If you are looking to further your skills and work experience in a legal environment, the Legal Secretary courses are the best route to go.
Bellview’s Legal Secretary courses will ensure that you are prepared for a career in the legal field with all the necessary skills and knowledge, including how to prepare legal papers, collecting case-specific information, and handling correspondence.
What Is The Legal Secretary Course?
Legal Secretary courses fall under the NATED Legal Secretary programme. The programme consists of three theoretical courses and a final practical course. These courses will teach you everything you need to know about working in an administrative capacity within the world of law.
This includes theoretical knowledge as well as practical work-based knowledge. The combination of knowledge and skills will automatically increase your chances of success when searching for job opportunities and employment.
Legal Secretaries are responsible for preparing legal documents (such as subpoenas and summonses), collecting information for ongoing cases, and accumulating documents that lawyers may need in court. They act as a lawyer’s right hand, and assist them in all their duties, making them a crucial part in any legal field.
Is Legal Secretary A Good Career?
Legal Secretaries are highly valued in any law firm. If you would like to enter the legal field and gain more experience, this is a great career path for you. If you are trustworthy and pay attention to detail, you will easily fit into the role of a Legal Secretary.
This is also a great opportunity to get a scope of how the legal field operates. You can choose to further your experience and work your way up in the legal field – getting fully prepared for your future endeavours in a legal setting.
How Much Does A Legal Secretary Earn?
Legal Secretaries can earn anything from R8 730 to R25 700 per month, with the average monthly salary sitting at around R12 196. The more experience you have, the higher your salary will be. This will also largely depend on your workplace as well as the amount of duties you will be expected to perform.
Legal Secretary Job Opportunities
The Legal Secretary field is full of various job opportunities. Here are some of the most common Legal Secretary positions:
- Legal Secretary, monthly salary expectation: R12 196
- Office Manager, monthly salary expectation: R18 014
- Paralegal, monthly salary expectation: R19 000
- Legal Administrative Assistant, monthly salary expectation: R14 024
- Legal Typist, monthly salary expectation: R15 000
What Skills Do I Need To Become A Legal Secretary?
Legal Secretaries play an integral role in any legal field. To flourish as a Legal Secretary, you will need the following skills and traits:
- Administrative skills
- Legal knowledge
- A thorough work ethic
- Paying attention to detail
- The ability to work well in teams
- Patience
- The ability to handle stressful situations
- Initiative and drive
How Can I Develop My Skills?
In order to remain a top job candidate, you will have to keep improving your skills to keep up with the ever-changing nature of any career path. Here are a few good ways to improve and develop your professional skills:
- Get a mentor: Having someone with experience to guide you in your career path will help you learn everything you need to know about the industry much faster
- Set personal goals: Make sure that you have a vision for your future and create a suitable plan to achieve your goals
- Make note of constructive criticism: If you can use constructive criticism to your advantage, you will improve your skills in no time
- Get qualified: Getting a qualification in your field of interest will improve your skills and increase your employability
- Observe professionals: Learning from people who are experienced in your field is critical for building your skill set
- Take notes: Being organised and learning from past mistakes is essential in any career field
Why Are These Skills Important?
Skills encourage professional networking and will help you to constantly improve your performance. Having a variety of skills are also beneficial when applying for job opportunities. If you have relevant skills, employers will be more inclined to hire you.
Here are some reasons why you should always be developing your skills:
- It encourages personal growth
- They make it easier for you to stand out from the crowd
- You will feel a sense of accomplishment when improving your skills
- You will be a likely candidate for promotions
- Improving your skills will increase your earning potential
- You will feel more confident in your abilities
Where Can I Study Legal Secretary Courses?
You can get all the skills and qualifications you will need to enter the legal field at Bellview Institute of Distance Learning. Bellview’s NATED Legal Secretary programme consists of the following courses:
- Legal Secretary: NATED N4 National Certificate
- Legal Secretary: NATED N5 National Certificate
- Legal Secretary: NATED N6 National Certificate
- Legal Secretary: NATED N6 National Diploma
You will need a Matric Certificate to start the foundational Legal Secretary: NATED N4 National Certificate course. Once you have successfully completed the first course, your new certificate will count as the entry requirement for the next level.
What Is The Legal Secretary N4 National Certificate Course?
This course serves as an introduction to the basics of becoming a Legal Secretary. It is the first course within the NATED Legal Secretary programme. You will gain basic skills and knowledge required for pursuing a career in the legal field.
What Are The Entry Requirements?
In order to start your first NATED Legal Secretary course, you will need:
- To be 16 years or older
- To be able to read and write in English
- The ability to study via distance learning
- A Matric Certificate, such as the:
What Is The Course Duration?
Depending on your study pace, the N4 National Certificate course can take between 6 and 12 months to complete.
What Assessments Will Be Done?
The N4 – N6 National Certificate courses will have two assignments and two exams for each subject covered in that course level. This includes one internal and one external examination. You can complete the assignments and internal examinations from home.
However, you will need to write your external examinations at an approved Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) exam venue and obtain a minimum pass mark of 50 % or more to pass the subject and the course level. The following N4 internal and external exams will be written:
- Office Practice N4 Internal Exam
- Office Practice N4 External Exam
- Communication N4 Internal Exam
- Communication N4 External Exam
- Information Processing N4 Internal Exam
- Information Processing N4 External Exam
- Mercantile Law N4 Internal Exam
- Mercantile Law N4 External Exam
What Is The Legal Secretary N5 National Certificate Course?
This course is the second theoretical course in the NATED Legal Secretary programme. You will expand on the foundational knowledge and skills you have obtained during your first Legal Secretary course.
What Are The Entry Requirements?
You will need the Legal Secretary: NATED N4 National Certificate qualification to start this course.
What Is The Course Duration?
Depending on your study pace, the N5 National Certificate course can take between 6 and 12 months to complete the course.
What Assessments Will Be Done?
As mentioned in the N4 course, you will need to submit two assignments and write two exams per subject. This includes one internal and one external examination. You can also complete these assignments and internal examinations from home.
However, you will need to write your external examinations at an approved Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) exam venue. The following N5 internal and external exams will be written:
- Office Practice N5 Internal Exam
- Office Practice N5 External Exam
- Communication N5 Internal Exam
- Communication N5 External Exam
- Information Processing N5 Internal Exam
- Information Processing N5 External Exam
- Legal Practice N5 Internal Exam
- Legal Practice N5 External Exam
What Is The Legal Secretary N6 National Certificate Course?
This is the third and final theoretical course in the NATED Legal secretary programme, and it will ensure that you perfect the skills you have obtained during the previous National Certificate courses.
What Are The Entry Requirements?
You will need to have the Legal Secretary: NATED N5 National Certificate qualification to start this course.
What Is The Course Duration?
Depending on your study pace, the N6 National Certificate course can take you anywhere between 6 and 12 months to complete.
What Assessments Will Be Done?
In addition to your eight (8) exams, you will be required to submit two assignments per subject covered during the N6 Certificate Course. The following N6 internal and external exams will be written:
- Office Practice N6 Internal Exam
- Office Practice N6 External Exam
- Legal Practice N6 Internal Exam
- Legal Practice N6 External Exam
- Information Processing N6 Internal Exam
- Information Processing N6 External Exam
- Mercantile Law N5 Internal Exam
- Mercantile Law N5 External Exam
What Is The Legal Secretary N6 National Diploma Course?
The National Diploma course is the final course that you will need to complete in your NATED programme. The Legal Secretary Diploma course is based on gaining practical work-based skills.
This means that there are no theoretical subjects to be covered. Instead, you will be expected to handle tasks in a legal environment, which will enable you to complete your Legal Secretary Logbook.
What Are The Entry Requirements?
You will need the Legal Secretary: NATED N6 National Certificate qualification to start this course.
What Is The Course Duration?
The N6 National Diploma course takes 18 months to complete in a relevant working environment.
What Assessments Will Be Done?
You will only receive your Legal Secretary Logbook, as it is the only assessment you will need to complete during this course. There are no written examinations or assignments to do, because the NATED N6 National Diploma course is a practical training course.
You will be expected to handle relevant tasks in a legal environment, in order to complete your Legal Secretary Logbook. Your supervise/manager will need to sign your Logbook as proof that you really did receive the practical working experience for your job.
What Will I Learn?
Along with all the theoretical knowledge you will cover during your Legal Secretary course subjects, you will also learn the following skills throughout your courses:
- Communication in a professional environment
- Managing office procedures
- Compiling legal reports
- Dealing with customers professionally
- Applying basic legal principles
- Understanding legal terms and concepts
- Processing information in a detailed manner
- Understanding complex theoretical and practical information in your field
Why Should I Study A NATED Legal Secretary Course?
The NATED Legal Secretary programme is a great course for those who want to pursue a career in the legal field. Some specific advantages of studying the NATED Legal Secretary programme include:
- Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) and Quality Council of Trades and Occupations (QCTO) accreditation
- Courses are registered with SAQA
- Obtain practical skills and theoretical knowledge
- Proper preparation to enter the work force
- National recognised qualification
Additional benefits of studying the NATED Legal Secretary programme include:
- Good salary expectations
- Higher employment rate
- Better job security
- Further your studies to a professional level
Frequently Asked Questions
Legal Secretaries handle administrative tasks within law firms and courts. They assist legal professionals with duties, such as preparing legal documents, collecting case information, and handling correspondence.
No, you do not need a degree in order to become a Legal Secretary. You can complete the NATED Legal Secretary National Diploma course and be fully qualified to enter the work force.
Legal Secretaries are also commonly referred to as Legal Assistants, although job descriptions may have a few variations in their role expectations. If you have completed your Legal Secretary course, you will be able to fulfill the role requirements in any of these positions.
Legal Secretaries do best if they have the following:
- Administrative skills
- Legal knowledge
- A thorough work ethic
- Close attention to detail
- The ability to work well in teams
- Patience
- The ability to handle stressful situations
- Initiative and drive
All of these skills will be covered during the NATED Legal Secretary programme, so if you do not identify with some of them, you will always have the opportunity to learn.
The NATED Legal Secretary programme consists of three theoretical courses (6 – 12 months per course) and one practical course (18 months). The entire NATED Legal Secretary programme takes a total of 36 – 54 months to complete.
Author: Karla Nortier
Editor: Connor Bergsma
Date Published: September 20, 2022