Occupation · SOC 43-6012
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.
Median wage
$54,140
$35,530–$87,660
Projected growth
-5.8%
Declining
Annual openings
-900
per year
Employed (US)
154,540
Job Zone 3
Typical preparation
Medium preparation
Stackable credential programs
38 mapped
Core skills
Reading ComprehensionActive ListeningWritingSpeakingTime ManagementCritical ThinkingMonitoringSocial Perceptiveness
Knowledge areas
AdministrativeEnglish LanguageLaw and GovernmentCustomer and Personal ServiceComputers and Electronics
Technology & tools
Data base user interface and query softwareDocument management softwareAccounting softwareCalendar and scheduling softwareHuman resources software
Representative tasks
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.Complete various forms, such as accident reports, trial and courtroom requests, and applications for clients.Receive and place telephone calls.Schedule and make appointments.Draft and type office memos.Submit articles and information from searches to attorneys for review and approval for use.Make travel arrangements for attorneys.Attend legal meetings, such as client interviews, hearings, or depositions, and take notes.Review legal publications and perform database searches to identify laws and court decisions relevant to pending cases.
Competency framework
Skill expectations by proficiency level.
emerging
Legal documents and case files — organize and label under direct attorney supervision in a law office filing system.Word processing software — produce basic legal correspondence drafts following firm-provided templates and style guides.Incoming and outgoing telephone calls — receive and route accurately using law office phone protocols under close guidance.Photocopies of correspondence and printed legal matter — produce and collate following established office procedures.Legal mail and fax transmissions — prepare and send to clients and court officials under step-by-step supervisor direction.Client intake forms and accident report documents — complete legibly using information supplied by supervising attorneys.Legal terminology and document types — recognize and distinguish basic categories such as motions, summonses, and subpoenas in a supervised setting.Calendar and scheduling software — enter attorney appointments and court dates as directed by supervising staff.Law library materials and reference binders — retrieve, refile, and maintain organization under established library protocols.Client information and employment records — gather and consolidate from provided sources under attorney instruction in support of case preparation.
developing
Legal case files and document repositories — maintain and audit for completeness with minimal oversight across multiple active matters in a busy law office.Legal documents including subpoenas, complaints, and pretrial agreements — prepare and proofread routinely, applying knowledge of jurisdictional formatting requirements.Client invoices and billing statements — prepare and distribute using billing and invoicing software, reconciling entries against recorded attorney time.Legal correspondence — coordinate delivery via mail, fax, and courier services to clients, witnesses, and court officials within filing deadlines.Document management software — organize, retrieve, and version-control legal files across concurrent cases with reduced supervision.Medical, employment, and court records — request and compile for attorneys in support of discovery and case-building activities.Trial and courtroom request forms — complete accurately by cross-referencing case schedules and procedural requirements.Telephone communications with clients and opposing counsel — manage professionally, applying active listening and social perceptiveness in a legal services environment.Accounting software — process routine account payable expenses and reconcile law firm vendor invoices under standard firm procedures.Time management across competing deadlines — prioritize and sequence administrative tasks to ensure all court-imposed filing dates are met.
proficient
Complex legal documents such as appeals, motions, and settlement agreements — draft, proofread, and finalize autonomously to court-ready standard across diverse practice areas.Case file systems and law library resources — design and maintain comprehensive organizational structures that support seamless attorney retrieval and regulatory compliance.Client billing cycles and invoice disputes — manage end-to-end using billing and invoicing software, resolving discrepancies and escalating only exceptional issues.Non-routine legal correspondence and time-sensitive filings — coordinate multi-channel delivery with courts, clients, and agencies while monitoring confirmation of receipt.Attorney information-gathering efforts — lead independently, identifying and subpoenaing employment, medical, and expert records critical to litigation strategy.Cloud-based document access and collaboration platforms — administer and troubleshoot to ensure secure, audit-compliant sharing among attorneys and external parties.Critical review of completed legal forms and intake documents — evaluate for accuracy, completeness, and compliance before submission to courts or regulatory bodies.Desktop publishing and word processing tools — produce professionally formatted pleadings, briefs, and client-facing materials that meet exacting court presentation standards.Confidential client communications — handle with demonstrated integrity and cautiousness, exercising independent judgment on sensitivity and escalation thresholds.Office-wide scheduling and docket management — maintain master litigation calendars, anticipating conflicts and coordinating across multiple attorneys' caseloads.
advanced
Administrative support standards and document-management policies — establish and enforce firm-wide to ensure consistency, accuracy, and regulatory compliance across all practice groups.Legal secretarial and administrative staff — mentor, train, and evaluate to develop competency at emerging and developing levels in document preparation and court procedures.Firm billing and accounts payable workflows — redesign and optimize using integrated accounting and project management software to improve efficiency and reduce revenue leakage.Technology adoption initiatives — lead evaluation and rollout of new document management, scheduling, and cloud-sharing platforms across the administrative department.Cross-functional coordination between attorneys, paralegals, and administrative teams — orchestrate at organizational scale to ensure seamless case lifecycle management.Quality assurance protocols for legal document production — develop and audit to uphold zero-defect standards in high-stakes litigation and transactional environments.Vendor and court liaison relationships — cultivate and manage strategically, negotiating service levels for courier, process serving, and legal research resources.Office operational procedures and administrative handbooks — author and periodically revise to reflect evolving court rules, technology changes, and firm growth.Risk and compliance oversight for administrative functions — identify procedural vulnerabilities in filing, records retention, and client communication and implement corrective controls.Strategic resource planning for the administrative support function — forecast staffing, technology, and workflow needs in alignment with firm growth and practice area priorities.
Also known as
43 alternate job titles map to this occupation.
Legal CoordinatorLegal Administrative Officer (Marine Corps 4430)Accredited Legal SecretaryLitigation SecretarySecretarySenior Paralegal (Navy 001469)Paralegal Helper (Air Force 5J011)Personnel Specialist (Navy PS)Legal Management AssistantLegal Officer (Navy 2591)Law SecretaryParalegal Manager (Air Force 5J000)Paralegal Apprentice (Air Force 5J031)Navy Paralegal (Navy A02A)Paralegal Superintendent (Air Force 5J091)Law Firm AdministratorYeoman (Coast Guard YN)Paralegal Specialist (Army 27D)Legal Administrator (Legal Admin)Congressional Marine Liaison (Marine Corps 8018)Legal Executive Assistant (Legal Exec Assistant)Legal Office Support AssistantLegal Practice AssistantLegal Administrative Assistant (Legal Admin Assistant)Paralegal Craftsman (Air Force 5J071)Paralegal SecretaryMilitary Justice Management Officer (Navy 2592)Confidential SecretaryLaw Office AssistantYeoman (Submarine) (Navy YNS)Unit Supply Specialist (Army 92Y)Paralegal (Navy 001477)Paralegal Journeyman (Air Force 5J051)Legal Administrator (Army 270A)Legalman (Navy LN)Legal Services Specialist (Marine Corps 4421)Paralegal (Air Force 5J0X1)Certified Legal Secretary SpecialistYeoman (Navy YN)Magistrate Assistant