Legal secretaries assist attorneys in preparing legal documents and are employed in law firms, insurance companies, corporations, and real estate companies. They specialize in transcription and legal terminology, typing legal documents, and answering phones. Fast typing and good computer skills are expected, and they may research law magazines and books. After several years, they may be promoted to a supervisory position or become a paralegal.
A legal secretary is an administrative assistant who specializes in the field of law. He or she assists attorneys in preparing legal documents. Legal secretaries are employed in law firms, as well as in the legal departments of insurance companies, corporations, and real estate companies. Completion of a legal assistant training program of up to one year’s duration is a common educational requirement for many legal secretary positions.
Transcription and legal terminology are two main areas of secretarial training in the field of law. While typing legal documents and correspondence is often the primary duty of a legal secretary, they may also answer phones, greet clients, and schedule appointments. In larger law firms, a receptionist may perform these duties, while legal secretaries are responsible for completing, preparing, and typing up legal documentation. Legal secretaries usually specialize in a certain type of law, such as family, contract, or wills and estates.
Fast typing and good computer skills are expected in most legal secretary positions. A typing speed of at least 60 words per minute (wpm) is a common expectation. Using file management systems and transcribing a lawyer’s dictation into letters or other correspondence is completed by many legal secretaries. The use of technology such as voicemail, legal computer software, and photocopiers is a typical part of most legal secretaries’ working days. In smaller companies, accounting duties may be part of the job description of a legal administrative secretary.
If a legal secretary works for a lawyer, he or she may accompany the lawyer to court to take notes from the case files. Most legal secretaries are required to work independently and as part of a team. Some secretaries research law magazines and law books to help attorneys with cases. Customer confidentiality must be respected at all times. Attention to detail and the ability to follow up on legal cases are other important traits of successful legal assistants or administrative secretaries.
After several years, a legal secretary may be promoted to a supervisory position. After completing more legal courses or obtaining a certificate or diploma, he or she may qualify to become a paralegal. Paralegals differ from legal secretaries in that they are responsible for more law-related work rather than administration. For example, an attorney might supervise a paralegal in writing legal drafts, while a secretary just prepares and types up the documents. In some areas, the term legal assistant can be confusing as it can refer to a paralegal or legal secretary.
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