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Getting Into Secretarial Work With Receptionist Courses

To become a Legal Secretary you will need to acquire a number of key skills, although there isn't one specific certification to get you there. Firstly we'll cover day to day aspects of the job, and then we'll take a look at the type of training that might be relevant.

The principal activity for all legal secretaries involves the preparation of legal documents and paperwork on behalf of barrister's, solicitors or legal executives. Depending on the size of the business, there may also be supplementary admin jobs to take care of as well. The work becomes more specialist when, for example, you have to attend the magistrate's court or a police cell with one of the company's solicitors.

A lot of legal secretaries started their careers in a more general secretarial role, but employment chances are always better for those who've had some legal training. Solicitors themselves tend to specialise - some deal with civil law and others with criminal law. So your knowledge will build depending on where you work - it could be you gain employment with a solicitor who handles wills and probate for instance. The size of office you work in will also determine how specialised your work is likely to be - firms with several legal secretaries may allocate one speciality to each.

Although the work varies between companies, the majority of it will be office and PC based. It's unlikely you'll be expected to work any anti-social hours - most legal secretaries finish around 5pm and only work on weekdays.

The expected starting salary is generally around 13-15k, but can go on to reach 30k plus, depending on your skill-set and experience.

Certification and Training

So, what does a legal secretary need on her/his CV? High importance will be placed on excellent audio-typing abilities and copy speeds (60wpm plus - ideally reaching 70wpm or more). In addition, you should have a genuine interest in legal matters, be well organised and scrupulously accurate.

Some employers will ask for academic qualifications, but there isn't a set standard across the board. Naturally, spelling and grammar are key skills for the job, and no professional should rely on spell-check. A working knowledge of Microsoft Word will be expected, and knowledge of other Microsoft applications a definite advantage. An ECDL (European Computer Driving Licence) is a good starting point - but the more advanced Microsoft MOS/MCAS Office Expert certifications would certainly impress more.

As there are a number of training course providers on this site, here's a quick tip - Press Ctrl and D at the same time and you can Bookmark this webpage for easy reference. Then when you have time to check them out you can come straight back in seconds.

Some of the training colleges offer very helpful advice for people looking to get started in secretarial work. As many people want to get into this type of work, you need to have a good edge. When you apply for work, list everything you can contribute that's constructive and relevant to the job, but don't spend too long on unrelated issues. (Watch your CV - in a job that places priority on accuracy of documentation, you don't want to drop a clanger here!)

I'm Interested - Tell Me More...

As we mentioned earlier many companies are highly specialised, and so legal secretaries often receive training on specifics once they're in the job. Sometimes that involves training in the workplace itself, and other times it means continuing to do more advanced external training.

Legal secretarial training covers many areas. You might start by learning about legal forms and documents and confidentiality procedures. Other modules might deal with the legal system itself, or how a court is structured. However the bulk of your studies will probably focus on the subject matter relevant to your law firm's expertise, which might be Land Law, Family Law, Criminal Law or one or more of many other legal areas.

Professional training to become a Legal Secretary usually costs in the region of 600 to 850 pounds, but expect to pay more in some areas.

Certain PC skills may be included in the training, but for professional certifications refer to specialist IT Training Providers. Many specialist secretarial colleges have been successfully training students for several decades. Their programmes have been proven over time.

Training as a Legal Executive

Many Legal Secretaries eventually go on to study a Legal Executive programme. This would provide for a more senior legal position with great prospects. Legal Executives are able to carry out most of the same tasks as solicitors, (with the exception of High Court work) but work under the supervision of a solicitor. In the lower courts however, certain legal executives can represent their clients in the same way any other lawyer can. This depends though upon the field of expertise in which they're trained. As with other lawyers, legal execs can cover a wide range of disciplines.

Our aim in this information sheet has been to give you a taste of how life could be for you as a professional Legal Secretary. It's down to you now to explore how you can turn your dreams and goals into reality.