This month's edition of our Legal Secretary Journal has been published.

Michelle Clarke talks about how she worked her way up the ladder from an Administrative Assistant to being a fee earner! Studying ILSPA's Single Subject Advanced Diploma course in Civil Litigation enabled Michelle to gain the legal knowledge and Paralegal skills she needed to progress within her firm. We are so proud of her.

There is some great advice for trainee Legal Secretaries in our journal. Learn how to make the best of your transferable skills as well as use social media to gain employment. There is also a great opportunity to …

The Lawyerhas recently published details of the UK's largest 200 law firms. The combined revenue of these firms increased by 10% from last year which shows that the legal industry is thriving and a solid part of our economy. Legal Secretaries can feel secure in the fact that they will always be in demand to help lawyers with their work.

The top 5 firms include DLA Piper, Clifford Chance, Hogan Lovells, Allen & Overy and Linklaters. DLA Piper ranked at position one due to producing the highest revenue. It is an international firm with lawyers based in 40 countries throughout the world.

If you are …

We are pleased to learn that a UK fund has been set up to stop the harassment and abuse of women at work. The fund which is managed by an organisation called Rosa will be used to provide resources to experts who can offer advice, support and advocacy.

Rosa say that over half of women have experienced sexual harassment at work. The Justice and Equality Fund (JEF) is born from a group of women in the entertainment industry who were inspired by the 'me too' movement and they want to span their reach to other employment sectors. The fund's aim …

You can find some great vacancies on ILSPA's Legal Secretary Jobs Board at present. There are Legal Secretary jobs based in London, Bristol, Belfast, Birmingham, Nottingham and throughout the rest of the country.

Depending on what level of experience you have, you can search for junior or trainee roles, or more experienced roles if you have worked in the legal profession for several years. 

You can also select the area of law you would like to work in such as Conveyancing or Litigation. It might be that you have a particular interest in a certain area of law after completing your …

ILSPA's Legal Secretaries Diploma Graduates are eligible for a 10% discount for the Level 4 Diploma in Paralegal Studies provided by The National Association of Licensed Paralegals. If you would like to advance your career and become a Paralegal, this is the course for you! 

NALP's Level 4 Diploma in Paralegal Studies will provide you with a sound knowledge and understanding of both the general principles of law and procedural law. There are 5 units in each module. You can study the course from home and can take up to 2 years to complete it.

To find out more or enrol, …

Today is World Sight Day which is an event recognised by people throughout the world to raise awareness of blind and visually impaired people.

The Royal National Institute of Blind People are also celebrating their 150th birthday and say that there has been significant changes for blind and partially blind people over the past 150 years, which they have helped to achieve. In 1870, braille was published to help people to read and in 1935 RNIB recorded the first ever audiobooks. RNIB have also worked with the Bank of England to create notes and coins that can be more easily recognised and they also work …

Our next evening class is filling up quickly! It starts on Wednesday 24 October and will run every Wednesday evening from 6.30pm - 9.30pm at Regent's University in Regent's Park, London.

With only two weeks to go, we advise you to enrol as soon as possible to secure a place on the course. It is very popular and highly regarded in the legal industry. Many law firms enrol their staff on to our courses to gain the legal knowledge and skills they need, however our courses are also suitable for those who have no previous experience in law.

ILSPA's Legal …

On Tuesday 9 October, the London Law Expo will return. It is taking place at the Old Billingsgate where there will be a variety of expert speakers and exhibitors in the legal field. The exhibition is aimed towards legal professionals and will explore a range of topics which will help law firms increase their overall performance and profitability.

As a Legal Secretary or PA, it is useful for you to stay in tune with developments in the legal world and understand the bigger picture. If you are working as a Legal PA in particular, having an understanding of how law firms operate and …

The October edition of our Legal Secretary Journal has been published.

As always, be have provided useful articles which are suitable for trainee and experienced Legal Secretaries. Whether you are wanting to secure your first role as a Legal Secretary or you are experienced and want to advance your professional skills, we have presented topics that will appeal to you.

We were delighted to talk to Karen Chirnside who is one of our Fellowship Members and was awarded lifetime Membership by her firm Roche Legal. Karen has worked as a Legal Secretary/PA for over 32 years. She provides a great insight …

Last year, over 2000 legal professionals completed the TotallyLegal salary survey, allowing them to put together an audience insights report that revealed details about the professional lives of the participants.

The survey demographics showed that in 2017 Legal PAs were one of the most likely job titles to receive a pay increase, with 61% of Legal PA respondents taking home a higher salary year on year.

There was, however, significant salary imbalance between genders in Legal PA roles, with male legal PAs taking home more per year than their female counterparts. The gender pay gap for Legal PAs was the largest job …