Legal Secretarial Careers & Secretarial Diplomas
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. Let's first explore what legal secretarial work actually involves and then work backwards to look at the training you might need to get into the industry.
The core duty of a legal secretary is typing letters and other legal documents such as Wills, Contracts and Leases etc. Depending on the size of the business, there may also be supplementary admin jobs to take care of as well. Equally you might have to deal with legal enquiries from potential clients, or even take notes in court.
Many legal secretaries start off as general secretaries, but increasingly those who've specialised are being considered more suitable. Law firms usually specialise, for example in criminal law, civil law or corporate law. Consequently a legal secretary's work could range from Conveyancing to Probate to Divorce settlements.
That said, although those who work in large companies tend to deal in more specialised areas, a legal secretary in a small practice may handle many areas of the law.
The job itself is mainly office-based, and the majority of work will be done on the computer (although that can vary from firm to firm.) It's unlikely you'll be expected to work any anti-social hours - most legal secretaries finish around 5pm and only work on weekdays. Salaries vary from up to 15K at entry level to over 30K for an experienced professional.
Legal Secretarial Training Options
OK - so which skills and competencies does an employer seek the most? First and foremost you'll need to prove that you have excellent keyboard skills and a very good understanding of certain computer user skills. In addition, you should have a genuine interest in legal matters, be well organised and scrupulously accurate.
Employers may stipulate certain academic qualifications, though usually this is just to demonstrate an aptitude level. As you would expect, a good working knowledge of English grammar, spelling and punctuation is fairly essential to the whole process.
As Microsoft Office products are the industry standard, you should be able to demonstrate advanced skills in Microsoft Word. Most legal secretaries can also use PowerPoint, Outlook and Excel. 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.
As you'll find a number of trainers featured here, you might like to Bookmark this reference page - a handy shortcut for this is to simply type in 'Ctrl D'. That way you'll find it easily if you want to come back and explore any of them.
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. Always present yourself in your best light - show how you can contribute to the business as a whole. Ultimately though, prepare yourself with professional skills and just be yourself - hopefully your natural charm and enthusiasm will shine through.
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Because of the precise nature of some legal companies, it's not uncommon for legal secretaries to receive on the job training in certain areas. The bigger law firms may have their own training schemes, but it's more common for individuals to study alongside their job with an outside training provider.
Training specifically for legal secretarial work features a diverse range of topics. You could begin by looking at the different types of legal documents and how they are prepared. Plus of course you'll need a grounding in the English (or Scottish) legal system.
More specific subjects looked at (from the legal secretary's perspective) might be Contract Law, Civil Litigation, Land Law, Conveyancing, Wills and Probate.
Training prices range from a few hundred pounds to around a thousand pounds, but of course that depends on how much you need to learn. 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. Most training courses are predominantly home-based and can be done on a PC or laptop.
Developing Into a Legal Executive
You might in time also consider the role of Legal Executive. This is a position midway between the Legal Secretary and the Lawyer. With the exception of representing clients in the High Court, most of their activities can be similar to other lawyers.
Nevertheless, many Legal Executives now work in the lower courts on certain applications and arbitrations. Any work they do will of course depend upon the subject matter they've trained in. Most of the wide ranges of disciplines open to other lawyers are also open to legal execs.
Building a fascinating and valuable career as a Legal Secretary will take you right to the heart of UK law. Take the steps now to discover the right training choices for you.
