Legal secretaries require similar qualifications to other secretarial positions, including typing, word processing, and interpersonal skills. They must also have knowledge of legal documents and terminology, confidentiality, and good public relations skills. Legal ethics and the ability to handle stressful situations are also important.
Many legal secretary qualifications are similar to those required for other secretarial positions. This includes filing, typing at least 40 words per minute, and the ability to use word processing software. He or she should also be familiar with different types of legal documents and how they can flow through the court system; It is essential to know some legal terminology. Good interpersonal skills and the ability to maintain confidentiality are useful qualifications, as a legal secretary often deals with a variety of people under very stressful circumstances.
Drafting correspondence and maintaining client files are two common tasks performed by legal secretaries, and many of the legal secretary qualifications are generally clerical in nature. A lawyer might ask a potential employee to take a typing test to show that he can handle preparing large volumes of material. Knowing how to use word processing software is also an essential part of the job. A legal secretary may also maintain accounting records, so basic accounting skills and spreadsheet database training are sometimes also required.
During legal secretary training, great emphasis is placed on legal documents. This is because that worker can file, read, or prepare these documents on behalf of the attorney. He or she can also deliver paperwork to clients or file it with a court clerk. As the secretary may not be given much instruction on how to do this, one of the legal secretary’s qualifications may be to know what these documents are for, so that they can be filed or mailed as appropriate.
Legal ethics largely determine the relationship between a client and a law firm. Many legal secretary qualifications are determined by local ethics rules and may include the ability to maintain confidentiality and avoid a conflict of interest. Other skills may be due to the nature of legal work, as clients typically only turn to lawyers whenever they have issues they cannot resolve on their own. As a result, a legal secretary must have good public relations skills and the ability to remain calm when dealing with stressful situations.
In many law firms, a legal secretary is the first person a client meets when visiting. If that individual is friendly and professional, the attorney’s perception of the attorney is more likely to be positive than if the secretary is unfriendly. Clients may also need to speak with the secretary while a case is in progress, which makes it very important that this worker is willing and able to engage with them.
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