Home > Helping people learn

A training and development programme for legal secretaries at Lawrence Graham

Background: the changing job role


Lawrence Graham is one of the top 50 law firms in the UK: it advises clients at all stages of their business growth, with a focus on their capital raising, real estate, risk & regulation and outsourcing needs.

Almost all staff are based in London, although the firm also has a Monaco office and services clients internationally. The practice has 270 fee-earning lawyers and 240 support staff – of whom 100 are legal secretaries, who are the focus of this case study.

There has been significant change in the role of the legal secretary over the past five years and this change is set to continue. In the past the job mainly involved typing and preparation of documents and administrative support for fee-earners. Client expectations have led to increased demands on the firm as a whole, but the legal secretarial role has been particularly affected by technology. There are now “different software packages for everything”. An effective legal secretary with the necessary skills will be involved in tasks like managing e-mails and documentation, maintaining client and contact details electronically, running conflict checks and operating the integrated online billing system.

The rapid emergence of technological systems has had significant impact on the relationship between fee-earner and secretary. The introduction of one particular system provides a good illustration. In 2004 Lawrence Graham invested in a system of digital dictation. This allows a lawyer to dictate at any location and insert the recording device into his or her personal computer. The result is then transmitted electronically as a digital file, placed in team folder, and has the potential to be accessed and typed by any secretary in any location. The full potential of this system is still to be realised but its arrival was one of the factors that led the firm to restructure its approach to secretarial provision.

The response


A major reorganisation of secretarial provision took place in April 2005. There was a new emphasis on secretarial teams which reflected the major business streams. Although established ways of working take time to change, there is an ongoing move away from a committed relationship whereby the secretary always works for one or two lawyers, to more of an integrated team approach. At the same time the post of Secretarial Team Leader was created and three appointments have been made to this position. This role is partly about the organisation of work-flows and partly about performance management — dealing with unpunctuality or other aspects of under-performance. Critically, however, it is also about encouraging and supporting the individual secretary in the acquisition of the skills demanded by the new role. The main challenge at present is to support the newly established Secretarial Training and Development Programme.

The programme


Ensuring the effectiveness of the new programme is seen as a team responsibility shared between Clodagh Beaty, the firm’s Training and Development Manager, three Secretarial Team Leaders and the IT Customer Services Manager and his team of three IT Trainers.

The commitment of the firm to the initiative is evident. Senior management have been persuaded of the importance of a significant investment in secretarial learning and development.

Clodagh Beaty has argued that the firm must have the capacity to embrace change and to embrace modern technology. Increasingly, lawyers joining the firm are IT literate, will do more themselves and expect a different service from their secretary. In Clodagh Beaty’s words:

“Our secretarial staff cost the firm almost £4m a year. If you spent that amount on a property you would expect to spend to maintain its value.”

Traditionally, Lawrence Graham's secretaries received only initial IT induction training. Under the new programme they will undertake compulsory modules, have the opportunity to attend optional modules, and be encouraged to participate in knowledge sharing events. A critical part of the Secretarial Team Leader's role will be to encourage all of the secretarial team to participate and update their skills.

One important factor which will affect the success of the initiative will be the confidence of participants. An initial compulsory element, therefore, is a one day ‘Rise to the Challenge’ module delivered by Platinum Training Solutions - external consultants who have been extensively involved in the programme's design and delivery. This module will consider personal motivation, the implications of continuous improvement and development for the individual, and managing change in the role. Lawrence Graham, as is common in most organisations, want their employees to take responsibility for their own development. However, as Clodagh Beaty emphasises:

“Yes they must take responsibility, but we must give them support and guidance. We have to both communicate the standards and give them the tools to achieve.”

The main compulsory element in the programme concerns Microsoft office products. All legal secretaries will be required to undertake the specialist qualification in Word at Expert Level. To make this possible, Lawrence Graham have taken the necessary steps to become an authorised Microsoft Testing Centre. Each legal secretary will undertake an initial assessment online and, in conjunction with IT training, produce an agreed personalised plan. The route to qualification will proceed through classroom instruction and support delivered by the IT Trainers - but will also encompass some self-study and e-learning.

Other compulsory modules include an Understanding the Business Session and short modules on Lawrence Graham procedures. A range of soft-skills training modules are available as options — for example, effective working relations, communications and planning and prioritisation. An enthusiastic legal secretary, who is fully committed to the programme, could receive up to five days off-the-job training in a year over and above the compulsory modules. In addition, the firm has introduced a requirement for continuing professional development for secretaries, whereby all secretaries should undertake a minimum amount of 10 hours training every year.

Delivery and support


This programme is to be delivered mainly through off-the-job events held in meeting rooms in the firm’s main offices. Clodagh Beaty believes that this is the best approach at this stage in the firm’s development.

“If a secretary is at her desk the fee-earner will consider that she is available for immediate important tasks. Moreover, all the participants work in the two neighbouring offices. Taking them away together must be the most efficient way of managing training and learning for us.”

The role of the Secretarial Team Leader is, however, crucial in ensuring that the participants transfer knowledge to the work-place and share experiences. Tracy Lowry, one of the Team Leaders, sees this as an increasingly important part of her job. She will be arranging lunch time knowledge sharing sessions above and beyond the course programme. She not only sees clear benefits but short term operational gains:

“It will take the pressure off those secretaries who are very knowledgeable and undertake the more difficult tasks involving PowerPoint and Excel. If everyone has a minimum standard, each Secretary will be able to take on any piece of work.”

An element of reluctance from some Secretaries is seen as inevitable and Tracy Lowry and the other Team Leaders are tasked with maintaining the general positive spirit towards the initiative. They are emphasising the benefits to acquiring transferable skills and the opportunities that self-development create. As the programme develops, the Secretarial Team Leaders will increasingly try to develop a more effective learning culture in which experiences are shared and leveraged. This brings together learning and performance management in a cohesive attempt to create effective group working.

Lawrence Graham would readily admit that there is nothing unusual in the taught element of the programme. However, the commitment to invest this level of resources in developing non fee-earning staff, and the support from the senior management team, are remarkable. The ‘support and facilitate’ or coaching role fulfilled by the Secretarial Team Leader also gives the programme an important extra dimension. 
 
 
 
 
Bookmark and share
What are these?