Legal secretary
Help to run a law firm to give people high quality legal services.
About the job
What it's like
You would help to run a legal services or law firm to give people high quality legal services. You’d provide high level administrative support to lawyers and legal executives .
You’d keep the office running smoothly, make sure the lawyers are organised and help with some legal and court procedures. You’d deal with customers and handle their confidential information. The office will be busy so you’d need to cope with several tasks at once.
Depending on what department you work in, you would:
Produce letters and legal documents such as wills, contracts and court papers
Work from notes and digital dictation
Answer telephone calls in a professional manner
Deal with enquiries from clients via email, fax and letter
Use a diary management system and make appointments
Prepare court forms and statements
Keep records of costs and controlling petty cash
Deal with fee processes
Attend court or police cells
Deliver and collect documents
Do copying, scanning and faxing, including preparation of large files
Do filing and other general administration work
If you work in a small local law firm, you would develop experience in a wide range of legal matters, whilst in larger firms you would tend to specialise in a particular area of law.
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Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Meta skills
Here are some of the meta skills you'll need to do this job.
- working with numbers
- observation
- cooperating
- written communication
- verbal communication
- attention to detail
- sorting
- time management
- making decisions
Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore each section to find more information about getting into this career.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
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Administration and Information Technology
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Business
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English
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Latin
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Foundation Apprenticeship: Business Skills
You can get a head start in this career by doing a Foundation Apprenticeship in S5 and S6.
You'll get an SCQF level 6 qualification which is the same level as a Higher. You'll also learn new skills and gain valuable experience in a work environment.
Discover what's on offer at your school on Apprenticeships.scot.
Although there is no set route into the role, employers may ask for some subjects at National 4 or 5 (SCQF level 4/5) including English.
There are also many different courses which will increase your skills and knowledge in this area: a Higher National Certificate (SCQF level 7) or Higher National Diploma (SCQF level 8); a degree (SCQF level 9/10) in administration or business; or relevant work-based experience and qualifications such as a Scottish Vocational Qualification in Court and Tribunal Operations (SVQ level 2/3) or Paralegal Practices (SVQ level 3).
Entry requirements for a National Qualification course or Scottish Vocational Qualification (SVQ) range from no qualifications to four subjects at National 5 level.
Entry requirements for Higher National Certificate or Higher National Diploma courses are one to two Highers. Entry to a degree courses usually requires National 5 qualifications and three to five Highers or a relevant HNC/HND qualification.
Any qualifications that demonstrate understanding of the law and the ability to gather organise and present information such as BTEC Diploma in Public Services will be welcome.
Relevant work-based experience and qualifications such as a Scottish Vocational Qualifications in Business and Administration (SVQ level 3 /4 /5) may also be of value.
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