About ILSPA

As the professional body for Legal Secretaries and PAs, we enable people to have rewarding careers in law throughout the UK and overseas. Whether you would like to become a Legal Secretary or want to advance your Legal Secretary career, we are dedicated to your career every step of the way.

We offer professional status, training, career advice, professional development and guidance to secure employment. Our Legal Secretary courses are highly valued and recognised by law firms and legal recruiters. ILSPA's Legal Secretary Jobs Board is a hub for Legal Secretary vacancies in London and throughout the UK. We also offer excellent benefits to our Members.

ILSPA's team consists of people who are passionate about their roles. From our admin staff to our tutors, we have a strong ethos where we work together effectively and have our Students' and Members' best interests at heart.

The Professional Body for Legal Secretaries and PAs

ILSPA's Aims

The Institute of Legal Secretaries and PAs was formed in 1990 by a group of like-minded legal professionals with the mission of promoting the excellence and professional recognition of Legal Secretaries and PAs. Our aims are:

To specifically provide for the needs of both trainee and experienced Legal Secretaries and PAs
To offer specialist training and career advice to people from a wide range of backgrounds and varying levels of experience
To award recognised qualifications which enable people to start or advance their careers
To provide affordable training to Students
To help people gain Legal Secretary employment
To encourage Members to advance their knowledge and skills through professional development
To keep our Members up to date with new laws and procedures
To create awareness of the standards that are expected of Legal Secretaries and PAs
To unite Legal Secretaries and PAs at all levels and make them feel like they are part of a community

Dartington Hall - Head Office Location

Regent's University - Evening Class Location

Royal Courts of Justice - ILSPA's Tour

ILSPA's Key People

Emma Stacey is ILSPA's Chief Executive and has a diverse role helping the Institute to operate and progress. Emma previously helped to manage the National Association of Licensed Paralegals and has worked as a Legal Secretary for a large law firm. With experience spanning over 25 years, she understands the needs of Legal Secretaries and law firms. The most enjoyable part of Emma's work is helping Students and Members achieve their goals.Emma Stacey - Chief Executive

Megan James is ILSPA's Executive Secretary. She has a varied role providing support to our Chief Executive and the team, whilst managing areas such as our admin, Legal Secretary Journal, social media and partnerships. Megan has a passion for law and graduated with an LLB Law Degree. Her legal knowledge together with her experience in administration and office management makes her a perfect part of the team.Megan James - Executive Secretary

Maria Richards is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives and is a Partner at one of the largest firms in the South West. Maria has teaching experience which extends from Legal Secretary courses to graduate and postgraduate levels in all areas of law. Since 2010, Maria has been supporting Students on our courses and assessing ILSPA coursework. She views each Student as a unique and valuable individual.Maria Richards - Course Assessor

Seamus Ryan started teaching after he finished law school, over 20 years ago. He specialises in legal training and is a qualified Solicitor, a member of the Institute for Learning and a Law Society accredited Lexcel consultant. Seamus is very popular with our Students due to his friendly and helpful teaching approach. We regularly receive wonderful feedback from those who have attended his classes.Seamus Ryan - Tutor

Amanda Hamilton taught ILSPA's Legal Secretaries Diploma course for over 15 years. She is the Chief Executive of the National Association of Licensed Paralegals, which is dedicated to promoting the status of Paralegals and Paralegal Training. Amanda runs our tour of the Royal Courts of Justice in London and provides ongoing support as our Patron. She is much loved by our Students.Amanda Hamilton - Patron

John Stacey-Hibbert has over 50 years of experience in the legal field. John was the General Secretary of the National Association of Licensed Paralegals, a Senior Lecturer in Law and Management at South Devon College, and practised as a Lawyer with various firms in London. John's expertise and support are of great value to ILSPA.John Stacey-Hibbert - Patron