Legal secretary jobs in London
In the world of office administration, few positions are considered as prestigious as that of legal secretary. Charged with the responsibility of ensuring the smooth running of law firms and legal departments, these highly professional individuals are generally well-qualified and equally well-remunerated. Moreover, such a role often provides an excellent foundation for a career as a barrister’s clerk or legal executive. In fact, individuals hoping to embark upon such a vocation are encouraged to gain expertise as legal secretaries in London and surrounding UK cities.
If you’re ready to begin your profession as a legal secretary, you’ll need to ensure that you possess the necessary skills, qualifications and expertise required by such a position. Continue reading to learn more about this particular branch of administrative support, and to find out whether you are the ideal candidate for a job as a legal secretary in London.
Legal secretarial jobs: Qualifications and skills required
For those wishing to pursue a career as a legal secretary, demonstrating the proficiencies and specialised knowledge required by the role is absolutely essential. Basic administrative tasks aside, legal secretaries are also expected to display industry-specific skills and have an understanding of various aspects of the law. A firm specialising in civil litigation, for example, might well seek a candidate with excellent secretarial skills combined with a specialised qualification in civil litigation.
The Institute of Legal Secretaries and PAs, an organisation dedicated to promoting excellence and professionalism within the sector, offers a variety of highly-focused courses aimed at individuals who wish to specialise in one aspect of law. Although, technically, legal secretaries are not compelled to have a tertiary qualification, employers tend to favour candidates who have completed recognised legal secretarial courses. This said, it is generally a candidate’s work experience that lends the greatest weight to his or her application.
The main qualification of the Institute of Legal Secretaries and PAs is the Legal Secretaries Diploma course. This course is very comprehensive and covers 7 areas of law. It provides students with the legal knowledge and skills they need in order to work as Legal Secretaries and is nationally recognised. Many firms of Solicitors throughout the country enrol their secretaries on to the course as they view it as an essential qualification to obtain.
Another educational facility that provides top-notch training for aspirant legal secretaries is the Institute of Legal Executives Paralegal Programmes (ILEXPP). This organisation offers law-based qualifications for non-lawyers, and also enables working students to gain valuable experience whilst completing their diplomas or certificates. The ILEXPP offers courses throughout the City & Guilds group of training providers.
Essentially, employers seek the “entire package”: A professional individual with specialised legal secretarial training and sharp administrative skills. This is because these secretaries will be expected to complete a variety of tasks, many of which are centralised on the workings of the legal profession. Such duties may include compiling legal forms, attending court and preparing court statements and documentation, and organising legal paperwork. By completing a specialised course, such as the Legal Secretaries Diploma offered by the Institute of Legal Secretaries and PAs, potential candidates will be well-equipped to perform the highly-focused tasks assigned to them.
Wages, hours and outlook of UK legal secretarial jobs
The demand for skilled legal secretaries in London and the UK is generally quite high, and thus ample employment opportunities exist for capable individuals to join this sector. Despite the sedentary nature of the position, the job can be stressful and, at times, extremely demanding – particularly for legal PAs who fulfil senior administrative roles that support lawyers and other legal executives. The need may arise for a legal secretary to travel to courts and prisons, but generally, tasks are performed in the office, between the hours of 9am and 5pm (these hours may, however, vary between companies).
Legal secretaries, particularly those with relevant qualifications and significant industry-related expertise, are able to command fairly high salaries – especially if they are employed in London, Leeds, Manchester or Edinburgh. Newly-qualified candidates who have not yet established themselves in the industry may find themselves earning between £10,000 and £14,000 annually. This figure is usually directly proportional to proficiency and experience, and thus highly-skilled legal secretaries employed by leading law firms may be rewarded with packages of up to £25,000 per year.
Positions exist for legal secretaries in a number of different employment sectors in the UK. Candidates may find jobs in law courts, barristers’ chambers, law firms, corporate and insurance companies, law enforcement organisations and even estate agencies. Promotion may occur in larger companies (i.e: into such roles as PA, senior secretary or office manager). However, in smaller firms, promotion may only be achieved by changing firms.
It is important to note that the Scottish legal system is a separate entity from the English legal system, and thus it is only possible to move between the two with sufficient experience and training.
Begin your career today by searching for the ideal London legal secretary position at LondonCareers.net!
