How to Become A Legal Secretary

In order to qualify for the position of a legal secretary, you’ll need to get enrolled in a legal secretary program. This program can be usually be completed in one to two years, depending on the institute and the enrollment status of the student. These programs are offered in various community colleges, vocational centers and private career schools. Legal secretary programs are intended to enhance verbal and written communication skills, typing skills and grammar. You’ll also be provided industry specific knowledge which is essential for working effectively in a legal environment. This includes legal language, use of specialized software and equipment. Alternatively you can earn a bachelor degree with minors in legal studies.

Examples of types of courses which you can expect to find in a legal program include:

• Basic Civil Litigation
• Law Office Environment and Procedures
• Settlement and Arbitration Procedures
• Federal and State Court Systems
• Document Preparation in Family Law, Personal Injury, Real Estate, and Bankruptcy
• Organizing Client Information

Online Study

Many institutes offer legal programs as a distance learning course. This is a great option if you do not want to leave your current job and wish to enjoy flexibility as far as your study schedule is concerned.

Law Secretary

Law secretaries are commonly known as legal secretaries, and legal assistants. Their main job is to prepare and process documents such as subpoenas, summonses, pretrial agreements, motions, appeals and complaints for lawyers. In order to perform this duty, they may investigate and gather facts. They assist lawyers in the courtroom by taking notes, etc. In addition, they may also perform routine office tasks such as mailing, faxing and delivering of legal documents to clients. They may also make appointments, organize and maintain law libraries on behalf of their employer. 

Legal Secretary Job Description

• Legal secretaries job requires in-detail (if not extensive) knowledge of legal procedures and terminology.
• They prepare legal documents. For example, documents such as subpoenas, motions, complaints and summonses are all prepared by legal secretaries under the supervision of an attorney.
• They help attorneys in conducting legal research. They find legal precedence, make copies of relevant pages from a legal document, check out books from libraries, etc. whatever that helps prepare attorney a case.
• They may also assist the attorneys inside a courtroom with arranging documents, presenting evidence, etc.

Certifications

• Accredited Legal Secretary (ALS): This basic certification is appropriate for you if you have one year of legal experience or if you have taken an approved training course.
• Professional Legal Secretary (PLS): This is an advanced type of certification designed for legal professionals.

Another type of certification is offered by Legal Secretaries International.

• Certified Legal Secretary Specialist (CLSS): You can earn this certification if you have five years of work experience and have successfully passed an exam. CLSS is offered in areas like business law, criminal law, civil litigation, intellectual property, probate etc.

In order to remain competitive in your field and improve your career pospects, you should be well informed about trends and changing rules and regulations in the legal world. It’ll also be a great idea to consider taking regular legal secretary training and continuing education courses while you are working as a legal secretary.

Employment Outlook

According to Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), in May 2012, the hourly and yearly wages for legal secretaries were $21.34 and $44,380 respectively. As a legal secretary, you can be employed by:

• Law Firms
• Governments
• Insurance Companies
• Legal Support Systems
• Corporations

Employment growth is expected to go up from 3% to 9% from 2010 to 2020, with 39,400 estimated new job openings (BLS).