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Studying To Be A Legal Secretary With Secretary Courses

Legal secretarial work can be extremely interesting and rewarding for anyone with the right disciplines and skills. We'll go on to suggest possible training later on, but first let's get a feel for what the job entails.

The majority of the work will involve typing correspondence on behalf of the lawyers you work for, and preparing legal forms and documents. You might also be involved with other administrative tasks, such as diary organising and appointment booking. Then there are times when the job will require you to leave the office and collect or deliver documents.

General secretarial training may well get you into Legal Secretarial work, but a specialised skill-set will add to your employment opportunities. Legal professionals will either work on criminal cases or civil cases, or a division of one of those. Consequently a legal secretary's work could range from Conveyancing to Probate to Divorce settlements. Having said that, if you work for a small firm of lawyers you'll probably deal with more varied tasks than if you work for a big law company.

The majority of a legal secretary's work will be done on the computer in the office. Normal weekday office hours are standard, with the usual statutory entitlements. Some legal secretaries in larger offices work on a flexi-time arrangement.

Starting salaries generally vary from twelve to fifteen thousand pounds a year. However, a top legal secretary can command a very attractive thirty thousand pound salary after a few years.

Legal Secretarial Training Options

So, what does an employer look for when considering a legal secretary? Computer user skills and keyboard skills are topof the list, closely followed by an excellent aptitude for written English. Additionally lawyers need secretaries who are completely trustworthy and fair-minded, with very good practical and organisational abilities.

Whilst there are no real minimum qualifications to starting as a Legal Secretary, employers may look for GCSE's (especially in English and Maths.) Without doubt the one thing you must be confident about is your spelling.

An ability to use Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel and probably PowerPoint is essential - with particular emphasis on skills in Word. A good place to start would be with the ECDL, which teaches all user skills to an elementary level. Microsoft MOS or MCAS will take you to Proficient and Expert in all the relevant applications.

You'll find links and adverts from several training providers here, so it would be worthwhile bookmarking this page ('CTRL-D' will do the trick). That will allow you to refer back quickly if you want to visit any of their sites.

There are a considerable number of training courses covering general secretarial and office administration skills, and they can all offer you something. In some parts of the country competition for jobs can be high, so it's important to give yourself an advantage. Employers are looking for people who can bring benefits to their organisation so don't be afraid to blow your own trumpet - if you excel at something let them know how that skill could make their life easier. Check and double check your CV before you send it to an employer though. You could fall at the first hurdle if you're spelling's not up to snuff!

What Is My Route To Get In?

Many legal firms train their Legal Secretaries 'on-the-job', in order to precisely meet their exact requirements. Some organisations offer in-house training programmes and others may encourage employees to work towards external professional qualifications.

Training courses for legal secretaries cover a broad range of disciplines. Elementary courses will introduce you to legal paperwork and deal with legal working practices. Then there's the court system and structure and how laws are made. But the specialist area you're employed in will be where most attention is focused - and so you will most likely choose from family law, company law, criminal law, civil litigation, wills and probate or conveyancing.

Based on current prices, the average cost of a formal Legal Secretarial course is currently in the region of 500-1000 pounds. That figure is exclusive of any computer software skills training you might need - add in another 100 pounds or so for an ECDL, or considerably more for MOS/MCAS. Training usually involves some type of distance or blended learning facilities and students require access to a computer.

Legal Executive Training

If your ambitions go beyond the remit of Legal Secretary, you could progress onto becoming a Legal Executive in time. Legal Executives must continue training throughout their careers to keep abreast of the latest legal developments. Outside of the High Court, fully qualified and experienced Legal Executives can undertake many of the legal activities that solicitors do.

Nevertheless, many Legal Executives now work in the lower courts on certain applications and arbitrations. Their subject training and experience will determine which courts they have access to. Legal Executives often become the main point of contact for clients seeking professional advice on legal matters.

To sum up, training and gaining certifications for work as a legal secretary will give you the confidence to pursue a highly valued career path. Why not take a closer look now at some of the possible options open to you.