What is Civil Law?
When some people think of the legal profession, they often think of criminal law. This is not surprising, as there are many popular television programmes about criminals and the criminal justice system. Civil law is often less dramatic and very much a part of our normal lives, and so it is often overlooked. However, civil law is a vitally important part of our society, even if people are unaware of how it affects them.
A student with the Institute of Legal Secretaries and PAs, and any law student for that matter, will soon realise how vast a concept civil law really is. Of the seven ‘pillars’ that make up the English legal system, six of these are devoted to civil law and criminal law accounts for only one lonely pillar.
What is civil law?
Here is a selection of vacancies from our 
Imagine that you are an employer with one vacancy to fill and an array of hopeful candidates’ CVs. What attributes would a CV have to possess to separate it from the pile? What would intrigue you about a candidate enough for you to take the next step to invite them for an interview?
As part of our regular practice updates, this month we will be considering the latest proposals for expanding ‘e-justice’ in the civil court system. The Civil Justice Council has called for the creation of an online court within the next two years. This would be a radical overhaul of the current UK court system. Key features would include virtual courtrooms, a lawyer-free environment and the possibility of services similar to the eBay disagreement negotiating procedure. The online system would be for claims of up to £25,000, and the idea is backed by Lord Dyson, the master of the rolls, who is head of the civil judiciary in England and Wales.
The Institute has a great team of people who help our Students achieve their goals. Maria Richards has been assisting Students with their queries and marking coursework for nearly eight years now. Her role within the company is of great value, and you can learn more about her here.
Assertiveness is a direct, honest and respectful way of behaving and interacting with others. It is seen as one of the most desirable forms of human behaviour as it leads to honest and healthy relationships. As a Legal Secretary, the ability to be assertive will help you greatly in your career to communicate effectively with your colleagues and boss.
How can you advance in your chosen career as a Legal Secretary? I am retired now, but when I was practicing law, over a period of very many years I developed a habit with regard to my Legal Secretaries: I encouraged them to act as a team and to see themselves as part of the bigger picture.
Legal Secretary Vacancies January 2017
Can you imagine the difficulties you would face going through law school as a deaf person? The image in our heads is most probably one of us relying almost exclusively on our powers of sight to intake any information presented to us. Can you imagine, then, taking away the power of sight also? Now imagine that the law school in question is Harvard, noted as one of the top law schools in the world, regarded for both its remarkable academic excellence and prestigious previous alumni. This is the story of Haben Girma, a truly inspirational Eritrean-American woman who overcame these momentous hurdles and became the first deaf-blind graduate of Harvard Law School.