Legal secretarial jobs are there to give administrative and secretarial help to people working within the legal world. There is a broad range of office management and admin tasks that legal secretary jobs entail. Depending on the firm legal secretaries jobs may need you to have direct contact with clients and have specialist roles.

Legal Secretary jobs responsibilities normally include:

• Typing letters, reports, legal documents/paperwork
• Dealing with office post and answering phone calls
• Transcribing and taking dictation
• The organisation of travel, appointments and other functions
• Keeping records and accounts
• Proofreading documents and letters
• Going to court, meetings with clients and police stations (all to take notes)

Regular office hours (9am-5pm) will usually be worked and often part time legal secretarial jobs are available. The work is largely based at a desk and a great deal of tasks will be using a computer. The salary to expect could range from anything between £13,000 to £37,000. This depends on the firm, your experience and how long you have worked in the position. Legal secretaries jobs skills:

• Exceptional computer and typing skills
• Good organisation
• Excellent English
• Attention to detail and accuracy
• Interest in the law and admin.

Often there are not minimum qualifications needed for legal secretarial jobs, however employers will prefer maths and English GCSEs. If you demonstrate good writing skills you will stand more of a chance at getting legal secretary jobs. Another way to get legal secretaries jobs is by attaining an apprenticeship. However, on the job training is common. After a while in one company, you may find that you progress with additional training to become a paralegal or a legal executive.

Law jobs for graduates will continue to grow alongside the ever-expanding legal market in the UK. The routes into law are fairly standard with most having a traditional law degree and completing their LPC. However, some choose to obtain a degree in another field altogether but then have the option of studying an intensive masters in law in just a year. Whatever the chosen way, the qualifications and areas covered must be the same.

Law graduate jobs will require the candidate to have covered all of the seven traditional foundations of law. These are:

• Contract and tort
• Criminal law
• Equity and law of trusts
• Law of the European Union
• Property law
• Public law

(Those who have a law degree from foreign countries will need to apply for a Certificate of Academic Standing. This will legally confirm whether you can apply for English and Welsh law courses.) LPC After obtaining your degree in law, before you can apply for law graduates jobs, it is mandatory that you complete the Legal Practice Course. The LPC must be taken even if you have, or intend to do, a Masters in law. The LPC is the last hurdle before looking for law graduates jobs and eventually becoming a solicitor in Britain. It is a practical course that gives trainees the skills and knowledge required in the legal profession. The course can be completed at a range of institutions nationwide, and can be done as a full time one year course, or part time over two years. Training Contract Whilst studying for the LPC you should begin to apply for Training Contracts. Most candidates find that they will apply to a large number of firms and will only hear from a few. With this in mind, it is vital that you keep applying and do not become demoralised. It is perfectly normal to apply for tens of training contracts and only hear from a handful. This is because in 2009 there were 130 applicants for every one training contract. Different training contracts will vary from firm to firm. Larger organisations will have more structured programmes in place. It is common that when on a training contract you will spend a certain number of months in different departments so that you can achieve an overall experience of the law profession. Applications Law graduates jobs will normally require a CV and covering letter and/or an application form to be filled out online. It is thoroughly advisable to research all the firms you apply to. These firms look out for those who show they are motivated and their hunger for the job. Directories and websites will assist you in your research. Some top firms will require you to apply as much as 2 years in advance of starting law graduate jobs, while most will need a year. Future From 2011, the Solicitors Regulation Authority will begin a new route into law. If successful, this could mean that traditional training contracts as they are known now could be abolished. The idea is to give more options for those who wish to become lawyers. Paralegals will be able to gain solicitor qualifications whilst at work. Trainees in training contracts will have to work harder in order to become a solicitor, rather than it being just a given at the end of the contract.

Family law deals with all issues that are family or domestically related. This could include all issues surrounding marriage, civil partnerships and domestic relations such as divorce, annulment, property and financial settlements as well as issues regarding children such as legitimacy, custody & visitation, adoption and child abuse. This list however is not exhaustive and there are also aspects of family law that can also be associated with criminal law and vice versa. Those with family law jobs could be expected to work with clients who are going through divorce or separation proceedings as well as those who are going through the process of becoming married. Due to the complex and varied nature of family law it is not possible to outline a completely typical day for someone working within the area of family law. Family law courts are one of the most crowded in the entire legal profession and lawyers can be expected to:

• Represent clients in court in various cases concerning family law.
• Advising clients in potential settlements and negotiations
• Drafting and examining legal documents
• Advising solicitors and other legal practitioners in legal cases.

Those looking for family law jobs will require a relevant law degree, usually to a 2:1 standard and some may require additional post graduate qualifications in the field of their choice. It can take year to become a top family lawyer but people with family law jobs can easily earn £60k pa and more.

Media law can be very complicated and there are many different aspects that go to make up the umbrella term of media law. These could include libel, defamation, intellectual property law, advertising law and telecommunications law. Such a diverse industry has lots of different types of jobs in it and this guide outlines some of the media law jobs that exist within the industry. Explaining Media Law Jobs Defamation & Libel Law – those working in within the area known as defamation and libel law could be expected to deal with various different types of clients. A lawyer could be representing a person or business that has been the victim of defamatory or libellous allegations. Or conversely, they could be working for a newspaper or publication that is seeking to defend itself in a libel case. Many practitioners within this sector provide pre-publishing advice to companies to help them avoid a libel case. Defamation and Libel law covers anything that appears in print, broadcast and web based media. Advertising & Marketing Law – those working within advertising and media law will specialise in assisting clients with the way that they can advertise their products. Advertising law governs the placement, timing and content of adverts in a range of mediums such as print, broadcast and online. Those with media law jobs in this sector will be expected to assist clients in making sure that their advertising campaigns are legal and also working with clients who feel a certain advertising campaign falls foul of advertising law. Intellectual Property Law – this sector of media law focuses largely on copyright law within the media industry. Those with media law jobs in this industry will be expected to work with clients who feel that their intellectual property rights have been breached in some way or advising clients to ensure that their work does not fall foul of copyright law. Copyright law is a very complex sector within the media jobs law and practitioners will be expected be able to successfully represent a client on both sides of the argument. These are some of the key areas in which to find media law jobs, another large aspect of media law however deals with breach of privacy and of confidence. Those with media law jobs in this sector of the industry could be expected to represent clients who are involved in a breach of privacy case. Celebrities and broadcast/print media companies can often find themselves involved in breach of privacy cases.

The National Association of Licensed Paralegals (NALP) is the first organization of its type to achieve accreditation from the Office of the Qualifications and Examinations Regulator (OFQUAL), the Government agency regulating qualifications in England. With NALPs excellent track record, the accreditation enhances the professional body’s standing within the UK and internationally. Amanda Hamilton, Chief Executive of NALP, expressed her delight at the accreditation and commented on the unique nature of the courses. “What makes the NALP’s qualifications special is that they have been specifically designed and are recognised by the profession.  This means that students interested in working as a paralegal will have easier access to accredited courses and training’. NALP is the leading professional body for paralegals in England and Wales and specialises in promoting the Paralegal Profession and paralegal training offering courses for school leavers, legal support staff, law graduates and career changers. ‘The OFQUAL status award has enhanced our opportunity to service the increased demand from potential students’, said Ms Hamilton.  ‘NALP has now extended access and are planning to encourage more colleges and universities to run their courses throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland’ The National Association of Licensed Paralegals will be celebrating their 23^rd Anniversary and Awarding Body Status on the 11^th March 2010 at the House of Commons. For further information please contact:  Lauren Emmett: Lauren@globalpr.co.uk or 0113 218 0118

STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD – QUALIFY AS A PARALEGAL

The National Association of Licensed Paralegals introduced the term ‘Paralegal’ into the UK and is the only recognized professional governing body that has dedicated itself to the promotion of paralegals in England, Wales and N. Ireland and all matters ‘Paralegal’ for 22 years. NALP offers recognised accredited Paralegal Qualifications from entry level to post graduate and beyond either online with full tutorial support, or by class attendance. We accredit a practical paralegal skills course that has been successfully running for 16 years. Over 8,000 students have gained qualifications through us, why not be one of them. LAW GRADUATES Enrol now for the Post Graduate Diploma in Paralegal Practice starting September 30^th 2009. Further information about the Association, our affordable courses and levels of membership can be viewed by visiting our website. Click Here To View This Site

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