We at ILSPA believe that, with the right initiative, our students have the potential to reach any goal that they aspire to. This belief has been supported recently in the case of Jacqueline McGuigan, former Legal Secretary, now Lawyer, who rose to media fame due to a significant employment law case. This achievement stands as a testimony to the fact that Legal Secretaries with talent, ambition and motivation have unlimited potential within the legal sector and could even go on to winning cases that are reported in the national news.

Our Legal Secretaries Diploma course is greatly valued by both our Students and the law firms in which they secure employment. Law firms around the country hold our Diploma in high regard and often cite it for the reason that they chose to employ a candidate. We also have firms enrolling their staff on our courses to gain the legal knowledge and skills they need. Our Legal Secretaries Diploma enables students to advance their professional skills, elevating their performance to exemplary standards whilst providing them with a solid basis of legal knowledge and procedure. Our students are empowered to become an asset within their workplace, providing a superior service to the benefit of the companies that appoint them.

The Internet must easily rank as being the best invention of the late 20th century. The ease in which we are now able to communicate with each other around the world really is worth its weight in gold. And alas, this is exactly how more and more unscrupulous individuals feel about the potential opportunities to exploit others and even steal using the World Wide Web.

We have all heard about the dangers of e-mail scammers lurking on the Internet and now realise that we have to protect ourselves from these attacks. This is now more prevalent within the legal industry than ever before, with around 500 law firms having been targeted in a recent e-mail scam from one source alone, as reported by the Solicitors’ Regulation Authority (SRA).

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

Legal PA – Litigation – Owen Reed
Location: London
Salary: Up to £37,500

Owen Reed is looking for a Legal PA for a Law firm based in London. The successful candidate must have two years' previous experience in a law firm, an accurate typing speed of at least 60 words per minute, knowledge of Microsoft Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, Excel, research tools and other systems. You are also required to have excellent customer service skills and telephone manner, excellent communication, organisational and team skills as well as excellent attention to detail.

Modern technology has simplified many aspects of our lives, both personally and commercially. It has been possible to shop or take out contracts and arrange finance electronically for some years now. However, the conveyancing industry has been slow to adapt to, or to adopt, the new technologies available. 

Much of the house-buying process is still conducted manually, with the process usually taking at least two months to complete. While there are companies that do carry out conveyancing online, the paperwork still requires a wet signature, which slows the process as well as carrying a risk of paperwork being lost in the post.

If you have been studying ILSPA’s Legal Secretaries Diploma course, you will already have a good understanding of the way in which the common law system of England came into existence. Our legal system – as well as other legal systems throughout the world, such as those in Australia, India and South Africa – is based on common law.

What is common law?

Agile working is becoming more and more popular in many sectors, including the legal profession. But what is it, and how could you and your firm benefit?

What is agile working?

Agile working is a form of flexible working, which allows people to work at times and in places to suit their individual needs as long as they meet defined goals. While traditional flexible working is seen as a benefit solely to the employee, agile working has been shown to be beneficial to both the employee and the employer.

How does it work?

Through making best use of modern technology, employees are able to perform their work duties from any location. When remote access to company databases and servers is enabled, employees are able to access all the information they need to complete their work wherever they are, and share it with their employer. 

This New Year’s honours list brought with it an inspiring and encouraging tale for our Members and for all those starting out in the legal field. Janet Cooper, partner and co-founder of the Yorkshire-based niche law firm Tapestry Compliance LLP, who began her career as a secretary before graduating in law, has been appointed Officer of the British Empire (OBE). Her services to gender equality, women’s empowerment and employee share ownership have gained her overwhelming recognition within her field, elevating her to be regarded amongst Britain’s most invaluable members of society.

This month we are focusing on a survival guide for how couples can reach a financial settlement on their own when divorcing or ending a civil partnership. We will highlight key principles that should be considered and how the courts reach their decisions if a court order is needed. 

Overview of the law

When financial orders are made by the court, normally the spouses’ financial needs and the needs of any children of the family are the main focus of the case. When the assets involved in a case are more than enough to cover needs, then additional considerations may apply, such as what assets were brought into the marriage or the parties’ behaviour.

Making an agreement without going to court

Good communication skills are a key part of being successful. Being able to effectively communicate as an individual or in a team will help you to generate good relationships between individuals, better understand objectives and resolve problems more easily. We are all capable of communicating effectively and use a range of different skills to achieve this every day. 

Different types of communication

Communication is about sending and receiving messages. You might do this using speech, text and body language. To receive communication, you not only have to be a good listener, but you should also use your other senses to understand any non-verbal messages that are being sent. Is the person speaking to you upset or calm? Are they frowning or smiling? We will consider written, verbal and non-verbal communication and try to establish what makes someone good at each.