News/Events

Career Legal say that 2016 may already be a year in which only the brave can confidently predict an outcome with certainty – but they can review the past 12 months with clarity and offer you a snapshot of our current market salaries with precision and authority.

Candidate Survey

For the second year running, Career Legal have conducted a survey with their candidates covering:
•    Salary and Bonus
•    Benefits

Over 1,500 candidates completed the questionnaire as part of their registration process and the data was compiled in-house. The questions were answered as follows:

A member of Hethertons Solicitors team has been awarded a lifetime Membership of the Institute of Legal Secretaries and PAs (ILSPA) for her outstanding work at the leading firm.
 
Karen Chirnside has received Fellowship Membership from the organisation having satisfied the strict requirements of the Institute, which include at least six years of experience as a Legal Secretary.
 
Speaking after receiving the award, Karen said: ‘I am absolutely delighted to be admitted as a lifetime fellow of ILSPA. It is nice to receive recognition for the work and commitment put in to my role at Hethertons.’
 
Karen works within Hethertons’ Private Client department, where she provides support to the practice’s team of experienced solicitors.
 

           The Professional Paralegal
               Register Conference
                            on 
                      21 April 2016
                             at 
      Wybston Lakes Executive Centre
          Great North Road, Wybston
                        MK44 3AL
 

The Professional Paralegal Register (PPR) is delighted to invite ILSPA members to attend the first-ever Paralegal Conference to have been organised in England and Wales. A special rate of £40 per ticket is available for ILSPA members.

Legal Secretaries who perform any kind of legal work are, by definition, Paralegals. The PPR recognises that many Legal Secretaries undertake substantial legal work and could benefit from further professional recognition as a PPR member.

The Institute of Legal Secretaries and PAs is very pleased to support *office with their valuable event this year.  There will be a wealth of excellent seminars and exhibitors available to assist you in your working life.

With visitor registration now open, office* – the award-winning business event for executive office support professionals, taking place at the new venue of ExCeL London on 11-12 May, has announced Libby Moore, former EA/chief of staff to Oprah Winfrey, as its first Keynote speaker for 2016.

Renowned for attracting a host of ‘inspirational’ big names from around the world, former headline Keynote speakers include Karren Brady, Deborah Meaden, Zelda La Grange, former PA to Nelson Mandela, Judith Croasdell, former PA to Professor Stephen Hawking, Freda Kelly, former secretary to The Beatles’ manager Brian Epstein, Margaret Mountford, Michelle Mone and Jacqueline Gold.

ILSPA’s Scholarship Scheme enables one Student each year to study our Legal Secretaries Diploma course for free. ILSPA would like to offer financial support to someone who may not be able to fund the course themselves, enabling him or her to have a successful Legal Secretary career.  

The application process for our Scholarship Scheme is open until 31 March 2016, and the successful applicant will be informed on 11 April 2016. If you are interested in applying for our Scholarship Scheme, or if you know anyone who would benefit from it, you can request an application form by emailing us at info@institutelegalsecretaries.com.

Our Annual Awards Scheme Is Back – Bigger and Better!

Shining a light on the legal world’s most inspirational support staff, the Legal Support Awards ceremony is attended and fully supported by legal industry leaders. Our awards are unique, because they are dedicated purely to legal support staff.

This year we are back at The Brewery London on 25th February 2016, with new award categories and fantastic prizes up for grabs, plus a superb panel of judges and keynote speakers from some of the largest and most successful law firms in the world.

Winning one of our awards is the ultimate recognition and is recognised throughout the legal industry. What better accolade could there be for your firm or to put on your CV?

Open Categories for 2016:

As announced in the July edition of DEDICATED – The Legal Secretary Journal, the nominations for the Secs in the City PA of the Year Awards 2015 are now open. One of the objectives of ILSPA is to ensure that Legal Secretaries and PAs receive the recognition that their skills and knowledge deserve. We thought that now would be the ideal opportunity to speak to the current Legal PA of the Year, Rachel Newman, and find out how she felt about winning the award last year, why she believes that recognition for Legal PAs is so important, and what tips she has for newer Legal PAs just starting their careers.

Please tell us a little about yourself and your role at Hogan Lovells

SecsintheCity, the UK’s #1 job site for PAs, EAs and Secretaries, has announced that nominations are now open for the PA of the Year Awards 2015.

Sponsored by recruitment specialists Tay Associates, the awards recognise the professionalism of PAs and acknowledge their contribution to the organisations they work for, with previous finalists representing leading brands such as Facebook, M&C Saatchi, Ann Summers, Royal Mail and Mercedes.

Nominations can be made through an online nomination form, and are welcomed from PAs and EAs in all sectors, for the following categories:

• PA of the Year
• Interim PA of the Year
• Legal PA of the Year
• Social Media PA of the Year

Emily Penny, head of sales for SecsintheCity, said: “We’re delighted to announce that the PA of the Year Awards ceremony will take place in November 2015.

We are delighted to announce that our new Legal Secretary Jobs Board is live. The new Jobs Board has been created so that it integrates with our main website and is more user friendly.

ILSPA’s Legal Secretary Jobs Board specialises in Legal Secretary jobs throughout the UK. We advertise vacancies from law firms and recruitment agencies, and aggregate Legal Secretary jobs from Indeed.co.uk.

Candidates can apply for Legal Secretary jobs and upload their CVs for employers to view. Our Jobs Board holds a wide range of vacancies, from junior and trainee positions to those that require someone with secretarial skills and a Legal Secretary qualification, and others that require experience.

ILSPA has introduced a fantastic new Membership scheme. As from 1 July 2015, ILSPA Members will be able to renew their Membership for a one-off fee of £50. This will entitle them to Lifetime Membership of the Institute.

Rather than Members renewing each year and paying a fee of £35, they will only need to renew their Membership once, and they will receive Membership benefits for as long as they need them. 

We have received positive feedback about the scheme already. Members are very keen to renew knowing they only have to pay a one-off fee, and we have had former Members showing an interest in joining us again. We believe this will greatly aid Membership retention and help us form closer relationships with our Members.

Lifetime Membership is also available to new Members of the Institute. Whatever level you are at in your career, you can receive a wealth of benefits through ILSPA.