Have a great career as a Legal Secretary

The prospects for Legal Secretaries are very good - they have the opportunity to earn high salaries and they are in big demand.  Law firms across the country are crying out for good Legal Secretaries and you could have a great career by obtaining the right knowledge and skills.

Legal Secretaries assist in the smooth running of law firms by giving administrative support to Lawyers. They are significant members of a team of professionals who work together and their roles have become well respected. The work of a Legal Secretary varies and can be very interesting as they deal with a wide range of legal and business issues, combining their skills with modern technology.

Law firms can specialise in areas such as Criminal Law or Conveyancing, whilst others will deal with a wider range of fields such as Civil Litigation, Matrimonial and Civil Partnership Law or Probate and Administration, to name but a few.

A Legal Secretary should have excellent secretarial skills with a knowledge of law and legal procedures. They must be computer literate and have a good standard of written and spoken English. Good communication skills are essential for dealing with clients and creating sound relationships with colleagues.  Time management is important for prioritising work and meeting deadlines.

The general duties of a Legal Secretary can include:

• Preparing and typing letters, legal forms and documents
• Organising and filing correspondence, legal forms and documents
• Answering telephone calls and taking accurate messages
• Compiling letters or legal documents from dictation
• Preparing Court forms and statements
• Attending Court
• Arranging appointments and meetings
• Liaising with clients
• Sending e-mails and using the Internet

Legal Secretaries can go far if they are enthusiastic, dedicated and diligent.  Career prospects are  extremely good as the more experience gained, the more pay offered.  Legal Secretaries can be promoted to PAs or office managers and some go on to become Paralegals or Legal Executives as their role provides them with a good grounding in law and legal procedures.

The Institute of Legal Secretaries and PAs provides the Legal Secretaries Diploma course which is an excellent course for those wanting to qualify as Legal Secretaries.  It has been designed for those who have secretarial skills and would like to gain the legal knowledge and skills that they need.    The course teaches Students the general procedures of being a Legal Secretary, legal terminology, many different areas of law and how to prepare and type the legal forms, documents and letters.  It is very comprehensive, extremely popular and nationally recognised.  Students can study by evening class in London or from Distance Learning at home.  Please take a look at the Institute's website if you are interested in enrolling: www.institutelegalsecretaries.com