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Simple Steps - How To Become A Legal Secretary

There are no precisely defined routes into the role of Legal Secretary, but there are some key skills that many employers will be looking for. We'll discuss here what the job involves, and cover possible training paths into the industry.

Legal secretaries must be highly proficient in touch typing, shorthand and audio in order to prepare official documents for lawyers. In addition, those who work for small companies may well cover general administrative tasks as well. 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. Lawyers most often have their own specialities, such as criminal law for example. 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. The work is mostly done during standard office hours, and although positions are usually full-time you will find some part-time work being advertised. The expected starting salary is generally around 13-15k, but can go on to reach 30k plus, depending on your skill-set and experience.

Legal Secretarial Certification & Training Requirements

Which skills are most important to a future employer? High importance will be placed on excellent audio-typing abilities and copy speeds (60wpm plus - ideally reaching 70wpm or more).

Additionally lawyers need secretaries who are completely trustworthy and fair-minded, with very good practical and organisational abilities.

Passes in English and Maths at GCSE level should be offered as a minimum. The need for a confident approach to grammar, punctuation and spelling goes without saying. An ability to use Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel and probably PowerPoint is essential - with particular emphasis on skills in Word.

For training to Proficient or Expert level in all the necessary Microsoft applications, the training to look at is Microsoft Office Specialist (MS Office 2003) or Microsoft Certified Application Specialist (MS Office 2007).

You'll notice a selection of colleges on this page. If you hold down the ctrl button on your keyboard and type 'D', you can bookmark this site. That way you'll find it easily if you want to come back and explore any of them. There are some very good business admin and general secretarial courses on offer from UK colleges - these can certainly help.

With many Legal Secretaries coming into the industry from other secretarial roles, it's fair to say that the competition has increased. When you get a chance to let an employer know what you can do, be sure to display the characteristics that they're looking for. To get an interview in the first place you must ensure your CV presents the right image - any mistakes here would take you straight off the short-list!

What Do I Have To Do Next?

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. This could mean being mentored from within the company, or (more usually) it could mean studying for external exams.

Lots of interesting things are taught on legal secretarial courses. In the first place you need to have an understanding about the key factors concerning legal documentation. Plus of course you'll need a grounding in the English (or Scottish) legal system. Then there are the specifics which will be dependent on your career path - be that civil litigation, company law, family law etc.

The cost of training depends on what you do, but most legal secretaries pay several hundred pounds to learn their skills. (That would usually not include professional computer training, although some reference may be made to it.) Many specialist secretarial colleges have been successfully training students for several decades. Their programmes have been proven over time.

Training as 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. 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.

Because of the Extended Rights of Audience that now exist though, many Legal Executives are successfully representing people in the Family Proceedings Courts, The County Courts and the Magistrates Courts.

Specialised training is relevant here as well as course. Most of the wide ranges of disciplines open to other lawyers are also open to legal execs. So to re-cap, training to become a Legal Secretary can lead to a very fulfilling and rewarding career. Shouldn't you start immediately to uncover the possibilities waiting for you?