Legal Secretary Introduction

Designed for: Individuals wishing to pursue a career as a Legal Secretary.
Prerequisites: Comprehensive end-user knowledge of Microsoft Word, competent keyboarding (at least 40 wpm), good letter layout and office practice skills.
Objectives: To give an introduction to the work, responsibilities, practice and structure of the legal office.
Benefits
· Develop an excellent knowledge of the workings and structure of the legal office
· A wide choice of training locations and times, and the flexibility and value of self-study training methods that allow for different learning speeds and styles
· A personalised workbook to use as a reference guide post-training
· The opportunity to gain the widely recognised Pitman Training certification
Course Content
· Lesson 1: the legal office, rules and guidelines, new terminology
· Lesson 2: lawyers, the solicitor, sole practitioners and partnerships, office location, qualifying as a solicitor, The Law Society, the barrister, qualifying as a barrister, the legal executive, support staff
· Lesson 3: procedures, accuracy, speed, confidentiality, limitations
· Lesson 4: introduction to where the law comes from, classifications of English law, case law, Acts of Parliament, rules of interpretation, statutes, delegated legislation, European law, European member states
· Lesson 5: legal publications and journals
· Lesson 6: criminal and civil law, the English court structure, the Magistrates Court, the County Court, the Crown Court, the High Court of Justice, the Court of Appeal, the House of Lords - Judicial Committee, the European Court of Justice, the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, alternative dispute resolution
· Lesson 7: incoming and outgoing post, the DX system, letters, proof reading, copies, faxes, email, couriers
· Lesson 8: introduction to documentation, documents in draft, endorsement sheets, engrossments, certifying a copy
· Lesson 9: standard documents, document references, forms, specialist software, filing
· Lesson 10: opening files, new clients, solicitor's accounts, petty cash, time sheets, bills, glossary