What does a Legal Secretary do?
Every legal firm needs a good legal secretary. Being a Legal Secretary is a specialist role which can be a demanding and challenging role, but the rewards and job satisfaction of being in such a varied role means that this is an exciting area to build a career in.
Legal Secretaries provide administrative support to lawyers, legal executives and paralegals. One of the main areas the role focuses on is the typing out of legal documents, either copy or audio typing, such as wills, contracts, leases and court documents, depending on whether or not they are working in a specific legal department. If you were working in a Solicitors office you may find that often the Legal Secretary will attend Court session or police cells with the Solicitor. Often you will find they also provide support for the day-to-day office tasks such as organising diaries, taking enquiries from clients and other general administration duties.
Where do Legal Secretaries work?
A Legal Secretary can work in a number of areas such as in a Solicitors, Barristers Chambers, Courts, Local Authorities, Police Force and Financial Institutions to name a few.
Some law firms specialise in very specific areas such a criminal law for example. Many though will have departments within the company that deal with various legal matters such as property (conveyancing) law and family law and so on.
In smaller more local legal firms, Legal Secretaries will often support different departments within the company so will have a wide range of knowledge and experience across all areas. Typically in larger firms, Legal Secretaries will be working within a specific area so will specialise in one, maybe two, areas of law.
What skills/training do you need to become a Legal Secretary?
There are no specific entry qualifications to become a Legal Secretary but more often than not, as it is a specialist role, employers will have a list of basic skills requirements they are looking for which could include: -
- Typing skills – most firms will look for the ability to both copy and audio type at excellent speeds
- Experience and ability to use common Microsoft Office packages
- GCSE level grades, specifically in English as employers will appreciate those with a good standard of spelling and grammar
- Legal office specific qualifications from an organisation such as CILEx (The Chartered Institute for Legal Executives).
If possible, you will need to have some knowledge of the common legal terminology used. Some firms will train you on this when you start the role if you don’t already have this but there are numerous training courses which will help you gain knowledge in all the necessary areas. Having these specialised areas of knowledge, when applying for positions, would help massively in setting you apart from other candidates. This is what our Legal Secretarial courses here at Pitman Training do – as well as more general skills, the diploma focuses on role specific training, thereby setting you ahead of the competition in the jobs market and offers the opportunity to gain renowned professional qualifications.
In terms of soft skills employers may be looking for, the most common areas they will look at in a potential employee would be:
- Having a polite, friendly and professional manner
- Good communication skills
- Discrete and trustworthy – this is extremely important within any company but especially within legal firms
- Experience of working accurately, to deadlines with a good eye for detail
In the main, one of the best ways to ensure you can find a good, well paid role as a Legal Secretary would be to source a recognised, dedicated Legal Secretarial training programme.
What could you earn working as a Legal Secretary?
Salaries obviously vary from region to region and also are dependent on experience.
For example, trained, experienced Legal Secretaries in Leeds or Manchester can expect a salary of between £20,000 to £25,000.
Whereas, if you are based in London, top Legal Secretaries can expect to earn in the range of £30,000 to £35,000 per annum working in established legal firms.
Our Legal Secretarial Training
Here at Pitman Training we have a range of courses available specifically tailored towards those looking for a career as a Legal Secretary. Take a look below at the Courses and Diplomas we offer. If you want to discuss your career aspirations or find out more about our training, get in touch today!
