The most obvious path to take in order to become a Legal Secretary is taking a course or diploma of some kind. There are numerous courses which are taught by different providers in very different formats. Therefore, it poses a difficult decision to anyone looking to become a Legal Secretary:

How to Become a Legal Secretary

What course is the best for me?
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CILEx – Legal Secretarial Qualification
One key would be to find a widely recognised professional organisation. The longest standing professional body which is solely designated to legal support staff is the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx). This organisation was founded in 1892 and has a Royal Charter. It is widely
accepted by the legal industry as a qualification for Legal Secretaries, Paralegals and Legal Executives. Now it is even possible to take this qualification so far that you can actually become a Solicitor. Level 3 is aimed at Legal Secretaries and it continues up to Level 7 for a Solicitor.
How to Become a Legal Secretary
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So what are the advantages?

  • It provides numerous work simulated exercises to give you plenty of practical skills
  • It is widely recognised and gives you a good legal qualification
  • There are options to continue your study and progress to new job titles within the industry
The CILEx qualification is provided by a wide range of suppliers, but there are providers that will meet your training requirements better than others. Try to find training providers which are well equipped, it
is ideal not to have to share legal documents with your fellow students.
Be sure that they have full-time tutors who can assist you in your assignments and mark your work. You do not want to be left without support or reliant on learning from a book or computer programmes to learn.
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Try to get a flexible study plan, so that you can complete exercises and exams at your pace. You do not want to have waited for the college’s academic year to run before you can finish and get your dream job.
Finally, ensure that your tutor has a high level of legal qualification. This is ideal as you need to have confidence in their knowledge and ability to teach you on a wide range of subjects.

Here is some information on some Legal Secretarial Courses, which are based in London or can be taken through distance study from outside of London or the UK.