One of the areas studied within ILSPA’s Legal Secretaries Diploma course is the law of negligence. This month we will be considering how the law in this area has developed and highlight some recent changes to the law on when a duty of care is owed.  

 The 1930s approach – “Love thy neighbour”  

Ever since the case of Donoghue v Stevenson in 1932 created the law of negligence, the test to prove that a defendant has been negligent has been a simple 3-part formula:-  

1) The claimant must be owed a duty;  

2) That duty must be breached; and  

3) The breach must cause the damage.  

This test is sometimes referred to as the “neighbour principle” and its creator, Lord Atkin, broadly based the principle on the biblical concept of treating your neighbour as you would like to be treated.  

A career as a virtual assistant is one that requires an entrepreneurial spirit, patience and expertise in a specific field. If you are thinking about becoming a legal virtual assistant, you must be prepared to handle a wide range of tasks from a remote location. With the right client, the work of a virtual assistant can be fulfilling, while providing great flexibility during the workday. 

What Is a Legal Virtual Assistant? 

When Leah Taylor decided to finally pursue her goal of becoming a Legal Secretary, the first thing she did was enrol on ILSPA’s Legal Secretaries Diploma course. Upon completion of her qualification, Leah secured a fantastic role at Clifford Chance. We caught up with her to find out all about her new position; how she secured the job and how she is using the knowledge and skills gained through the Diploma in her work.  

What did you do prior to studying to become a Legal Secretary? 

I worked for a business travel management company. My main role was to provide administrative assistance, but I also carried out a few other duties including covering reception and PA assistance for the Managing Director. 

Course providers will often use different methods to assess a student’s understanding of the course they are studying. Some courses may have exams, whereas others will use coursework. Practical Assessments are a type of coursework, and this article aims to answer some of the most common questions about them.

ILSPA’s Legal Secretaries Diploma is a vocational qualification, and as such it aims to teach the skills and knowledge required to allow graduates to enter employment upon completion of the course. The coursework is therefore made up of achievement tests to assess your knowledge and Practical Assessments to assess your application of this knowledge to a specific set of documents.

What are Practical Assessments?

We last reported on the topic of no-fault divorce in October of last year following the sad case of Tini Owens. The case highlighted a longstanding problem with divorce law which forces parties to find blame if they want to guarantee that the court can give permission for a divorce. Mrs Owens found herself in the ludicrous situation of trying to leave a loveless marriage described as “wretched” by one judge, however it was not found to be  wretched enough to satisfy the irretrievable breakdown requirement of current divorce legislation.  

When Gillian Roberts enrolled for ILSPA’s Legal Secretaries Diploma Course in 2018, it wasn’t her first foray into a legal education. She had previously completed an LLB law degree but had not continued into the sector after graduation. It is very common for law graduates to study our Legal Secretaries Diploma as an alternative route into their chosen industry. We wanted to speak to Gillian about her decision to return to the legal profession, why she felt the Legal Secretaries Diploma Course was a good step to aid her return and what the future holds for her. She also provided us with some fantastic advice for recent graduates looking to start their job search.    

What is your background and how did you become interested in working as a Legal Secretary?

Here is a selection of vacancies from our Legal Secretary Jobs Board this month:

Receptionist/Junior Secretary – Judge Sykes Frixou   

Location: London

Salary: Negotiable

Judge Sykes Frixou are looking for a # Legal Secretary Student or Graduate to join their firm as a Receptionist/Junior Secretary.

This is a perfect role for those that are coming towards the end, or have recently completed, their Legal Secretary Diploma with ILSPA.

View the full job description here:

https://www.institutelegalsecretaries.com/jobs/candidate/job/148053/

Family Legal Secretary – Clayton Legal    

Location: Manchester

Salary: £17,000 - £21,000 

Looking to take your career to the next level? Success is just around the corner: all it takes is dedication, determination and a desire to move forward in your professional journey. Of course, opportunities won’t fall from the sky: if you want to be considered for a promotion, the future is in your hands – it’s time to prove you’ve got what it takes to thrive in the next tier.

No matter the industry you work in, or the size of the organisation, your progression through the ranks will depend upon your ability to build on your skillset and handle increasing responsibilities. If you’re up to the challenge, your path to success should look something like this:

Stage 1: Developing talent

A common question that you should always be prepared to answer at a job interview is: “What can you bring to this role?” Interviewers like this question because it gives them an insight into what you know about the role, what skills you feel are important in the role and also what skills you have that make you a good fit for it.

“What can you bring to this role?” is actually a really positive question to be asked as an interviewee. It sets you up perfectly to boast your relevant skills, experience and how they will help you in the job you are interviewing for. It’s also a good opportunity to explain what you have to offer, that other applicants can’t. Despite this it can be a question that some candidates dread and are unsure about answering.

Nominations are now open for SecsintheCity’s 8th annual PA of the Year Awards

SecsintheCity – the UK’s only job board for PAs, EAs and Office Support Professionals – is looking for the most talented and dedicated PAs, EAs and Office Managers to be winners at their eighth annual PA of the Year Awards.

Sponsored by specialist PA recruitment consultancy Tay Associates, the PA of the Year Awards acknowledge and celebrate the business-critical support that Personal Assistants provide to the companies and individuals for whom they work.

Chief Executive of Tay Associates, Susanna Tait, reiterates that the awards were created “to champion the profession and acknowledge the significant contributions that PAs and EAs make to the organisations they work for.”