Frequently Asked Questions
- As a job seeker, how much does it cost me to use your services?
- As a legal secretary, is there a minimum typing speed that I should aim to achieve?
- As a Law Graduate, can I secure a position through an agency?
As a job seeker, how much does it cost me to use your services?
The cost to utilise our services are FREE. Once you have come to see us and have completed our registration process, we will discuss various job opportunities with you, assist you with interview preparation and provide you with salary advice, in additon to career advice and much more.
We will negotiate a competitive salary on your behalf and keep you informed of our progress every step along the way. All of this is at no cost to you!
As a legal secretary, is there a minimum typing speed that I should aim to achieve?
The requirements for each firm vary widely depending on how much typing is involved in the role and what level of experience they require. In general, a typing speed of at least 60 words per minute with a high degree of accuracy (98% +) is acceptable to most employers.
There are computer programs that you can purchase to assist you in improving your speed and accuracy and many TAFEs and Colleges run legal secretarial courses (either part or full-time). For a cost free approach, you could just practice typing off the legal section in a newspaper, or pages from your favourite book or magazine.
As a Law Graduate, can I secure a position through an agency?
You will find that most advertisements are for lawyers with at least 1 year PQE. This is largely due to the firms having their own in-house programs for summer clerkships and graduate rotational programs, so they rarely use agencies to fill these roles. Furthermore, most firms do not find it difficult to source newly admitted lawyers and are reluctant to pay a fee for a lawyer with no post admission experience.
The best way for you to secure a position as a graduate is to get in early! Ideally securing a summer clerkship in your 4th year of University and keeping an eye out on some of your favourite firms’ websites as to when they will receive graduate applications is your best option. Most firms will have a means whereby graduates can submit their resumes for consideration on their own websites. You can use sites such as the Law Society, www.legal500.com or www.findlaw.com.au to identify firms that practice in your area of interest for you to target.