- 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
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
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
You could work in an office, in a court or at a police station.
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.
You can get more advice about legal secretary careers from The Institute of Legal Secretaries and PAs.
