ILSPA's Legal Secretary Blog - Discover the latest legal insights, receive expert career advice and elevate your professional skills

DEDICATED - The Legal Secretary Journal February Edition

Date : 1 Feb 2021, 1:53 p.m.

The February edition of DEDICATED - The Legal Secretary Journal has been published and is now available to read online. 

January was an exciting month for ILSPA, with the start of our first live online classes for 2021. Our tutor, Seamus Ryan, was very impressed by the engagement of the new class, and we are really pleased to hear that a WhatsApp study group has been formed by the Students. If you are attending the course, please do not hesitate to contact your tutor or Course Assessor if you need any help outside of class. 

ILSPA is looking to the future and thinking about what the …

How Did the Business Support Profession Change in 2020?

Date : 27 Jan 2021, 2:31 p.m.

How has life changed for PAs, EAs and other business support professionals in the past year? Take part in SecsintheCity’s annual audience survey to have your say.

2020 was more turbulent and volatile of a year than many others in recent memory, impacting every individual and organisation in unique and often negative ways.

SecsintheCity – the UK’s only specialist business support job board and a trusted partner of the ILSPA – is interested in learning and sharing more about how the events of the past year impacted the lives and livelihoods of PAs, EAs and other business support professionals.

To …

Simply Law Jobs - 2020 Year in Review

Date : 8 Jan 2021, 2:27 p.m.

Our partner, Simply Law Jobs, has released its Year in Review for 2020.

The review provides a comprehensive overview of the impact of Covid-19 on the industry, specifically how it affected employment within the sector.

The legal industry faced one of its biggest challenges when a global pandemic forced the UK into a national lockdown in March 2020. The unprecedented amount of disruption shook up a seemingly calm legal recruitment marketplace.

The monthly average number of jobs posted to Simply Law Jobs in 2020 was 5,328, a 60% decrease from 2019.

Key findings reveal how 65% of professionals were …

DEDICATED - The Legal Secretary Journal January Edition

Date : 4 Jan 2021, 9:53 a.m.

Happy New Year! Our team is excited to be back at work today and publish the first edition of our journal for 2021. We are looking forward to making this year a successful one for the ILSPA community. Please read our article on how we are here to support you with your career.

In this month's lead article, SecsintheCity talks to Legal PA of the Year 2020, Tanya Jennings. Tanya, PA to a partner at global law firm Freshfields, took the time to answer a few questions about her work, and what it was like to be named the Legal PA of the Year at the recent awards ceremony.

January …

The Virtual Christmas Party

Date : 11 Dec 2020, 5:20 p.m.

December is normally a time for Christmas parties and office get togethers. Festive gatherings may not be possible this year, but you can still celebrate with your team and toast the end of 2020 in style.

Here are our top tips for a fantastic virtual Christmas party!

1. Don't be afraid to keep the numbers small

Don't be afraid to organise smaller parties for each department or team. We all know what it is like being on a Zoom meeting with a large number of attendees. It's hard to interact or feel included. Keeping numbers smaller ensures a comfortable and inclusive atmosphere.    

2. Make …

DEDICATED - The Legal Secretary Journal December Edition

Date : 1 Dec 2020, 2:25 p.m.

December has arrived, and with that comes our last publication of 2020. This year has been challenging for us all but we hope that the new year will bring brighter days. We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for being part of ILSPA. Our work is both enjoyable and rewarding, and we look forward to continuing to help you with your career in 2021.


The celebrations started early for SecsintheCity when they hosted the PA of the Year Awards 2020 last month. The virtual event was a huge success, which recognised the hard work and contributions …

DEDICATED - The Legal Secretary Journal November Edition

Date : 2 Nov 2020, 1:15 p.m.

The November edition of DEDICATED - The Legal Secretary Journal has been published and is now available to read online. 

We are delighted to announce that we are providing our Legal Secretaries Diploma course through live online classes in January. To celebrate this, we are offering an early bird discount of £100 to those who enrol by 30 November 2020. 

In light of our new online classes and the need for people to work from home, this month's journal is focused on both learning and working remotely.

Our article 'Thriving in a Remote World' explains how the legal profession has adapted in this respect, …

World Mental Health Day

Date : 15 Oct 2020, 11:56 a.m.

To mark World Mental Health Day, Simply Law Jobs have put together a few tips to help you cope with stress and anxiety.

It’s natural for anyone to fall victim to stress or anxiety at any point in life, whether you are prone to these conditions or you’re going through a particularly difficult situation, like divorce, bereavement, or even lockdown at the hands of coronavirus. 

It’s tough to be told that you have to change your way of life as you know it – to stop seeing your friends, family, and not being able to spend your weekends letting off steam …

DEDICATED - The Legal Secretary Journal October Edition

Date : 1 Oct 2020, 2:33 p.m.

The October edition of DEDICATED - The Legal Secretary Journal has been published and is now available to read online.  

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, people have been wondering how they can secure a Legal Secretary job. If you are currently looking for work, this month's edition of our journal contains advice from experts in the field on how to get hired. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you would like to speak to a member of of team about the current situation.


For those of you who have studied with us as a stepping stone to …

Attend the PA Forum Learning and Development Conference for Free!

Date : 9 Sep 2020, 10:55 a.m.

It has been a truly challenging time for us all! Therefore, The PA Forum Learning and Development team would like to give back to their community, and will be covering the cost of 30 places for their forthcoming online annual Conference on 29th September 2020.

If you know of any PA, EA, Office Manager or Business Support colleagues that have unfortunately been made redundant recently then the team would really like to hear from them.

To qualify for a free ticket please visit the PA Forum LinkedIn Post. Please ask your colleague to comment below it, just to say if they would like to …