to ensure they can use the relevant legal technology to perform their tasks efficiently. ES Tech will feature two days of intensive training, workshops, keynotes, product focuses, case studies and networking opportunities guaranteed to upskill any Legal Secretary.

The online event will take place over 15 and 16 September 2021. It will include:

The UK’s only dedicated business support job board, SecsintheCity, has just opened nominations for its 10th annual PA of the Year Awards. If you’re a Personal Assistant (PA), Executive Assistant (EA), Legal PA or Office Manager, you could be the winner of one of these momentous accolades.

Nominations are now open for the 2021 PA of the Year Awards, an annual celebration of the essential support provided by PAs and EAs to the businesses and individuals they work for.

PA of the Year Award nominations will close on 10 September 2021, after which our judging panel will interview a shortlist of finalists to select a winner in each of the following categories:

• PA of the Year
• Legal PA of the Year
• Office Manager of the Year

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

Legal Secretary – Highgate Hill Solicitors

Location: London

Salary: Market Competitive

Legal secretary urgently required to work in a dynamic law firm with a market competitive salary.

View the full job description here:           

https://www.institutelegalsecretaries.com/jobs/candidate/job/174778/

Residential and Commercial Property Secretary– Vivash Brand LLP

Location: Sutton

Salary: £22,000

ILSPA has partnered up with LegalEx as it makes its much-anticipated return as a live event this year.

LegalEx 2021, taking place on July 7 & 8 at ExCeL London, is the must-attend event to meet industry thought leaders, regulators at the forefront of legislation and code of conduct changes, and experts in client success, technology and business development.

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

Legal Secretary – Larbey Evans Ltd

Location: Bristol

Salary: Up to £30,000 + Fantastic Benefits

National law firm is looking to hire a new Legal Secretary/PA to join their busy Professional & Financial Risks Group.

Applicants require previous Legal PA experience, must have excellent client care and organisation skills, as well as a proactive attitude.

View the full job description here:           

https://www.institutelegalsecretaries.com/jobs/candidate/job/175056/

Leading legal jobs board TotallyLegal has just published its annual Audience Insight Report. Download your copy today to discover more about your profession and benchmark your earnings as a Legal Secretary or PA.

In early 2021, we asked more than 800 legal professionals to disclose the details of their daily working lives and tell us how their careers had been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. With Administrators and Paralegals working alongside Solicitors, In-House Counsel and, of course, Legal Secretaries and PAs, responses revealed an audience representative of the full legal profession.

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

Legal Assistant/Legal Secretary – Nicholson Martin Legge & Miller

Location: Houghton le Spring

Salary: Competitive

The position of a Legal Assistant to one of the firm’s Partners has become available at the office based in Houghton le Spring.

The areas of law that you would gain experience in are family law, private client and conveyancing. This would be an ideal opportunity for someone with secretarial experience in a legal setting.  You would maintain client files including the production of correspondence and enclosures as well as dealing directly with client queries.

View the full job description here:           

The PA Show is the largest gathering of Executive Support Professionals in the UK, bringing together 1,000s+ of the community under one roof.

Whether you’re a PA, Executive Assistant, Legal Secretary, Office Manager, Virtual Assistant or involved in office support in any way, The PA Show offers you the chance to enhance your skills and knowledge, grow your network of contacts and source premium global suppliers to support you in your role.

The PA Show offers unique access to a wealth of CPD-accredited training designed to help support functional professionals excel at every stage of their career.

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

Legal Secretary – Ruth Taylor Family Law

Location: Northampton

Salary: £20,000-£23,000

Ruth Taylor is a very busy family law practice.  They consist of one full time solicitor, Ruth.  She is assisted by her full time experienced Legal Secretary Sally and currently with a part time Secretary.  They are looking for another full time experienced Legal Secretary to work with them.

View the full job description here:           

https://www.institutelegalsecretaries.com/jobs/candidate/job/178141/

Legal Secretary – Jones & Co

Location: Bawtry

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

Legal Secretary - Conveyancing – Campbell Hooper & Co LLP

Location: Sunningdale, Berkshire

Salary: Competitive

An opportunity has arisen for an experienced legal secretary/legal executive to join a friendly and flexible firm on the Berkshire/Surrey borders.

The part-time position would include supporting and assisting the conveyancing partner, who also undertakes wills and probate work, in all aspects of their property work.

View the full job description here:           

Expert keynotes. The latest legal tech. Networking with industry insiders. LegalEx is back as an in-person event this November.

LegalEx 2021, taking place on November 10 - 11 at ExCeL London, is the must-attend event to meet industry thought leaders, regulators at the forefront of legislation and code-of-conduct changes, and experts in client success, technology and business development.

In April, ILSPA announced that top-ranked multidisciplinary law firm Joelson offered exclusive mentoring to a small selection of lucky ILSPA Students. The mentoring scheme, which takes place over a 12-month period, includes a day in the Joelson office each month, Q&A sessions with the secretarial team and other members of the firm, one to one contact with Joelson Legal Secretaries, and much more.

After a rigorous application process, we are pleased to introduce you to the two successful applicants for the scheme, Ashleigh Almeyda and Rachel Hoar.

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

Private Client Secretarial Assistant – Neves Solicitors LLP

Location: Harpenden, Hertfordshire

Salary: £24,000-£26,000 (DOE)

Neves Solicitors LLP is looking to recruit a Secretarial Assistant for their Private Client team. It is a busy role providing support and assistance to a team of three Private Client solicitors, so this role requires a highly organised individual with the ability to multi-task, prioritise duties and remain calm under pressure.

View the full job description here:           

https://www.institutelegalsecretaries.com/jobs/candidate/job/181900/

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

Legal PA – French Speaking – Tay Associates Limited

Location: City of London

Salary: £43,000-£45,000

If you are a French speaking Legal PA looking for an enjoyable and collaborative working environment, this is the role for you. A well-respected, full service, legal firm in The City of London are looking for a French speaking Legal PA to support a new Partner.

View the full job description here:           

https://www.institutelegalsecretaries.com/jobs/candidate/job/185131/

Legal Secretary – LR Legal  

Location: Guildford

Salary: £28,000  

ILSPA is delighted to announce our new partnership with The Legists.

The Legists is a job platform dedicated to the legal profession, optimising the best innovative recruiting solutions to find the ideal employer or employee for you. Whether you're looking to advance your career, break into the industry or find your next employee, The Legists is a good place to make that happen.

The job platform advertises a broad range of roles from private practices (sole practitioners, boutique firms, City firms, national firms), international and US firms, in-house organisations, and the public sector. They host opportunities for a variety of legal positions including Paralegals, Clerks, Secretaries and all support staff.

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

Support and Volunteer Co-ordinator – Lawcare  

Location: Uk Wide - working from home

Salary: £25,000  

Do you want to make a positive difference to mental wellbeing in the legal community? Lawcare is recruiting for a Support and Volunteer Coordinator to join their small, supportive, and dedicated team. This is a fantastic opportunity for someone with experience of working in the legal sector who is looking for a new challenge and wants to put their expertise to inspiring and meaningful use.

View the full job description here: