Court administrative assistant
Court administrative assistants help run courts and court offices.
What you'll do
Day-to-day tasks
In this role you could:
- answer questions from the public
- book courtrooms for hearings
- prepare lists of the day's court sessions and inform ushers
- make sure that judges, magistrates and lawyers have the right paperwork
- follow up the court's decisions and issue court orders
- take notes in court for legal advisers
- update the Police National Computer (PNC) and court computer systems
Working environment
You could work in an office or in a court.
Career path and progression
With experience, you could progress from administrative assistant to administrative officer and then to executive officer or team manager.
What it takes
Skills and knowledge
You'll need:
- administration skills
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- legal knowledge including court procedures and government regulations
- excellent verbal communication skills
- the ability to organise your time and workload
- excellent written communication skills
- concentration skills
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently
Restrictions and Requirements
You'll need to:
How to become
You can get into this job through:
- a college course
- an apprenticeship
- applying directly
You could take a college course before you apply for work.
Courses you could take include:
- Level 2 Diploma in Business Administration
- Level 2 Diploma in Legal Studies
- T Level in Management and Administration
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths for a T Level
More Information
You could do a paralegal or business administrator advanced apprenticeship.
It will take you between 18 and 24 months to complete the apprenticeship which includes a mix of studying and learning on the job.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
More Information
You could apply directly for jobs. You'll usually need 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) including English.
You might find it useful if you have experience in a similar job like office administration. Employers will also be interested in your personal qualities and life experience.
Further information
You can get more details about careers in the courts and tribunals service from HM Courts and Tribunals Service.
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External links
This page contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.