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Career Training>
Legal Secretary Training Courses, Career Programs, Jobs
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Legal Secretary Training
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Legal Secretary Training:
Legal secretaries provide administrative support
to lawyers and legal executives. They carry out
a wide range of tasks required in the day-to-day
running of a law firm. These tasks include
traditional secretarial duties such as word
processing, filing, setting of appointments,
billing of clients and making travel
arrangements for their employers.
Specialized
tasks include the preparation of legal documents
for lawyers such as contracts, wills, summonses,
subpoenas and other court documents. This may
involve working from notes dictated by lawyers
onto audiotape. They also prepare forms such as
accident reports for clients. Legal secretaries
are often required to file legal documents in
court in accordance with the rules of civil
procedure and before court deadlines expire.
Working in a smaller firm allows a legal
secretary to gain experience in a wide range of
legal matters. Larger firms often specialize in
a particular area of law. Legal secretaries may
assist with legal research, which may involve
reviewing legal journals or verifying quotes and
citations in legal briefs. They are generally
based in the office but occasionally may be
asked to attend court or to accompany lawyers on
visits to police stations.
Choosing a program:
There is no academic requirement for employment
as a legal secretary and many enter the industry
from a variety of administrative backgrounds.
However, if you have completed formal training
as a legal secretary, it will prove to potential
employers that you are prepared for the
complexities of legal practices and will give
you a distinct advantage over other candidates.
You can complete a Legal Secretary Associate's
Degree. Alternatively, there is a wide range of
certificate and diploma programs available and
you have the option of completing your training
online also.
Subjects covered in these programs
should include: General Legal Secretarial
Procedures; Legal Terminology; Legal
Transcription and Document Production. You
should also get an introduction to various areas
of the law such as Land Law, Civil Litigation,
Wills and Probate, Conveyancing, Family Law and
Contract Law among others.
What is involved:
A Legal Secretary Associate's Degree generally
takes two years to complete. You may also be
required to complete an internship during this
time which will provide valuable industry
experience. Other diploma or certificate courses
vary in length. If you are completing an online
program, they are generally self-paced which
means that you can study at a schedule that best
suits your needs.
This can prove the best option
for anyone trying to achieve a qualification
while they are working. The learning material is
provided to you electronically or made available
for download from the school website. Learning
online means that you can skip areas of study
you are already familiar with and devote more
time to new material if necessary. You are
usually assigned a tutor so can be assured of
individual attention should you need any help.
Accreditation:
To ensure that your qualification is recognized
within the industry and that you are receiving a
high standard of education, it is essential that
you select an accredited or certified program.
There are six regional agencies in the US that
accredit schools/programs as part of the
Commission for Higher Education. The National
Association of Legal Secretaries (NALS) is the
accrediting body for Legal Secretary courses.
Career Options:
Most law firms recruit legal secretaries
regularly. When you start work, you are usually
under the guidance of more experienced legal
secretaries or paralegals who can train you in
the firm's policies and methods of handling
cases and files. As you gain more experience and
knowledge, you will work more independently on
more complicated tasks. Within larger firms, you
can work your way up to senior secretary, office
manager or PA. Apart from working in law firms,
a Legal Secretary qualification will prepare you
for work in law courts, local authorities or
real estate agents. If you wish to further your
career within the legal field you can train to
become a paralegal or a legal executive. |
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Legal Secretary Training
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