ILSPA’s Legal Secretaries Diploma is a fantastic refresher course for people who are considering returning to the legal sector after a long break. 

ILSPA recently spoke to Lisa Unsted who completed the Diploma earlier this year. Lisa worked as a Legal Secretary back in the 1990s but then went on to train as a Nurse. After many years in her nursing career, Lisa decided to return to the legal profession but was conscious that law and procedures would have evolved since she last worked in the sector.

In this article, Lisa discusses how studying ILSPA’s Legal Secretaries Diploma course helped refresh and prepare her for returning to a sector she hadn’t worked in for more than 25 years.  
 
What were you doing before you joined ILSPA?
Prior to the course, I was working as a Registered Nurse in a hospice. Last year I stopped due to burnout and felt I needed to do something different, I had previously worked as a Legal Secretary but, as this was in the late 90s, my skills and knowledge would need updating if I wanted to return. So, it was the idea of doing something different, but also something that I was familiar with, which I just needed to update my skills on.

What is it about being a Legal Secretary that interests you? 
I liked the variety and depth of the subjects offered by ILSPA and that I could pretty much design the Diploma I wanted, focusing on the areas of law that interest me.

Why did you decide to do ILSPA's Legal Secretaries Diploma course?
The fact that undertaking a course with ILSPA provides a recognised qualification was a key factor in me choosing to study with ILSPA.

What knowledge and skills did you gain through your studies? 
Each of the modules provided the right depth of knowledge needed for a Legal Secretary; giving a good background in that area of law as well as providing up-to-date details on the legal processes.

What are your future career goals?
My goal is to work for a medium-sized firm of solicitors where I can develop in the role and, possibly, take on further study in the future.

What advice would you give to someone considering studying with ILSPA?
I would 100% recommend ILSPA, the distance learning course, which I took, can be done in your own time and at your own speed and there is always help and assistance available if you need it.

If you are interested in studying our Legal Secretaries Diploma like Lisa, or are interested in one of our other courses, please visit the course page of our website.