As a legal assistant, you’ll provide support services for solicitors and barristers. It is a role that is mostly behind the scenes, yet one that’s quite important for court proceedings to run smoothly.
Typically, legal assistants in the U.K. conduct tasks like research and preparing legal documents. Legal assistants will often assist in interviewing clients or witnesses for a case as well.
The question is, what does this job offer in terms of benefits?
What are the Worst Parts of This Job?
Before we get into the benefits of becoming a legal assistant, it should be noted that this job can be very taxing.
For example, during trials, you might work 50, 60, 70, or more hours a week. Additionally, you will have many deadlines to meet, an enormous amount of legal documentation of which to keep track, and will likely have a good number of client or witness interviews to conduct.
The workload can shift quickly, too. For example, if new evidence is brought to light, you might be in charge of determining how to address the new evidence at trial. As another example, if a client changes their plea, it might fall primarily on you to prepare new documents to reflect the client’s new plea.
There is certainly an emotional toll that can be taken as you work on certain types of cases. For example, if you’re working on a case that involves a violent crime, having to sift through evidence, interview victims, and do research on violent crimes can be emotionally draining.
Benefits of Working as a Legal Assistant
While there are certainly some downsides to employment in this field, there are many more benefits to becoming a legal assistant.
Below is a list of some of the primary benefits of this job. It should be noted that some of these benefits - like good pay - get better with time and experience.
However, other benefits of working as a legal assistant - like a relatively low educational threshold - can be had early on in the job.
Let’s have a look at what you can expect in terms of the advantages of being a legal assistant.
1. Very Satisfying Work
As noted earlier, working as a legal assistant can be very taxing. But there are many opportunities for you to experience a great deal of job satisfaction as well.
The obvious examples of this would be contributing to a legal defence in which the client is found not guilty or working with the prosecution in a successful trial against a defendant.
Being part of a team that helps realise justice for a crime is just one component, though. You might find a great deal of satisfaction in making the jobs of your colleagues easier through your hard work. You might also really enjoy meeting new clients and getting to know them. Alternatively, you might find this work satisfying because it’s sparked an interest in becoming a solicitor or barrister.
2. Low Educational Threshold
As noted earlier, becoming a legal assistant in the U.K. is fairly easy from an educational standpoint.
According to the National Careers Service, the primary means by which you can enter this line of work is through a college course, an apprenticeship, on-the-job experience, or by taking courses from a professional organisation.
Obviously, this kind of flexibility means that you can tailor your educational experiences to your specific interests and needs. So, if you want to attend college, you can pursue a Level 3 diploma for legal secretaries.
If you prefer, you can also pursue an apprenticeship with a legal office. Apprenticeships typically require that you have some GCSEs. Usually, these include maths and English for an immediate apprenticeship, though an advanced apprenticeship will have more stringent requirements (e.g., 4-5 GCSEs of A* to C, or equivalent).
You can also simply begin working in the legal field. This pathway would likely require that you start in an entry-level position, then, as you gain experience, work your way into the role of legal assistant.
This pathway would require skills such as excellent communication skills and the ability to type at a speedy pace. However, as you prove yourself worthy as an employee, you can learn new skills and take on new roles as you move closer to becoming a legal secretary.
A fourth option for becoming a legal secretary is to be credentialed by a professional organisation. The Chartered Institute of Legal Executives and The Institute of Legal Secretaries and PAs both offer courses that can help you pursue your employment goals.
3. Prepare for Another Position
Earlier, it was mentioned that you might find a spark of interest from your work as a legal assistant to become a solicitor or barrister. And while that’s certainly possible, they aren’t the only career paths you might pursue once you have experience as a legal secretary.
For example, you might find that your work leads to an interest in becoming a paralegal, which is quite similar to working as a legal assistant. Alternatively, you might go more in the office administration route and become a senior secretary or office manager. Working as a legal executive or licensed conveyancer might also be of interest.
4. Good Earnings Potential
When you start your career, you can expect to earn around £20,000 per year. While this isn’t an enormous salary, it’s adequate for entry-level or part-time work.
As you gain experience, though, you can expect higher wages. According to the National Careers Service, experienced legal secretaries make £45,000 per year, on average.
The salary you make will depend on many factors, though, so the more experience and education you have, the higher the salary is likely to be. This means that you could earn much more than the average if you have the qualifications to warrant higher pay.
Preparing for Work as a Legal Assistant
As we’ve discussed, there are plenty of benefits of becoming a legal assistant. And regardless of how you enter this line of work, those benefits are there for the taking.
Sometimes you will work very long hours. You might have to work on very emotionally draining cases. There might be disagreements with colleagues, too.
But in the end, the positive aspects of this job make it a worthwhile pursuit. Being a legal assistant is an excellent career option, whether you want to make it a permanent career or use it as a stepping stone to another career.
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