A NEW course, which is to begin next September at Cork's College of Commerce, will give young people an edge over other job applicants to law offices.

A Post Leaving Cert course in legal studies is seen by many aspiring legal secretaries as an added advantage. It will give them practical experience in dealing with legal documents and procedures, as well as a greater understanding of legal concepts.

"We reckon there's a demand for qualified people, especially with the expansion of solicitors in general practice," says Pat Griffin, director of course at Cork's College of Commerce.

Students will study a range of legal concepts, including conveyancing, probate law, the law of trust, general legal office administration and communications. They will handle sample legal documents, High Court forms, sample wills and so on. "We will be talking about it from a practical point of view," Griffin says.