You could take a course in audio transcription, legal word processing, or a qualification like a Level 3 Diploma for Legal Secretaries.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) for a level 3 course
Legal secretary
Legal secretaries provide administrative support for lawyers and legal executives.
Average salary (a year)
£18,000 Starter
to£45,000 Experienced
Typical hours (a week)
36 to 38 a week
You could work
9am to 5pm
How to become a legal secretary
You can get into this job through:
- a college course
- an apprenticeship
- working towards this role
- specialist courses run by a professional body
College
Apprenticeship
You could get into this job through an intermediate and advanced apprenticeship in legal services or as a paralegal.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, for an intermediate apprenticeship
- 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), usually including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
More information
Work
You could start as an admin assistant with a legal business or organisation and then apply for a trainee position. For most trainee legal secretary jobs you'll need excellent word processing skills of around 45 to 50 words a minute.
Other routes
You could complete qualifications offered by The Institute of Legal Secretaries and PAs and the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx). Both have information about part-time and online distance learning courses.
More information
Further information
You can get more advice about legal secretary careers from The Institute of Legal Secretaries and PAs.
What it takes
Skills and knowledge
You'll need:
- administration skills
- excellent verbal communication skills
- excellent written communication skills
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- the ability to work well with others
- knowledge of English language
- the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
- the ability to use your initiative
- being able to use a computer terminal or hand-held device may be beneficial for this job.
What you'll do
Day-to-day tasks
In this role you could be:
- producing legal documents like wills and contracts
- preparing court forms and statements
- handling confidential information
- working from solicitors' written notes and audio files (dictation)
- dealing with clients
- making appointments and managing diaries
- accompanying solicitors to court or police stations
- delivering and collecting documents
- keeping records, filing and general administrative work
Working environment
You could work in an office, in a court or at a police station.
Career path and progression
With experience you could become a senior secretary, PA or office manager in larger firms.
With further qualifications, you could become a legal executive, paralegal or licensed conveyancer.
You could also work towards training as a solicitor or barrister.
Training opportunities
Apprenticeships In England
Conveyancing Paralegal Apprenticeship
- Wage : £12,750.00 Annually
- Location: Oxford OX2 0PH
Paralegal Apprentice (Clinical Risk Team) with DAC Beachcroft LLP
- Wage : £230.65 Weekly
- Location: Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 4TD
Courses In England
CILEX Legal Secretaries - Diploma
- Provider: Seevic College
- Start date: 01 August 2019
- Location: GRAYS
LEGAL SECRETARIES LEVEL 3 DIPLOMA C&G (QCF)
- Provider: HAVERING COLLEGE OF FURTHER AND HIGHER EDUCATION
- Start date: 09 September 2019
- Location: Hornchurch