Legal Secretary with BA in Law

pampers1

I posted this in the Work & Jobs Section but was advised to post here:

Hi I was wondering if someone can help me. I work as a Senior Legal Secretary and have completed a BA in Law last year. My current employment do not wish to promote me at all as they use their Trainees to do any legal exec work and things. The thing is I don't mind if its not a law firm that I work in once i'm getting more responsibility and a better role then Legal Secretary. Can someone maybe advise how I would go about sorting this. I have been on to numerous recruitment agencies but they just keep sending me for Legal Secretary roles and just won't get the fact that that's not what I want to do any more.

Planxty

Ok well if you absolutely do not wish to be a legal secretary anymore and DO wish to remain in the field of Law, then have you considering taking on the FE-1's? They would most definitely distinguish you from your current situation, and with the contacts you have perhaps you could quite easily acquire an apprenticeship?

If you DON'T wish to remain working with Law then your degree and experience could probably get you a decent enough position in a bank or somewhere like that.. County Council etc.. But by doing this I'd imagine you would be on a ladder system of sorts, which I personally wouldn't like..
I can understand why the recruitment agencies are offering legal exec jobs, because it's a slightly awkward limbo.. Even though you are now qualified with a law degree, I don't think that it can drastically promote your position. It all depends on which direction you want to head towards i.e Legal profession or not etc

pampers1

Going down the FE-1 route was not really one I'd wish to take but it looks as if its going to have to go that way if I really want to progress in law I suppose. Thanks for your response.

dats_right

The FE-1's will not make you stand out if you want to be a Legal Exec, quite the opposite actually. If a firm wants legal exec that's exactly what they want, not a body who is only there for experience (needing time off for exams to boot!) before moving on to pastures new. Because you haven't any experience working as legal exec it is going to be difficult for you to move straight into that type of position, but you should be able to find a position that will enable you progress.

By this I mean carefully select the type of jobs you are going for, even if it is a secretarial job, ask the recruiter and employers whether there are realistic opportunities for progression. If they say no, well then no harm done, but I genuinely think your best bet is definitely move on to another firm, one were there is realistic chance of promotion and work from there even if you have to continue with secretarial duties to begin with. Afterall it's a foot in the door and from there it is all down to you.

pampers1

That's what I intend doing now. Although I have been on to a couple of recruitment agencies and although there are lots of legal secretarial jobs being advertised at the moment they are saying that there isn't really many at all. Its not like I don't have a good C.V. because I have nearly 10 years legal secretary experience and also my BA and i'm only 26 so I don't know what's going on. Maybe most places are taking on juniors or whatever. We'll see how it pans out though I suppose. Thanks for all your help guys!

dats_right

I wouldn't take it personally, your experience and qualifications are a big asset and you should be rightly proud of them. I think the difficulties that you are experiencing has more to do with the current economic climate and uncertainty facing law firms. My advice is don't lose heart, keep plugging away and something will work out.

Maximilian

Its a difficult position to be in really. Unless you intend actually qualifying as a solicitor, you are never going to advance very far in the legal world.

Most firms will use trainees to fulfill any requirement for legal executives. Its training for them and its assumed they have the basic legal knowledge already.

Some secretaries I've had have been so good, they were de facto legal executives. But what does that term mean? As far as I'm concerned, the term "legal executive" is meaningless. Its simply a person without a legal qualification (usually), whose knowledge, experience and ability is such that certain tasks, which normally would be dealt with by a solicitor, can be delegated to them.

I find that a lot of "legal executives" were formerly legal secretaries that were good enough, had enough initiative etc. that they "evolved" into a more legal exec role.

I think its good you want more responsibility etc. but I think you should be less concerned with job titles and more with what the work actually entails. Don't be afraid to go for Legal Sec. interviews, because the job is not called "legal exec". The actual job may be exactly what you want, although incorrectly labeled as far as you are concerned. One secretary in my office earns more than some solicitors, she is that good. She could easily call herself a legal exec if she liked. Her job would be the same though.

vector

Well done on your qualifications, experience. I understand your position.
However regardless of how excellent you are you cannot do what a solicitror does because you are not a solicitor. Even if your employer likes you etc he cannot let you do what a solicitor does.

I have known countless legal secretaries in your position. The exit strategies are

1. Move to another firm, and from day 1 ensure you only do the top jobs, viz do not get stuck in the filing room, or doing someone elses photocopying, it'll take a brass neck, but you need to start as you mean to continue
or
2. Stay in the current firm, and somehow signal to your superiors that you want to step up by taking the FE1's - it doesn;t matter if you fail or pass its just to send a message. This is the more popular strategy.

pampers1

Thanks for your replies everyone they are really helpful. Not sure if i should be asking this though but would anyone know what a Legal Secretary with my experience and qualifications should be earning?

dats_right

Just thinking about your situation OP, it occurred to me that you should probably send speculative applications to the large firms via their websites. I know alot of the big 10 firms, sort of have a facility on their websites to apply for Legal Executive positions. Can't do any harm.

As regards expected pay, you could try the Brightwater 2008 Salary Survey

http://www.brightwater.ie/documents/SalarySurvey08Web.pdf