Role of Legal Secretaries

Legal secretaries work in law offices and perform secretarial tasks that are specific to the law field: writing legal documents, such as summonses, motions, subpoenas, etc., conducting research and reading legal articles, and more, as well as standard secretarial duties, that might include answering phones and email, filing, creating and maintaining schedules for lawyers, ordering supplies, copying, faxing and maintaining the office.

Legal Secretary Salaries

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, legal secretaries made a median annual income of $41,500 in 2010 or $19.95 per hour.

A Legal Secretary earns an average salary of £19,101 per year. For the first five to ten years in this position, salary increases modestly, but any additional experience does not have a big effect on pay.

Educational Requirements

A high school diploma plus office, computer and grammar skills will help you get in the door, but legal secretaries often need more education, such as classes from a community college in law or business administration, or similar vocational coursework. Certification is not required but may help you land the job.

Essential Skills

1. Technology Skills

Many attorneys have neither the time nor expertise to operate law office technology. They rely on tech-savvy legal secretaries to perform a variety of computer-based tasks such as: creating spreadsheets, preparing presentations, entering time for billing purposes, creating and typing documents, maintaining calendars and tracking deadlines.

Therefore, legal secretaries who are proficient in a variety of computer software applications will have the most career opportunities.  Some of the most common technologies that legal secretaries must master include:

• Word processing
• Spreadsheet
• Presentation
• Document Management
• Time & Billing
• Calendar & Docketing
• Transcription
• Desktop Publishing
• Videoconferencing

2. Interpersonal Skills

Legal secretaries interact daily with attorneys, paralegals, staff, clients, opposing counsel, judicial personnel, vendors and other third-parties.

Therefore, top-notch interpersonal and communication skills are essential.  In addition to face-to-face contact, secretaries communicate by e-mail, telephone and video conferencing systems.

3. Writing Skills

Think attorneys perform all the writing?  Think again. Legal secretaries are frequently responsible for drafting routine correspondence and file memos as well as proofreading legal documents such as pleadings, briefs, discovery and transactional documents.

Writing is an integral part of the legal secretary’s job; those who develop strong writing skills will become indispensable to the attorneys they assist.

4. Organizational Skills

Attorneys are notoriously disorganized.  Since legal secretaries are the attorney’s “right-hand man,” organizational skills are essential to efficiently manage a law practice or corporate legal department.

Legal secretaries must maintain paper and electronic files, manage projects, track multiple deadlines, maintain calendars, schedule meetings, organize events and keep everything orderly and accessible.

5. Transcription Skills

Transcription skills are foundational to secretarial practice.  In addition to a fast typing speed (employer requirements vary from 50 to 100 words per minute), keen listening skills are required to comprehend voice dictation files. Strong grammar, spelling, vocabulary and language skills are necessary as well an understanding of legal terminology.

In addition, secretaries must be proficient in word processing applications and transcription equipment.

6. Attention to Detail

Attention to detail is critical in the legal profession. For example, typing £450,000 in a settlement offer instead of £45,000 could cost your firm a client.  Legal secretaries handle the minutiae of daily law practice and attention to detail is important in nearly every secretarial task from drafting and proofreading documents to scheduling meetings and calendaring deadlines.

7. Familiarity with Legal Documents and Terminology

What’s the difference between a secretary and a legal secretary?  Legal secretaries are familiar with all things legal.  Terms like subpoena, prose and voir dire don’t befuddle them.

They understand the nuances of legal procedure and know how to create and format pleadings, discovery and transactional documents.

8. Teamwork

Teamwork is crucial to the role of legal secretaries in delivering legal services. In all practice settings – from large corporate legal department to solo practitioner – legal secretaries must team with attorneys, paralegals, secretaries, file clerks, vendors and others to deliver legal services effectively.

The most efficient legal secretaries know how to get along with co-workers and collaborate with third parties to get the job done.

9. Multi-Tasking Skills

Most legal secretaries work for more than one person on more than one file.  Simultaneously performing multiple tasks is second-nature to a competent legal secretary.

They know how to juggle multiple assignments and competing priorities and how to manage growing workloads in today’s busy law office where one person frequently performs the job of three.

10. Research skills

Legal secretaries perform Internet research for a multitude of tasks such as finding directions, gathering client information, researching the competition and locating expert witnesses. Many legal secretaries, particularly those in small law offices, also perform paralegal duties, including legal research, cite checking and tracking down case law.

Legal Secretary Job Responsibilities:

Enhance attorney effectiveness by providing information-management support; representing the attorney to clients and others.

Legal Secretary Job Duties:

• Welcomes guests and clients by greeting them in person or on the telephone; answering or directing inquiries.
• Produces information by transcribing, formatting, inputting, editing, retrieving, copying, and transmitting text, data, and graphics; coordinating case preparation.
• Conserves attorneys time by reading, researching, reviewing, verifying, and routing correspondence, reports and legal documents; drafting letters and documents; collecting and analyzing information; initiating telecommunications; organizing client conferences, and attorney meetings; scheduling couriers, court reporters, expert witnesses, and other special functions; coordinating preparation of charts, graphs, and other courtroom visuals; preparing expense reports.
• Maintains attorney calendar by planning and scheduling conferences, teleconferences, dispositions, and travel; recording and monitoring court appearance dates, pleadings, and filing requirements; monitoring evidence-gathering; anticipating changes in litigation or transaction preparation requirements.
• Represents attorney by communicating and obtaining information; following-up on delegated assignments; knowing when to act and when to refer matters to attorney.
• Generates revenues by documenting and inputting attorney billable time and reimbursable expenses; preparing invoices; tracking payments.
• Maintains client confidence beekeeping client/attorney information confidential.
• Provides historical reference by developing and utilizing filing and retrieval systems; recording meeting discussions; maintaining transcripts; documenting and maintaining evidence.
• Maintains office supplies by checking stocks; placing and expediting orders; evaluating new products.
• Ensures operation of equipment by completing preventive maintenance requirements; calling for repairs.
• Updates job knowledge by participating in educational opportunities; reading professional publications; maintaining personal networks; participating in professional organizations.
• Enhances department and organization reputation by accepting ownership for accomplishing new and different requests; exploring opportunities to add value to job accomplishments.