1. Introduction

There are linked legal qualifications available for people working to comply with the  Legal Secretarial Standards. Qualifications linked to the other Standards are under preparation.

2. Qualifications available

There is a qualification linked to each Level of the Legal Secretarial Standards:

Successful completion of the Introductory Level Legal Secretarial Standards can lead to the LPQ Introductory Certificate in Legal Secretarial Practice

Successful completion of the Intermediate Level Legal Secretarial Standards can lead to the LPQ Intermediate Certificate in Legal Secretarial Practice

Successful completion of the Advanced Level Legal Secretarial Standards can lead to the LPQ Advanced Certificate in Legal Secretarial Practice

3. What are LPQ qualifications
"LPQ" stands for "Legal Professional Qualification". it is the "brand" name for qualifications that acts as a quality and relevancy kitemark.

LPQ qualifications are recognised by employers and universities nationally as they are:

Awarded in compliance with UK government criteria; and

Awarded by a National Awarding Body (iam). National Awarding Bodies are approved and licensed by the UK government's Qualifications & curriculum Authority to award qualifications

4. How Much Do LPQs Cost?
LPQs are qualifications, not courses. Therefore the cost is very low: GBP £125+VAT per candidate.

This sum covers:

Registration for an LPQ qualification

Being sent a work-related assignment to be completed by the candidate

Marketing of the assignment

Issuing of a certificate if successful

The cost is low because the various Standards reflect what people already do in the work place. Therefore most of the standards should be complied with just by doing general day-to-day work. 

There is no formal course to sign up to, although some training providers such as Learning 4 Legals offers training against the Standards.

5. Who awards the LPQs?
The three LPQ qualifications are awarded by a UK government (Qualifications & Curriculum Authority) approved National Awarding Body, called iam.

Established in 1915, the Institute of Administrative Management (iam) is both a National Awarding Body and a professional institute in its own right. for more information please visit www.instam.org.

6. How LPQ qualifications work in respect of Legal Secretarial Standards

a). An individual candidate working together with a vetting body (e.g. her/his employer or approved recruitment agency or training provider) registers with the Institute of Paralegals to sit for one of the secretarial LPQs.

The candidate specifies which level of Standard he/she is working towards (introductory, intermediate or advanced). There is a specific form to be completed: download candidate registration form (form is in Microsoft Excel 97-2003 format)

Either the candidate or the vetting body pays the qualification registration fee (GBP £125+ VAT)

b). Separately the vetting body:

Subscribes to the Legal Secretarial Standards if the candidate has not already done so (GBP £70 + VAT per annum). The subscription is payable by the vetting body only once per year regardless of the number of candidates

Registers with the Institute as the vetting body for the candidate, naming designated line managers who will vet the candidate's performance

c). The Institute and iam register the candidate and vetting body

d). Working at whatever speed suits the candidate and vetting body, the candidate proves to the reasonable satisfaction of a designated line manager in the vetting body that he/she can meet at least 95% of the relevant Level of Standards.

e). The designated line manager records the candidate's ongoing compliance. The designated line manager also keeps a record of what the candidate did to successfully demonstrate compliance in respect of each individual standard. NB: for reasons of confidentiality and transportability, the candidate does not create or maintain any form of portfolio.

f). Once the candidate has completed all the standards in the appropriate level then he/she can apply to iam to take the written qualification assessment. This consists of an essay to be completed by the candidate at home and in her/his own time and submitted to iam. The essay is a reflective piece of work designed both to test the individual's understanding of what is required of him/her by the Standards and also to help with the general learning process.

g). If successful then he/she receives the relevant LPQ qualification and then moves on to the next Level or different Standards as appropriate.