If you can minimise nervousness in the run-up to your interview, you’ll be in a good position to perform well on the day. It’s worth remembering, though, that a few nerves and being under a little stress can be good for you, according to the latest medical research. Being under slight stress is likely to fire you up, make you more alert, able to tune out distractions and think creatively – all great aids to an impressive job interview! Interviewers expect you to be a little nervous too, and will take that into account. 

The Institute of Legal Secretaries and PAs offers a variety of popular distance learning courses which will help you to advance your legal knowledge and skills. Our Legal Secretaries Diploma and Single Subject Legal courses are studied by thousands of Students throughout the UK and overseas.

Distance learning courses are sought by Students each year because of the benefits this study method offers. Attending a college or university can be beneficial to receive direct contact with a tutor; however, studying the course at home brings its own benefits.

In review, 2013 proved a mixed year for UK law jobs. Against a backdrop of the planned changes to Legal Aid provision and personal injury law and regular news of law firms falling into administration – particularly at the mid-tier level – there was generally felt to be more optimism about law job prospects and salaries than has been felt in the previous three or four years. 

At Simply Law Jobs, we can confirm an upward trend in law job postings, which is extremely encouraging for our registered jobseekers. Our figures show that during 2013 the number of law vacancies posted rose by 16% compared to the previous year – up from 117,258 in 2012 to a massive 136,362 in 2013.

The year 2014 is very important for employment law. The current laws were introduced in the mid-1990s, so with it being nearly 20 years later, it stands to reason the UK government would be looking to change employment laws to meet current requirements and changes that have occurred to employment as a whole. Several proposed changes have been put into the works, with most of the employment changes occurring in April 2014. These new laws will have a greater impact on some employees than on others.

“The single biggest problem with communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” George Bernard Shaw

Those legal professionals who are effective in client communications are those who stop, for just a moment, to reflect upon who their clients are, the client’s personal makeup and whether they are in the legal field familiar with legal terminology. To be effective is to know that both the receiver’s and the communicator’s interests and backgrounds are considered. That means a good communicator has listened to his receiver.

If you are preparing for a legal secretary job interview, make sure you don’t stumble on a question that many people simply forget to plan for, and live to regret. “Tell us what you can bring to this role?” is an incredibly obvious question, and you’re guaranteed to hear it at just about any job interview.

Yet somehow many of us struggle to have a knockout answer lined up, and therefore risk not sounding committed to the job in question and failing to sell ourselves effectively.

In front of a packed and vocal crowd attending the annual Legal PA of the Year awards ceremony, Gemma Boyle from Addleshaw Goddard (Manchester) was named 2013 Legal PA of the Year.

Gemma, still very emotional and dazed after receiving her award, said: “I just want to say how honoured I am that everyone at AG felt I was good enough to be nominated - let alone shortlisted or even win! Everyone at AG has been very supportive over the last 10 years and I feel fortunate that I get to work for Andrew and the Delivering Differently team and help lead the exciting changes the firm is making. I'm really looking forward to the next 10 years at AG!”

Child abduction by a parent has reportedly doubled since 2003-2004, stated the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). In 2003-2004, 272 new cases of child abduction by a parent were reported. In 2012-2013, 580 cases were reported. In an attempt to solve this increasingly troubling situation, ‘Caught in the Middle’, a film, was recently published on YouTube. The film looks at the children who suffer the most from parental disagreements that lead to abduction.

According to the statistics and legal advisers helping to bring children home, many of these cases occur around Christmas or after summer holidays. These two times of year are considered the most stressful, which can lead to rash thinking from one parent. Abduction is detrimental to the child, who is suddenly removed from their parent, friends and familiar homeland.

This month we are considering how the rapidly changing area of civil litigation has fared over the past year. There have been several articles in the Journal about the recommendations made by Lord Justice Jackson in his wide-ranging review in 2010. This review and the recommendations he made came into force in April this year as part of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012. Many have suggested that we are now experiencing the most significant changes to civil litigation in nearly 15 years. So how effective have the changes been, and what have they done to the legal profession?

Damages-based agreements

The new year is a great time to make a fresh start and focus on what you would like to do to improve your life in both personal and professional ways. You may think about behaving more mindfully with your family, friends or colleagues; working more efficiently in your job; or dedicating more time to your studies.

Naturally, we have a fundamental human desire to better ourselves and to gain a sense of fulfilment in what we do. Willpower alone is often not enough to make changes. We can, however, hone skills to help us create a successful life.