In this month's edition of our Legal Secretary Journal, we announced that ILSPA's Students and Members are eligible for a 30% discount for the breathtaking tours at the Royal Courts of Justice in London. Visiting the RCJ is a wonderful experience where Students’ course material comes to life and they can get an inside look at a real-life working courtroom. 

One of our past Students, Anna Beaf, commented: “The tour of the Royal Courts of Justice was the perfect supplement to the course materials and put the Court’s history and protocol into context.”

If you are interested in attending, the next tour dates are as follows:

Thursday …

ILSPA's Partner, Simply Law, is offering free webinars to help you secure employment and improve your career prospects. The next webinars are taking place on Tuesday 5 September and will focus on how you can create a high impact LinkedIn profile to attract top legal jobs.

If you are looking for Legal Secretary work at the moment or you are studying one of ILSPA's courses and want to improve your chances of employment after you qualify, it is well worth listening to Simply Law's expert advice. The webinars will cover:

• How to write your LinkedIn profile to get noticed
• How to get your CV …

Legal Secretaries have excellent career prospects. Through gaining experience, you have the opportunity to work your way up the ladder and obtain a higher salary. You can also become a Paralegal or even a Solicitor! Studying with us is a great way to take that first step towards your future career.

Take a look at the career experiences featured in our Legal Secretary Journal. You can read about various Students who have qualified through ILSPA and are sailing through their legal careers.

An example is Elizabeth Forbes who was a Secretarial Coordinator for a large south-east based firm. She is now working as a Trainee …

ILSPA recently announced its new partnership with the Institute of Legal Finance and Management (ILFM). As industry peers, we are delighted to recognise and support the valuable work ILFM does for its Members and other legal professionals.

ILFM provides qualifications, training, knowledge, support and information for anyone working in legal accounts, compliance and law firm management. It is dedicated to driving innovation, advancing education and promoting excellence throughout the legal sector. It's training and education programs aim to raise awareness, advocate good business practice and maintain high standards.

Training and continuing professional development are essential for those working in the legal …

The summer holidays are upon us and for many ILSPA Students this means less time than usual to dedicate to their studies. There may be holidays booked, children at home or simply more distractions. Whatever the reason, it's important to remember that ILSPA's courses are designed to be flexible and fit around your commitments.

If you find it challenging to find time to study over the next few weeks, we encourage you to focus on keeping your momentum in ways that are manageable. Keeping yourself involved will mean that it won't feel such a shock when you return to studying properly again. 

Here are our top tips: …

SecsintheCity, the UK’s only dedicated PA job site, has opened nominations for its annual PA of the Year Awards. Achieve a momentous accolade - nominate yourself, or a colleague to become the 2023 PA, Legal PA, or Office Manager of the year.

Nominations are now open in our annual celebration of the essential support provided to businesses and executives by Personal Assistants, Executive Assistants, Legal Secretaries, and Office Managers UK-wide.

Nominations close on 1 September 2023, after which our judging panel will interview a shortlist of finalists to select a winner in each of the following categories:

• PA of …

Being offered a Legal Secretary job interview can be a very exciting but nerve-wracking experience! It means that your CV has made a good impression and you will want that to continue. 

An interview provides a recruiter with the opportunity to find out whether you are suitable for the job in person and they will ask you a variety of different questions. Before an interview takes place, it is important to think about what questions might be asked and what your answers will be. 

Here are some example interview questions:

• What do you know about our company?
• Why would you like to …

We are currently in the midst of Mental Health Awareness week. This valuable time started on 15 May and runs until 21 May. Various organisations have got involved and aim to highlight some of the struggles we experience. Some organisations have created themes and are focusing on different areas which affect our mental health and our ability to function well in life. Mental Health UK and the Mental Health Foundation are tackling anxiety, whilst Mind is helping people who have been affected with the current cost of living crisis. You can find some very useful information and resources on their websites.

Legal …

Prior to the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO) coming into force in April 2013, a consumer of legal services could access funding for most types of legal disputes. But the statute introduced funding cuts to legal aid, resulting in fewer consumers of legal services being able to gain access to advice and assistance.

Since LASPO, in civil cases there is no access to legal aid for:

• Welfare benefit appeals
• Debts (unless a debtor is being evicted from their home)
• Housing (unless someone is being evicted, is homeless, there is serious disrepair, or because of action …

One of the benefits of being a part of ILSPA is that you can receive help with your CV when looking for work. Your CV provides the first impression you make on a recruiter, so it must be of a high standard and tailored for a Legal Secretary position. Your Legal Secretary knowledge and skills should be highlighted within your profile as well as a section called 'Key Skills'. If you have gained a Legal Secretary qualification, it is also beneficial to outline the syllabus so that recruiters can see exactly what you have learnt.

Sometimes people apply for vacancies with …