Kate Fox has come a long way since she joined Bradford law firm Last, Cawthra Feather nine years ago.

Staring as a junior secretary in the firm's residential conveyancing department, she enjoyed learning about the intricacies of buying and selling homes and got a good deal of job satisfaction.

"It was nice to see a matter complete. Clients would come in very stressed at the start of the process, then on completion they would be relaxed and smiling, " she says.

Kate, 27, who lives in Wibsey, was based in the firm's Shipley office, but as the company expanded she moved to Bradford to work in its corporate department.

As secretary to Susan Clark, a partner in the firm and head of the corporate department, Kate enjoyed her work sufficiently to look toward training to take on more duties.

"I liked corporate work, dealing with companies, and wanted to develop further in that department, " she recalls.

Supported by the company, she attended night school two evenings a week at Calderdale College, where she studied for an Institute of Legal Executives qualification.

Her hard work paid off and the former pupil of Buttershaw Upper School is now a legal assistant, helping the team with transactions involving mergers, acquisition and company restructuring.

Kate is specialising in company and partnership law, and is able to take on extra responsibilities. She is moving away from secretarial and is now able to do more feeearning work.

She enjoys advising clients on setting up companies from scratch. "A client will come in with an idea and we help them to form a business and get it off the ground. We give advice on registering the company. Clients are very passionate about what they want to do."

Because no company is the same, the work is very diverse.

"One day I could find myself acting for a cable TV channel and the next with a doctors' surgery or helping to set up a charity, " she says.

Kate says she gets a great deal of job satisfaction: "I left school aged 16 and I was not academic. I still struggle with my studies, but now I have seen how worthwhile it is to work hard to achieve.

I don't think I would have achieved this at 16 or 18 - I don't think at that age you realise how important your job is."

Combining her studies with work has been a challenge.

"It is incredibly difficult, when you have worked all day, to find the energy to study at home, but with my promotion it is already reaping rewards. And it is a nice way to earn and learn."

She is pleased that she joined a firm that recognised hard work and gave her a chance to succeed.

"The company funded my course - they are really encouraging. There are four solicitors in the corporate team and they are all really helpful. If there is anything I don't understand they are always there.

"I am very happy to be part of a business which has clear plans for the future, its staff and its clients."

Susan Clark and the partners in the firm - which also carries out work including commercial litigation, matrimonial and wills and probate - are delighted by Kate's progress.

"The department has experienced a significant increase in the volume of work being carried out over the past 12 months and this appointment is a reflection of how well the team is doing and how hard Kate has worked to become a legal assistant, " Susan says.