What does a Legal Secretary do?
Legal Secretaries ensure that a legal office runs efficiently and smoothly to enable Lawyers to focus on the clients’ needs. They help ease the workload of Lawyers by providing general administrative support, such as answering telephone calls, taking messages and photocopying documents. In addition to general administrative duties, they also have responsibilities with a specific legal focus, for example producing legal documents such as contracts and wills for Lawyers. A Legal Secretary can also prepare court documents and type minutes of the court proceedings.
Legal Secretary skills and qualifications
Most legal offices and law firms deal with multiple clients simultaneously, a Legal Secretaries must be able to multitask. A successful Legal Secretary candidate will have various prerequisite skills and qualifications that include:
- Familiarity with legal terminology and documentation
- Proficiency in word processing software including MS Office
- Excellent oral and written communication skills
- Ability to work with a team of Lawyers and others in the organisation
- The ability to prioritise tasks and meet deadlines
- Attention to detail
- A professional and courteous manner
- Ability to type quickly and accurately
Legal Secretary experience requirements
The experience requirements for a Legal Secretary position vary from one organisation to another. If an organisation is small, it may consider candidates with little experience as a Legal Secretary. Larger organisations usually require Legal Secretaries to have several years’ experience in the field.
Legal Secretary education and training requirements
Prospective Legal Secretaries must have a Level 3 Diploma for Legal Secretaries or should have completed a higher education college course in legal word processing and audio transcription. Some employers prefer candidates who have completed an intermediate or advanced apprenticeship as a Paralegal or in legal services, or worked as an Administrative Assistant in a legal organisation. Other employers prefer candidates who obtained qualifications from the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx) and the Institute of Legal Secretaries and Personal Assistants.
Legal Secretary salary expectations
According to Indeed Salaries, the average salary for a Legal Secretary is £21,517 per year. This figure varies depending on factors, including years of experience, geographical location and the law firm or organisation.
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