A legal administrative assistant performs various secretarial functions in a law firm, including filing, running errands, and receiving messages. They may also conduct research and prepare legal files. Specialized training is helpful but not always necessary.
A legal administrative assistant is responsible for various secretarial functions in a law firm, but their precise job description depends on the company. Generally, people doing this type of work are expected to perform filing, run errands, and receive messages, but they are also expected to do more if they have enough experience with the law to do so. In some companies, an administrative assistant may be expected to do research for a case, but this requires more knowledge of the law than is required for a general secretary. Skills can be learned on the job, but many assistants receive specialized training beforehand to become more qualified for the job.
In most cases, a legal administrative assistant will be responsible for basic office tasks such as filing and following up on paperwork. Law firms often have a significant amount of case-related paperwork that needs to be properly stored and managed to effectively serve clients. Keeping track of appointments is also often left to assistants, although there may be other secretaries who perform this more basic job.
Transcription and preparation of legal files are usually part of this job. These tasks require typing experience, but also knowledge of legal terminology. Many people find that specific courses for legal transcription are very helpful when looking for employment in this field.
Conducting research for lawyers requires a certain degree of knowledge of the law, but a suitably qualified person may be required to perform this type of task. What exactly the lawyer or law firm needs to do will be explained in the work. In most cases, being able to follow instructions and being smart enough to understand the law is sufficient to perform basic research tasks.
Most of the time, the job is as simple as following the instructions. If a person is asked to type a letter or run to deliver documents, the task will be completed successfully if the person uses common sense and follows all relevant instructions. The reason many people feel that a specialized degree is important for work as a legal administrative assistant is because of the difficulty of the task and is much more related to the difficulty of obtaining the job. While additional qualifications are helpful, they are not always necessary to perform roles.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
