Occupation

Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants

Human Advantage 70%

Significant human skills needed

AI Automation Risk Moderate Risk
3.8 / 10

Some tasks in this role may be augmented by AI, but human oversight and interpersonal skills remain important.

Perform secretarial duties using legal terminology, procedures, and documents. Prepare legal papers and correspondence, such as summonses, complaints, motions, and subpoenas. May also assist with legal research.

Also Known As: Accredited Legal Secretary, Certified Legal Secretary Specialist, Confidential Secretary, Law Firm Administrator, Law Office Assistant, Law Secretary, Legal Administrative Assistant (Legal Admin Assistant), Legal Administrator (Legal Admin) +12 more

Video

Core Tasks

  1. Organize and maintain law libraries, documents, and case files.
  2. Mail, fax, or arrange for delivery of legal correspondence to clients, witnesses, and court officials.
  3. Prepare and distribute invoices to bill clients or pay account expenses.
  4. Prepare, proofread, or process legal documents, such as summonses, subpoenas, complaints, appeals, motions, or pretrial agreements.
  5. Make photocopies of correspondence, documents, and other printed matter.
  6. Assist attorneys in collecting information such as employment, medical, and other records.
  7. Complete various forms, such as accident reports, trial and courtroom requests, and applications for clients.
  8. Receive and place telephone calls.
  9. Schedule and make appointments.
  10. Draft and type office memos.

Supplemental Tasks (4)

  1. Submit articles and information from searches to attorneys for review and approval for use.
  2. Make travel arrangements for attorneys.
  3. Attend legal meetings, such as client interviews, hearings, or depositions, and take notes.
  4. Review legal publications and perform database searches to identify laws and court decisions relevant to pending cases.

Education & Training

Job Zone 3 Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Education: Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Experience: Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
On-the-Job Training: Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.

Education Level Distribution

Percentage of workers in this occupation with each education level.

Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)
48%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
17%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)
14%
Some College Courses
13%
Bachelor's Degree
7%

Technology & Tools

Hot Technologies

  • Adobe Acrobat
  • Intuit QuickBooks
  • Microsoft Access
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Microsoft Visio
  • Microsoft Word

Software (47)

  • A1-Law
  • ADP Workforce Now
  • AbacusNext HotDocs
  • Accounting software
  • Aderant CompuLaw
  • Amortization calculation software
  • Appointment scheduling software
  • Billing software
  • Case management software
  • Chrome River Expense
  • Database software
  • Desktop publishing software
  • Dropbox
  • Electronic adjudication management systems EAM
  • Electronic diary software
  • Email software
  • Filing system software
  • IBM Lotus Notes
  • Legal research software
  • Legal software
  • LexisNexis
  • LexisNexis Time Matters
  • Litigation management software
  • Microsoft Office SharePoint Server MOSS
  • Presentation software
  • Public access to electronic court records PACER
  • Quicken
  • Sage 50 Accounting
  • Spreadsheet software
  • Thomson Reuters Elite Billing Manager
  • Thomson Reuters Westlaw
  • Transcription software
  • Vertican Technologies Collection Master
  • Web browser software
  • Web conferencing software
  • Web page design and editing software
  • Word processing software
  • WordPerfect

Tools & Equipment (16)

  • Digital audio recorders
  • Digital cameras
  • Digital duplicating machines
  • Document scanners
  • Document shredders
  • Electric typewriters
  • Handheld calculators
  • Laptop computers
  • Laser facsimile machines
  • Microfiche machines
  • Multi-line telephone systems
  • Pagers
  • Personal computers
  • Photocopying equipment
  • Switchboards
  • Word processors

Where This Career Leads

Career progression organized by specialty track and experience level.

Judicial Systems Education

Zone 3
Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants You are here
Zone 5
Lawyers 79% match

Resume Builder

Select key tasks to generate action-oriented resume bullets for Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants positions.

Related Occupations

Show all 20 related occupations

Real Talk

Hear from real Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistantss about their work: