Legal secretary
Help run a law firm and give people high-quality legal services.
About the job
What it's like
If organisation and administration are your strengths, then a career as a legal secretary could be perfect for you.
You'll provide administrative and secretarial support to help a law firm run smoothly. Legal secretaries provide high-level administrative support to solicitors and legal executives.
In this role, you'll keep the office running smoothly and make sure your solicitors are organised. You'll also assist with some legal and court procedures. A legal office will likely be busy, so you'll often work on several tasks at once. You'll deal with customers and handle their confidential information.
You may work for a small local law firm. In this type of position, you'll develop experience in a wide range of legal matters. Whereas, in larger firms, you'll usually specialise in a particular area of law.
Your tasks might include:
producing letters and legal documents such as wills, contracts and court papers
answering phone calls, emails and faxes in a professional manner – you'll also respond to letters from clients
preparing court forms and statements
using a diary management system and making appointments
keeping records of costs and controlling petty cash
attending court or police cells when required
doing filing and other general administration work around the office
Explore more information about this job
Here are some useful links to learn more about this career:
The Institute of Legal Secretaries and PAs – learn about legal secretarial training you can access (check that any courses you study cover Scots Law)
Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx) – find out about legal secretarial training opportunities (check that any courses you study cover Scots Law)
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Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Meta skills
Here are some of the meta skills you'll need to do this job.
- working with numbers
- observation
- cooperating
- written communication
- verbal communication
- attention to detail
- sorting
- time management
- making decisions
Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore each section to find more information about getting into this career.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
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Administration and Information Technology
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Business
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English
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Latin
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Foundation Apprenticeship: Business Skills
You can get a head start in this career by doing a Foundation Apprenticeship in S5 and S6.
You'll get an SCQF level 6 qualification which is the same level as a Higher. You'll also learn new skills and gain valuable experience in a work environment.
Discover what's on offer at your school on Apprenticeships.scot.
There are a few ways you can become a legal secretary in Scotland.
Let's explore all the routes you can take.
College
Getting qualifications at college, such as an HNC or HND, could help you find a legal secretary job. Useful subjects include:
Legal Services
Administration and Information Technology
Business
Office Management or Business Administration
Use the My World of Work course search to find HNCs or HNDs.
Apprenticeships
Modern Apprenticeships (MAs) mean you learn on the job. You get paid and work towards a qualification at the same time. You might want to consider an MA in Paralegal Practice.
Work
You could start your career by working as an administration assistant in a legal office. Once you've gained some experience, you may be able to progress into a trainee legal secretarial role.
Use the My World of Work job search to find vacancies.
Training courses
The Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx) and The Institute of Legal Secretaries and PAs both have information about part-time and online courses. Check that any courses you study cover Scots Law.
These qualifications allow you to apply for entry-level legal secretary roles.
Any qualification that shows you understand the law and can gather, organise and present information clearly will be useful.
Volunteering in an administration-based role can help you build the skills and experience you’ll need to become a legal secretary. Search for opportunities on Volunteer Scotland.
Employers may expect legal secretaries to have strong word processing skills, with a typing speed of around 45 to 50 words per minute.
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Browse courses in Scotland related to 'Legal secretary'
