Legal Office Secretaries: Responsibilities and Skills Quiz

Study Notes

Legal Office Secretaries: An Overview

Legal office secretaries, a foundational part of law firms and legal departments, play a crucial role in facilitating a smooth and efficient operation. They primarily focus on administrative tasks, providing valuable support to attorneys and legal professionals.

Responsibilities

Legal secretaries handle a variety of administrative duties, including:

Managing communications: Answering phone calls, taking messages, and responding to emails.
Document preparation and management: Assisting with the preparation and formatting of legal documents, proofreading, and editing for accuracy, grammar, and formatting consistency.
Scheduling and calendar management: Coordinating meetings, depositions, court appearances, and other appointments.
Client interaction and support: Answering basic inquiries, scheduling appointments, and maintaining client files.
Billing and financial administration: Assisting with preparing invoices, tracking billable hours, and maintaining billing records.

Evolution of the Role

The legal secretary role is evolving, with some law firms choosing to bifurcate the position into two roles: administrative support and executive assistance to handle various responsibilities, including legal research and project management.

Skills and Qualifications

Legal secretaries have no specific legal requirement but are expected to have:

Proficient typing skills (75-80 words per minute or higher) and knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
Strong communication skills.
Basic understanding of legal research tools and methods.

Certification

Some legal secretaries become certified through NALS as Professional Legal Secretaries (PLS) or through Legal Secretaries International for specialized designations in areas such as civil trial, probate, real estate, and business law.

Training and Mentoring

Mentoring is essential for legal secretaries, as there is a wide range of skills needed in the role, and offices don't always provide formal training.

Job Outlook

Legal secretaries have the opportunity to work in various settings, including law firms, corporations with legal divisions, and public sector jobs with courts and government agencies. While some law firms are adopting a more centralized support system, the need for legal secretaries with specialized skills in specific areas of law remains strong.