Legal Secretary Job Descriptions, Average Salary, Interview Questions

[Your Company Name] is searching for an experienced legal secretary. We are in need of a remarkably responsible candidate with exceptional organizational skills and communication skills, who is available to work full time. A legal secretary is responsible for preparing court paperwork, transcribing and proofreading legal documents, collecting documents, and managing records and calendars making sure everything is in order for the attorney. You may need to have an associate’s degree in legal studies or a related field, with the ability to have phenomenal typing skills. Successful legal secretaries have excellent oral and written communication skills, are detail-oriented, have professional mannerisms, work well under pressure, and are familiar with legal terminology. If you have the experience and the skill sets needed for this position then a secretarial position at our company could be the right fit.

Typical duties and responsibilities

• Enter and process docket cases, notices of hearings, postponements, reports, and other data into computer files
• Transcribe legal dictation, meeting minutes, conferences, and interviews
• Log and schedule administrative hearings
• Maintain attorney calendars
• Prepare trial notebooks, exhibits, documents, and other materials for case presentation
• Receive visitors, answer phones, schedule meetings, and perform general secretarial duties

Education and experience

This position requires an associate degree in law or a related field; a bachelor’s degree is preferable, as is some law firm experience. 

Required skills and qualifications

• Highly organized
• Skilled at multitasking
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Can work with minimal guidance and oversight
• Proficient in MS Office Suite applications
• Knowledge of the law and law firm processes a plus

Preferred qualifications

• Associate’s degree in legal studies or a related field
• Paralegal certification
• Strong interpersonal skills

To be successful in this role, you should possess an in-depth knowledge of legal procedures and terminology.

Responsibilities

• Provide secretarial support to one or more lawyers at the firm
• Edit and proofread all legal documents
• Maintain attorney calendar by scheduling conferences, depositions, and meetings
• Welcome clients and conduct initial screenings of new clients
• Go to court proceedings and type minutes
• Organize all legal documents and ensure they are updated
• Ensure all court documents are in order and filed before deadlines
• Answer emails and phone calls, and when necessary, redirect calls, etc.
• Research and authenticate important case information
• Prepare different legal documents including appeals, motions, and petitions

Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent qualification required
• Associate degree in legal studies or related field
• A minimum of 5 years experience in a similar role
• In-depth knowledge of legal documents and terminology
• Skilled with MS Office
• Excellent time-management and organizational skills
• Good written and verbal communication skills
• (State) and (State) experience preferred

The Legal Secretary will perform a variety of secretarial duties for attorneys to whom assigned according to established policies and procedures. The Legal Secretary is assigned to assist several attorneys in a specific practice group and will support 5-9 attorneys. This position will be responsible for preparing practice-specific forms, updating electronic and paper files, preparing and filing court documents and e-filings, updating attorney calendars as needed and delegating work to appropriate departments, and completing other tasks as assigned in a timely and accurate manner.

Duties

• Delegate attorney work to appropriate departments
• Prepare practice-specific documents, paper court filings and e-filings, and update electronic pleading/correspondence/closing folders
• Screen telephone calls and take messages for attorneys when requested. Receive clients and visitors. Maintain good public relations with clients. Observe confidentiality of attorney-client relationship
• Read, sort, and date incoming mail when requested. Ensure that outgoing mail is delivered timely and specify types of delivery
• Schedule and calendar meetings and deadlines for attorneys

Knowledge, skills and abilities required

• Excellent spelling and proofreading skills. Typing (45+ wpm)
• Effective delegation skills
• Knowledge of court filing procedures, including electronic filing
• Ability to organize, prioritize, and produce quality work
• Self-motivated and flexible in order to complete assignments in a timely manner

Knowledge, skills and abilities desired

• MS Excel
• Intapp Flow
• iManage 10/FileSite
• Chrome River
• PDF conversions and manipulations

Education and experience

• High school diploma or equivalent required
• 3-5 years of experience in similar field required. Previous law firm experience preferred

Responsibilities

• Update schedule with client interactions
• Provide support for several attorneys
• Transfer legal correspondence to clients
• Handle assigned files and deliver legal services under attorney supervision
• Conduct administrative tasks as necessary
• Maintain and improve calendars and billing sheets
• Strong communication skills are essential to communicate with clients in an effective and efficient manner
• Utilize comprehensive knowledge of legal procedures
• Provide assistance to attorneys in the effective and efficient resolution of files

Requirements

• Excellent communication and organizational skills
• Knowledgeable in local jurisdictional and federal court rules and procedures
• Able to manage time well
• Possessing an understanding of word processing and spreadsheets is desired
• Knowledgeable about and experienced with legal correspondence and court filing procedures is a plus
• Proficiency in database management
• Practical knowledge of travel arrangements
• Well-founded grasp of conference room setup and cleanup
• General familiarity with travel arrangements
• Command of Draft Pleadings
• Comprehensive knowledge of Draft Legal Documents
• Foundational knowledge in Schedule Appointments
• Proficiency in Draft Letters
• Proven knowledge of billing software for attorneys
• Schedule Depositions experience
• 3+ years of prior relevant experience