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Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants
Perform secretarial duties using legal terminology, procedures, and documents. Prepare legal papers and correspondence, such as summonses, complaints, motions, and subpoenas. May also assist with legal research.
Other titles employers use
Confidential Secretary · Legal Administrative Assistant (Legal Admin Assistant) · Legal Administrator (Legal Admin) · Legal Coordinator · Legal Management Assistant · Legal Office Support Assistant · Legal Practice Assistant · Legal Secretary
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- Organize and maintain law libraries, documents, and case files.
- Mail, fax, or arrange for delivery of legal correspondence to clients, witnesses, and court officials.
- 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 photocopies of correspondence, documents, and other printed matter.
- Assist attorneys in collecting information such as employment, medical, and other records.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to organizing, persuading and helping work.
- Organizing
- Creating order, checking details, and keeping work accurate
- Persuading
- Leading, selling, starting projects, or making a case
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Writing
- Speaking
- Time Management
- Critical Thinking
Subjects to know
- Administrative
- English Language
- Law and Government
- Customer and Personal Service
- Computers and Electronics
Useful strengths
- Oral Comprehension
- Written Comprehension
- Near Vision
- Oral Expression
- Written Expression
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 2.5 | Largely your own space |
| On your feet | 2.4 | Mostly seated |
| Talking face to face | 4.1 | A regular part of the day |
| Working with your hands | 2.6 | Little of the day |
Preparation
How people prepare for this work.
Employers usually ask for a high school diploma. Other routes may also lead into the field.
- A two-year degree 48%
- A certificate or some college 28%
- High school or less 17%
- A four-year degree 7%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Accounting software
- Data base user interface and query software
- Document management software
- Word processing software
- Electronic mail software
- Spreadsheet software
- Office suite software
- Presentation software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 18,400
- Job openings each year
- 1,930
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- −14.8%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 18,400 | 1,930 | −14.8% |
| Florida | 10,520 | 1,110 | −14.3% |
| Texas | 10,150 | 1,090 | −10.5% |
| Illinois | 7,310 | 740 | −21.1% |
| Pennsylvania | 5,600 | 570 | −21.1% |
| New Jersey | 3,740 | 370 | −23.8% |
| Ohio | 3,600 | 350 | −26.8% |
| North Carolina | 3,170 | 330 | −18.5% |
| Washington | 2,930 | 290 | −9.3% |
| Minnesota | 2,670 | 270 | −21.9% |
| Puerto Rico | 2,590 | 270 | −19.3% |
| Arizona | 2,510 | 260 | −15.2% |
| Missouri | 2,310 | 230 | −21.2% |
| Tennessee | 2,230 | 230 | −14.6% |
| Michigan | 2,130 | 210 | −24.2% |
| District of Columbia | 1,890 | 190 | −19.6% |
| Indiana | 1,860 | 190 | −17.7% |
| Louisiana | 1,860 | 190 | −21.2% |
| Alabama | 1,790 | 180 | −20.1% |
| Georgia | 1,780 | 180 | −17.6% |
| Kentucky | 1,640 | 170 | −22.3% |
| Virginia | 1,630 | 160 | −25.6% |
| South Carolina | 1,610 | 170 | −17.4% |
| Colorado | 1,570 | 170 | −9.2% |
| Maryland | 1,560 | 160 | −19.2% |
| Oklahoma | 1,430 | 150 | −19.2% |
| Iowa | 1,330 | 140 | −17.4% |
| Nebraska | 1,210 | 120 | −20.4% |
| Nevada | 1,120 | 120 | −16.4% |
| West Virginia | 1,110 | 110 | −21.3% |
| Oregon | 990 | 100 | −21.4% |
| New Mexico | 980 | 100 | −21.0% |
| Kansas | 960 | 100 | −22.0% |
| Massachusetts | 960 | 100 | −22.6% |
| Mississippi | 960 | 100 | −20.0% |
| Delaware | 920 | 90 | −27.0% |
| Wisconsin | 850 | 80 | −25.4% |
| Arkansas | 810 | 80 | −19.8% |
| Utah | 810 | 90 | −14.7% |
| Connecticut | 680 | 70 | −27.7% |
| Idaho | 630 | 70 | −17.1% |
| Maine | 610 | 60 | −21.8% |
| South Dakota | 560 | 60 | −11.1% |
| Rhode Island | 480 | 50 | −21.3% |
| Montana | 420 | 50 | −12.5% |
| New Hampshire | 420 | 40 | −19.2% |
| Alaska | 370 | 40 | −2.6% |
| Vermont | 350 | 40 | −14.6% |
| North Dakota | 260 | 30 | −18.8% |
| Wyoming | 250 | 30 | −16.7% |
| Virgin Islands | 140 | 20 | −17.6% |
| Guam | 60 | 10 | −25.0% |
Career to college
Build a path toward this work.
Start with a related major, then compare colleges where students complete that field.
Where to study
Colleges with strong activity in these fields.
Start with program size, admission, and likely cost. Open a college for the full picture.
Liberty University
- Degrees each year
- 83
- Admit rate
- 99%
- Annual cost after aid
- $27,000
Florida Gulf Coast University
- Degrees each year
- 69
- Admit rate
- 77%
- Annual cost after aid
- $11,000
CUNY New York City College of Technology
- Degrees each year
- 48
- Admit rate
- 81%
- Annual cost after aid
- $8,000
University of West Florida
- Degrees each year
- 45
- Admit rate
- 57%
- Annual cost after aid
- $8,000
Grand Valley State University
- Degrees each year
- 41
- Admit rate
- 95%
- Annual cost after aid
- $13,000
Stevenson University
- Degrees each year
- 32
- Admit rate
- 83%
- Annual cost after aid
- $27,000
Indiana University-Indianapolis
- Degrees each year
- 22
- Admit rate
- 81%
- Annual cost after aid
- $11,000
Eastern Kentucky University
- Degrees each year
- 20
- Admit rate
- 78%
- Annual cost after aid
- $10,000