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Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants Occupation Detailed Description

Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants career

General Job Description and Education/Training Levels for Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants

The main tasks and work activities of Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants are to send information, materials or documentation, answer telephones to direct calls or provide information, schedule appointments, operate office equipment. In general, for the Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, writing, reading Comprehension, speaking, active Listening and other 6 skills are required.
Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants Job Description
EducationMost occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Related ExperiencePrevious 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.
Job TrainingEmployees 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.
ExampleThese occupations usually involve using communication and organizational skills to coordinate, supervise, manage, or train others to accomplish goals. Examples include hydroelectric production managers, travel guides, electricians, agricultural technicians, barbers, court reporters, and medical assistants.
The following chart shows the education/training levels for Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants jobs. 18.95% of Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants have High School Diploma (or the equivalent) and 8.32% of Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants have Post-Secondary Certificate.
Less than a High School Diploma
0.00%
High School Diploma (or the equivalent)
18.95%
Post-Secondary Certificate
8.32%
Some College Courses
30.41%
Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)
19.46%
Bachelor's Degree and Above
22.86%

Tasks and Work Activities of Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants

  • Mail, fax, or arrange for delivery of legal correspondence to clients, witnesses, and court officials.
  • Receive and place telephone calls.
  • Schedule and make appointments.
  • Make photocopies of correspondence, documents, and other printed matter.
  • Organize and maintain law libraries, documents, and case files.
  • Assist attorneys in collecting information such as employment, medical, and other records.
  • Attend legal meetings, such as client interviews, hearings, or depositions, and take notes.
  • Draft and type office memos.
  • Review legal publications and perform database searches to identify laws and court decisions relevant to pending cases.
  • Submit articles and information from searches to attorneys for review and approval for use.
  • Complete various forms, such as accident reports, trial and courtroom requests, and applications for clients.
  • Prepare and distribute invoices to bill clients or pay account expenses.
  • Prepare, proofread, or process legal documents, such as summonses, subpoenas, complaints, appeals, motions, or pretrial agreements.
  • Make travel arrangements for attorneys.
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing WorkDeveloping specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
  • Interacting With ComputersUsing computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
  • Getting InformationObserving, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  • Performing Administrative ActivitiesPerforming day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork.
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or SubordinatesProviding information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal RelationshipsDeveloping constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
  • Documenting/Recording InformationEntering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
  • Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with StandardsUsing relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
  • Communicating with Persons Outside OrganizationCommunicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
  • Processing InformationCompiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
  • Send information, materials or documentation.
  • Answer telephones to direct calls or provide information.
  • Schedule appointments.
  • Operate office equipment.
  • Record information about legal matters.
  • Obtain personal or financial information about customers or applicants.
  • Record information from meetings or other formal proceedings.
  • Issue documentation or identification to customers or employees.
  • Prepare business correspondence.
  • Search files, databases or reference materials to obtain needed information.
  • Provide information to coworkers.
  • Prepare documentation for contracts, transactions, or regulatory compliance.
  • Proofread documents, records, or other files to ensure accuracy.
  • Prepare legal documents.
  • Make travel, accommodations, or entertainment arrangements for others.

Skills and Abilities for Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants

  • WritingCommunicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
  • Reading ComprehensionUnderstanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
  • SpeakingTalking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Active ListeningGiving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Time ManagementManaging one's own time and the time of others.
  • Critical ThinkingUsing logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
  • Social PerceptivenessBeing aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
  • MonitoringMonitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
  • CoordinationAdjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
  • Written ComprehensionThe ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Oral ComprehensionThe ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Written ExpressionThe ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
  • Near VisionThe ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Oral ExpressionThe ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Speech RecognitionThe ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
  • Speech ClarityThe ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
  • Information OrderingThe ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
  • Deductive ReasoningThe ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Problem SensitivityThe ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
  • Category FlexibilityThe ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
  • Digital voice recorderse.g. Digital audio recorders
  • Digital camerase.g. Digital cameras
  • Digital duplicatorse.g. Digital duplicating machines
  • Scannerse.g. Document scanners
  • Paper shredding machines or accessoriese.g. Document shredders
  • Typewriterse.g. Electric typewriters
  • Pocket calculatore.g. Handheld calculators
  • Notebook computerse.g. Laptop computers
  • Laser fax machinee.g. Laser facsimile machines
  • Microfiche or microfilm viewer components or accessoriese.g. Microfiche machines
  • Special purpose telephonese.g. Multi-line telephone systems
  • Pagerse.g. Pagers
  • Personal computerse.g. Personal computers
  • Photocopierse.g. Photocopying equipment
  • Premise branch exchange PBX systemse.g. Switchboards
  • Word processorse.g. Word processors
  • ClericalKnowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
  • Law and GovernmentKnowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
  • English LanguageKnowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.