Court administrative assistant
Law and legal

How to become a court administrative assistant

You can get into this job through:

• a college course
• an apprenticeship
• applying directly 

College

You could take a college course before applying for work, like a Level 2 Diploma in Business Administration, or a Level 2 Certificate or Diploma in Legal Studies.

College (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

Apprenticeship

You could do a paralegal, court operations or business administrator advanced apprenticeship.

Apprenticeship (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

Direct application

You could apply directly for jobs. You'll usually need 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) including English. Experience in a similar role like office administration will be useful. Employers will also be interested in your personal qualities and life experience.

More info

Further information You can get more details about careers in the courts and tribunals service from Skills for Justice.

What it takes

Skills & Knowledge

You'll need:

• administration skills
• to be thorough and pay attention to detail
• excellent verbal communication skills
• excellent written communication skills
• the ability to work well with others
• the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
• patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
• legal knowledge including court procedures and government regulations
• to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

Restriction & Requirements

You'll need to:

• pass enhanced background checks

What you'll do

Day to day

In this role you could be:

• dealing with enquiries from the public
• booking dates and times for court hearings
• allocating cases to courtrooms
• preparing lists of the day's court sessions and keeping ushers informed
• making sure that judges, magistrates and lawyers have the right paperwork for each case
• following up the court's decision after a hearing (like issuing court orders)
• taking notes in court for legal advisers
• updating the Police National Computer (PNC) and court electronic systems

Working environment

You could work in an office or in a court.

Career path and progression

Career path & progression

With experience, you could progress from administrative assistant to administrative officer and then to executive officer or team manager.