What is the job duties of Legal Secretary? (20 points)

I would like to know the job duties of the Legal Secretary
Much like what the above have told you. It covers the scope of pretty much what any secretary has to do -- literally. But the accuracy in duty-performance and proof-reading skills are highly emphasized, mainly due to its industry nature. E.g. when you are asked to xerox a few pages from the law reference, you are really supposed to make sure the copies are readable, CENTERED and each copied page should be aligned the same way. There's no tolerance of any non-centered page, bigger fonts on either side. It may sound a bit tedious but I guess it only meant that you are supposed to be at your best. So - fair enough.


how can I find a better legal firm
I personally think it is more important to be able to serve a good boss, rather than a "good" firm. Many of the benefits from a law firm are given to its partners and associates rather than the secretaries, as they are the powerhouse.
I guess you should use the same set of strategies you would have when you are looking for any given job. So, try to see (i) what is the turnover rate of the post. (ii) How many lawyers you will be asked to serve (sometimes it could be more than 2 at a time) ...etc


what is the perspective of being a Legal Secretary?
I guess you meant the prospects of a legal secretary. I guess prospects are definitely there, but it depends how much you can grasp. There is chance for you to take some legal courses and pursue a legal assistant career.


What is the salary of an inexperience Legal Secretary?
Varies. It depends how much the firm thinks the secretary is worth. And it has nothing to do with the size/ reputation of firm. I've heard 8k. But lucky ones can find a post that is around 13k ... so it really depends.

My suggestion:
If you are a degree holder and are interested in the legal field. Why don't you consider a Marketing Executive post in legal firm? Less clerical work, more practical experience in case of field changes. It can also be a great career as you progress. Better pay in the future as well.

legal secretary performs all the duties of a standard secretary, such as organizing and maintaining files, answering telephones, and typing documents. Most importantly, these secretaries need to know legal terminology. Legal secretaries prepare correspondences, summonses, complaints, motions, and subpoenas under the supervision of an attorney. They also assist with legal research and may review legal documents


what is the perspective of being a Legal Secretary?

You can take advanced typing classes. Many legal secretaries type 100 wpm. Many associate degree colleges offer the legal secretary course. There is no minimum degree required to obtain a legal secretary job as the attorneys are usually satisfied if a person can do the job, regardless of degrees. You should at least, however, take the secretarial legal individual courses.




Being a legal secretary can be very rewarding and alot of hard work. But it depends mostly on who you work for. a very generous firm have large Christmas bonuses (US$4000) and surprise bonuses of US$1000 when they wins a big case. The nice thing about being a legal secretary is that you get to be around a lot of well educated people. You will also get to learn alot about law. Just make sure secretarial work is for you. If you don't like typing or filing paper work, you will be miserable.