The law is an ever-changing area as legislation and case law is continually conceived. As a Legal Secretary, it is important to remain in touch with the law, and it is a part of your job which needs you to be on your toes. 

Professional-level job adverts used to state that candidates were required to be ‘computer literate’. As I remember, people used to interpret this nebulous phrase to mean anything from ‘can type’ to ‘knows how to program’ – and, of course, everything in between.

By the end of the 1990s the interpretation had standardised on ‘proficient in MS Word and Outlook’ or, if your skills were rather more enhanced, ‘can use the whole MS Office suite’. This remains the bread and butter of anyone’s computer skills, and having MS Office on your CV is more of a comfort factor for the reader these days.

Think about how happy your firm would be if you could take on more responsibility and be more productive in your role. If you were to further your knowledge of law, you could be more involved in legal procedures and save your employer precious time and money. Not only would it be beneficial for the company, but it would lead to greater job satisfaction for you.

If you find yourself falling behind in your studies through the Institute of Legal Secretaries and PAs, or with any other courses for that matter, the first and most important thing to do is avoid panicking! Almost every Student who has ever attempted a course of study has fallen behind at some point, so it is quite normal. If you need that little something extra to catch up with your studies, here are some tips that can help:

The current economic climate means some law firms are tightening their belts, so, as always, it is vitally important to stand out from the crowd if you want to fulfil your career potential. Over the next few issues of ILSPA’s Legal Secretary Journal, I’ll be offering advice on how you can both stand out and stay true to the career path of your choice.

I’ve been a recruitment consultant with Douglas Scott for the past two years, placing legal business support staff all over the UK. Prior to this I worked at the Co-operative Bank in a human resources role, and I’ve also provided a business support role. So I am delighted to help Legal Secretaries further their careers.

Perhaps the biggest lie on the Internet is saying, “Yes, I have read and agree to the above statement.” But if you want to obtain any service, you will have no choice but to agree with a company’s terms. This month we will be looking at the implications in contract law of clicking the ‘I agree’ box. 

Are these terms legally binding?

We would like to share how impressed we are with the standard of coursework we have been receiving for our Legal Secretaries Diploma course. Recently we have seen a very high number of Students achieving distinctions, which is no easy feat. Through gaining a distinction, Students show that they have a thorough understanding of various areas of law, can produce legal documents with the highest attention to detail and can follow instructions to perfection.

We recently saw massive changes in the way legal aid works in England and Wales. In a bid to cut legal aid budgets by over £350 million pounds a year, the Government have made several changes to the system and cut the availability of legal aid to a variety of civil as well as criminal law cases. The changes came into force in April 2013 and are, as predicted, resulting in changes in the way people deal with legal matters and, more specifically, a rapid rise in the number of people having to represent themselves in court. 

It is quite common to find yourself getting more interested in some parts of a course and struggling with certain other areas. Even if the course seems perfect for you, there may be some parts of the syllabus that you simply do not find as interesting as some other aspects of the course material. For instance, with the Legal Secretaries Diploma, you may find yourself more interested in specific areas of the law and less able to focus on other areas of study. 

Douglas Scott Legal Recruitment is helping to judge the inaugural Legal Support Staff Awards, which have been organised by GEM Legal Training and will take place at Bolton De Vere White’s hotel in September 2013.

Gemma Rush, pictured here, is a recruitment consultant at Douglas Scott.  She is judging the Legal Secretary of the Year award – tipped to be one of the busiest categories. Gemma has worked at Douglas Scott for over two years where she manages the legal support desk. Prior to joining Douglas Scott, she worked in human resources at the Co-operative Bank.

Recognising the employees who are so important to the success of law firms, the Legal Support Staff Awards are being organised by GEM Legal Training to assist legal firms across England and Wales by rewarding talent at every level of the business infrastructure.