Legal Secretary Career

hearscheme

I dropped out of college earlier this year due to not really knowing what I wanted to do. I recently became very interested in law as a career, but I can't afford to do a law degree(I dropped out so would have to pay fees to go to uni). I've been looking at a level 5 Fetac course in Legal Administration and am wondering if I did this and got a job as a legal secretary, would it be possible to progress and eventually become a lawyer or something along that line without a degree?

Also, are there many legal secretary jobs out there or should I just go for something else?

Thanks for any advice

Cgoodie

Hey Hearscheme,

I completed a degree in uni in bus & law and after that I went into legal secretarial work to make sure I liked the career before I put all the time, effort and money into the FE1's to become a solicitor. After 4 years doing legal secretarial/executive work I know it's not for me at the moment. Its a good way of finding out if you like the career as it is a huge investment to make.

If you don't have a degree I think you can apply for the FE1's if you have something like 10 years experience. But you could always look at doing a degree part time or doing the legal exec course in Griffith or Independent Colleges.

Even if you decide not to go on to be a solicitor the training and experience you will get as a legal secretary will always stand to you in future jobs because of the workload/deadlines and most solicitors are very demanding.

Best of luck with whatever you do

Milk & Honey

There is no need for 10 years experience. Anyone over 21 with or without a degree can sit the FE-1s. Non graduates just have to sit an extra exam. There are some part time law degrees run by the DIT which have relatively low fees and which help prepare candidates for the FE1s

Monife

OP your story sounds exactly like mine!

I dropped out of a chemical and pharmaceutical science course and then went on to do a fetac level 5 legal secretary course.

I loved it so much that I went on and did the fetac level 6 advanced certificate in business and legal. If you're in Dublin, I would recommend Rathmines college for both years. Fees are €260 per year and then your books and that.

Now for the bad news. I applied to every legal secretary job out there when I finished my course, even junior assistants etc etc and they would not even entertain me with an interview even though I felt perfectly able to do the job. They said I needed more experience, well it is a bit of a catch 22 if no one would give me a job, so where would I get the experience.

So I have decided to build up my office administration experience, I had about 1 years experience from before college and I am now in a job almost a year (2 year contract). So at the end of the contract, going to try and apply for legal secretary jobs again, but it is tough out there. I plan to do the legal executive course in Griffiths College in the future but can't afford it now, it's like 6grand a year or something.

I'd say you should definitely go for the course, even if you don't like the legal, you have office skills to fall back on and get any office job and build up your experience and skills from there.

234

hearscheme wrote: »

I dropped out of college earlier this year due to not really knowing what I wanted to do. I recently became very interested in law as a career, but I can't afford to do a law degree(I dropped out so would have to pay fees to go to uni). I've been looking at a level 5 Fetac course in Legal Administration and am wondering if I did this and got a job as a legal secretary, would it be possible to progress and eventually become a lawyer or something along that line without a degree?

Also, are there many legal secretary jobs out there or should I just go for something else?

Thanks for any advice

If you want to be a barrister you must have a recognised law degree. It's all on the King's Inns website.

Jo King

234 wrote: »

If you want to be a barrister you must have a recognised law degree. It's all on the King's Inns website.

You don't need a law degree, recognised or not, nor even any degree, to be a barrister. Its all on the King's Inns website.

234

Oops, forgot about the diploma. Aside from that what I said is correct.

Jo King

234 wrote: »

Oops, forgot about the diploma. Aside from that what I said is correct.

You don't even need the diploma.

234

Ok, maybe I'm missing something here and feel free to correct me but this is from the King's Inns website

Admission to the Barrister-at-Law degree course is via an entrance exam. To be eligible to take the entrance exam a candidate must hold either an approved law degree (see list of approved degrees in the education rules) or the Society's diploma in Legal Studies.

On successful completion of the degree course students are conferred with the degree of Barrister-at-Law. Only holders of the degree may be called to the Bar by the Chief Justice and admitted to practise in the Courts of Ireland as a member of the Bar of Ireland.

Jo King

That is to get into the degree course. You can become a barrister without going through the degree course. You should read all of the materials on a site not just some of it.

234

Ah, well then I refer you to the second quote in my above post. Are there any other ways of qualifying in Ireland?

johnnyskeleton

I think he may be referring to solicitors and lawyers from other jurisdictions transferring over to become barristers. However, while they don't necessarily have to sit the full degree course, they still have to be formally admitted to the degree in order to be called to the bar.

As far as I know, you are correct that you can't practise as a barrister in Ireland (don't know about other jurisdictions) without the degree of barrister at law

http://www.kingsinns.ie/website/prospective_students/special/ni_barristers.htm
http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1929/en/act/pub/0016/sec0003.html#sec3

234

Just had sudden attack of self-doubt. I know that you can try to transfer your qulaification from another jurisdiciton but the OP seems to be considering working in Ireland as a legal sec and then moving up if the area suits her.

Jo King

solicitor of 3 years standing can be admitted to the "degree" of Barrister at Law. There is no need for that solicitor to have a law degree, any degree at all of the Diploma in Legal Studies. It is a bit rich of the Kings Inns to call Barrister at Law a degree. There is no external validation and the refuse to join any standards body. The New York Bar does not recognise it as a law degree since the Kings Inns is not a University.

sarahc1981

hi
Im hoping someone may be able to give me some advise?! I have a BA Honours Degree in Legal Studies and Business. I have only a few months experience working in a solicitors office. I really dont know what step to take next as most firms require 3/4 experience! I would really like to become a legal executive and im sure my degree is sufficient enough to pursue this occupation but with no experience its very hard! Any advise would be greatly appreciated.

Sean_pop

Hi

at the moment I am working as an office administrator for a small company.
I am looking to make progress, however it is unlikely that i can do it for this company.
Could any one tell me what is the next step I should take in my career

Milk & Honey

For a start, stop going into work looking as if you had a) slept in your clothes and b) been dragged backways through a hedge.