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Legal Secretary Training
How To Become A Legal Secretary
The purpose of legal secretary training is to equip you with the basic legal knowledge and secretarial skills you need to work as a legal secretary.
What Is A Legal Secretary?
A legal secretary is an administrative professional in a legal office. He or she provides support to attorneys by taking responsibility for tasks such as:
- Answering the phone
- Liaising with clients
- Communicating with other legal professionals
- Scheduling meetings and appointments
- Ordering office supplies
- Maintaining filing systems
- Conducting research
- Drafting and proofreading legal documents and other correspondence
If you work as a legal secretary, you will mostly be office-based, but you may also be required to go out to attend meetings, deliver court documents, or purchase office supplies.
What Skills Do You Need To Work As A Legal Secretary?
To be successful in this role, you will need the following skills and characteristics:
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
(This includes being familiar with the relevant legal terminology.) - Computer skills.
(Some employers will expect you to be skilled in using specific software/computer programs). - Time management skills.
- Problem solving skills.
- The ability to maintain confidentiality.
(You will be working with a lot of sensitive information.) - An eye for detail.
What Training Do You Need To Become A Legal Secretary?
If you want to work as a legal secretary, you will usually need some type of formal training. While you generally won’t be expected to have a degree, it will count in your favour if you have a relevant certificate or diploma behind your name.
Examples of legal secretary training courses you can study include the following:
- National Certificate: N4 Legal Secretary
- National Certificate: N5 Legal Secretary
- National Certificate: N6 Legal Secretary
(Once you have completed the N6-level certificate, and gained 18 months of relevant practical experience, you will be able to apply for a National N6 Diploma.)
These courses are all available on a distance learning basis at Oxbridge Academy. This means that you can complete your legal secretary training on a part-time basis from home.
Some Of The Things You’ll Learn About When You Complete The N4 – N6 Legal Secretary Courses Include The Following:
General secretarial skills, such as:
- How to answer the telephone in a professional manner
- How to use basic computer programs
- How to prepare letters and other documents
- How to manage office supplies
- How to collect and process information
- How to manage filing systems
Basic legal principles and processes, including aspects of:
- Contract law
- Credit agreements
- Letting and hiring of immovable property
- Employment contracts
Legal terminology
How Long Does The Training Take?
Each N-level course takes approximately 12 months to complete. You will, however, be able to start applying for legal secretary jobs once you’ve completed your N4 course.
If you study at Oxbridge Academy, you will be able to study part-time, which means you may even be able to start working while you are still busy with your training. This would be to your advantage, because it would give you the opportunity to start applying your skills in practice – which would make it easier for you to grasp the theoretical aspects of your coursework.
WHAT ARE THE ENTRY REQUIREMENTS?
To gain admission to the N4: Legal Secretary course, you will need to have completed either Matric or an Oxbridge Academy Bridging Course.