The PA Show 2019 (formerly Office* Show) will once again play host to the UK VA Conference. The show will take place at the Olympia exhibition centre in London on ‘VA Day’ - 27th February 2019. The UK VA Conference 2019 has compiled a fantastic agenda that will appeal to a whole range of Virtual Assistants and their skill levels – from start-up newcomers to established and successful Virtual Assistants. The conference will include talks, expert panels and of course multiple opportunities to network with fellow VAs.

For the seventh year, VA Day will be kick-started by the …

To work as a Legal Secretary, you need to have good typing skills. This means that you should be able to type at least 50 words per minute and have a high level of accuracy. Some firms will expect you to be able to type 60-80 words per minute but others may not feel that a fast typing speed is necessary. It all depends on the individual firm's needs and these will be set out in the job description when they advertise a vacancy.

We advise our Students to have a minimum typing speed of 50 wpm. If you …

We have written a few posts about how women can excel in the legal industry, but just as importantly we would like to talk about men.

Becoming a Legal Secretary is a great way of getting your foot in the door and working your way up the ladder, however men can be cautious about taking on a job title that is usually associated with women. We would like to reassure you that both men and women can work as Legal Secretaries/Assistants/PAs. In today's world, people should not feel like the odd one out or be discriminated against for their …

ILSPA is pleased to announce that it has formed a partnership with pa-assist.com. 

Pa-assist.com is the No.1 website for Office Professionals. It provides resources, services and information to help you make your tasks and challenges easier. You can find courses and training providers to advance your learning and development, networking and events related to your profession, and directory listings for sourcing suppliers. PA Assist also have a LinkedIn group where you can share your tips or opinions, and chat to other professionals. 

By registering and becoming a member of pa.assist.com, you can enjoy their newsletter and other …

An exhibition called '209 Women' has been set up to mark 100 years since women have been able to be elected into UK parliament. The exhibition features beautiful photographic portraits of the women who are currently MPs. Please read more about the exhibition through Positive News.

Positive News is an online platform and magazine which focuses on all the good things which are happening in the world. They believe that the mainstream media tends to be negative and so they have become pioneers for constructive journalism where progress, possibility and solutions are at the forefront of their reports.

Simply Law Jobs have recently published data which outlines the average salaries for legal professionals here. The data is based on the job adverts which were posted on their job site in 2017-18.

You will see that there has been an increase in salaries for Legal Secretaries of 7.59% which is great news. Whilst the average salary for a Legal Secretary is listed as £22,347.46, keep in mind that Simply Law Jobs advertise vacancies throughout the UK with low income areas reducing the overall figure. Starting salaries in London tend to be around £18,000-£20,000 a year and Legal …

ILSPA's next Legal Secretaries Diploma evening class is starting at the end of the month on Tuesday 29 January. As usual it is being held at Regent's University in Regent's Park, London. The class will be taking place one evening per week for fourteen weeks from 6.30pm - 9.30pm.

Regent's University is situated just inside the entrance to the park and it is well lit up at night. As the days get lighter, Students will be able to benefit from the beautiful surroundings. There is a lovely view of the river from York bridge where Students cross over on …

Happy New Year from everyone at ILSPA! We would like you to know that the January edition of our Legal Secretary Journal has just been published.

As it's a new year, we are focusing on your personal and professional development goals, whether you are a Student or experienced Legal Secretary. It's the perfect time to think about what you want to achieve this year.

There are a couple of excellent articles which will help you develop the right attitude and organisational skills to make those much needed improvements to your life. Advice is provided on working on your …

If you have qualified with ILSPA's Legal Secretaries Diploma, you are entitled to 20% off our Single Subject Legal courses.

Many of our Students enjoy their studies with us so much that they decide to advance their studies by taking one of our Advanced Diploma courses. You can deepen your knowledge of the key practice areas in the Legal Secretaries Diploma course or study a completely different area of law such as Criminal Law or Corporate & Commercial Law.

As you slow down after Christmas, it's a great time to enrol and set yourself up for advancing …

Vacancies are not always advertised with recruitment agencies as it can be expensive for law firms to do so. Due to this, some firms advertise positions directly on their websites or invite speculative applications.

ILSPA has found that writing to law firms directly, sending a copy of your CV and a covering letter, is a very successful way for our Members to secure employment. It shows that you are assertive, proactive and confident. Through the documents you send, you can really show how competent you are with Legal Secretary work. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you …