As stated on ONET Online, Legal Secretaries perform secretarial duties using legal terminology, procedures, and documents.
They also prepare legal papers and correspondence, such as complaints, motions, summonses, and subpoenas.
Finally, they may also assist the lawyers in legal research and arrange meetings between the attorney and potential witnesses for some cases.
Generally, they help run the law office and ensure that the services provided to each of the clients are both efficient and complete.
Educational Requirements
Most states do not require an individual to have a degree in order to become a legal secretary.
However, most law firms will only hire someone who has a degree of some type.
Many legal secretaries have a degree in a subject related to business and will then take an accredited legal secretary course in order to be qualified to work for a law firm.
Legal Courses
For those who do not have a degree in legal administration, there are accredited legal courses available that will allow them to seek employment as a legal secretary.
There are many colleges and universities that offer these legal courses.
There are also some that provide online legal courses.
It is important to make sure that the course is fully accredited before applying to make sure that a person will become fully certified in the field.
During a legal training course, a person will learn legal vocabulary, which is very important for work within a law firm.
In addition, the course will teach administrative skills that will allow a person to gain an understanding of how to run an efficient office.
Computer skills will be learned as well.
Other Requirements
Legal secretaries need to have a high level of confidence and be extremely organized as they will have to communicate with their boss regularly and schedule appointments and meetings for the lawyers and their clients.
Communication skills are extremely important for those who wish to work as a legal secretary.
Job Availability
There are many jobs available for those who wish to become legal secretaries.
Many law firms are now hiring legal secretaries in order to maintain a more efficient office.
It is important to note that progression in this field is difficult as the skills required by a legal secretary are extremely defined.
Most people that enter this field remain there for a long time.
There are some individuals who choose to become legal secretaries and then go back to school to earn their law degree and progress into a legal career.
After obtaining a job as a legal secretary it is important to continue your education and to make sure that you keep your certification current.
The requirements for keeping certification current will vary based on the credentials but often will require that an individual take part in activities such as educational sessions within the field.
Salary
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), as of May 2022, there were 159,940 legal secretaries across the United States with an annual average salary of $54,180 and an hourly wage of $26.05 per hour.
Salary Information by State
State | Employed | Avg. Annual Salary | Avg. Hourly Pay | Top 10% Annual Salary | Bottom 10% Annual Salary |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alabama | 2,070 | $42,450 | $20.41 | $60,540 | $27,490 |
Alaska | 330 | $51,230 | $24.63 | $74,490 | $37,810 |
Arizona | 3,360 | $47,440 | $22.81 | $64,570 | $32,530 |
Arkansas | 1,000 | $37,520 | $18.04 | $46,100 | $29,350 |
California | 28,830 | $60,500 | $29.09 | $94,740 | $37,040 |
Colorado | 1,670 | $63,340 | $30.45 | $84,120 | $37,290 |
Connecticut | 1,280 | $58,570 | $28.16 | $80,050 | $38,790 |
Delaware | 1,250 | $54,940 | $26.41 | $78,540 | $36,250 |
District of Columbia | 2,250 | $83,500 | $40.14 | $106,390 | $42,900 |
Florida | 12,170 | $48,920 | $23.52 | $76,750 | $30,470 |
Georgia | 2,110 | $56,140 | $26.99 | $81,600 | $33,220 |
Hawaii | 580 | $57,770 | $27.77 | $84,740 | $31,840 |
Idaho | 830 | $43,590 | $20.96 | $52,940 | $30,780 |
Illinois | 9,260 | $60,940 | $29.30 | $94,510 | $33,040 |
Indiana | 2,020 | $45,800 | $22.02 | $66,680 | $29,820 |
Iowa | 950 | $45,460 | $21.86 | $61,060 | $31,200 |
Kansas | 1,260 | $42,260 | $20.32 | $58,870 | $29,170 |
Kentucky | 2,040 | $36,230 | $17.42 | $50,900 | $24,130 |
Louisiana | 2,530 | $45,520 | $21.89 | $64,380 | $27,410 |
Maine | 780 | $47,450 | $22.81 | $61,870 | $34,300 |
Maryland | 1,690 | $62,690 | $30.14 | $84,790 | $41,430 |
Massachusetts | ** | $65,690 | $31.58 | $91,540 | $44,910 |
Michigan | 2,830 | $50,090 | $24.08 | $73,950 | $29,810 |
Minnesota | 2,850 | $62,070 | $29.84 | $81,050 | $44,400 |
Mississippi | 1,170 | $40,920 | $19.67 | $53,070 | $26,870 |
Missouri | 3,080 | $46,990 | $22.59 | $66,410 | $26,790 |
Montana | 480 | $40,610 | $19.52 | $49,660 | $28,660 |
Nebraska | 1,510 | $42,890 | $20.62 | $62,160 | $30,550 |
Nevada | 1,290 | $56,160 | $27.00 | $77,780 | $33,830 |
New Hampshire | 510 | $53,180 | $25.57 | $79,470 | $39,100 |
New Jersey | 4,890 | $61,000 | $29.33 | $83,290 | $39,270 |
New Mexico | 1,050 | $44,000 | $21.15 | $59,820 | $32,030 |
New York | 13,280 | $64,450 | $30.98 | $100,810 | $35,460 |
North Carolina | 3,840 | $42,670 | $20.51 | $73,750 | $24,960 |
North Dakota | 310 | $48,970 | $23.54 | $55,640 | $38,770 |
Ohio | 4,760 | $46,490 | $22.35 | $67,950 | $29,750 |
Oklahoma | 1,760 | $41,170 | $19.79 | $55,780 | $30,070 |
Oregon | 990 | $55,440 | $26.65 | $69,990 | $37,820 |
Pennsylvania | 7,300 | $52,150 | $25.07 | $77,800 | $32,680 |
Rhode Island | 610 | $56,570 | $27.20 | $78,410 | $43,350 |
South Carolina | 1,880 | $40,890 | $19.66 | $57,570 | $26,560 |
South Dakota | 630 | $38,640 | $18.58 | $47,760 | $30,810 |
Tennessee | 2,820 | $44,240 | $21.27 | $62,080 | $28,820 |
Texas | 11,440 | $50,920 | $24.48 | $75,930 | $31,740 |
Utah | 960 | $48,980 | $23.55 | $82,780 | $33,580 |
Vermont | 400 | $48,720 | $23.43 | $61,940 | $39,000 |
Virginia | 2,190 | $47,980 | $23.07 | $67,100 | $29,830 |
Washington | 3,810 | $59,160 | $28.44 | $86,740 | $36,440 |
West Virginia | 1,310 | $42,020 | $20.20 | $55,610 | $27,900 |
Wisconsin | 1,130 | $45,960 | $22.10 | $64,470 | $31,200 |
Wyoming | 290 | $41,590 | $20.00 | $50,800 | $30,670 |
Guam | 60 | $37,150 | $17.86 | $52,740 | $28,780 |
Puerto Rico | 3,240 | $29,660 | $14.26 | $38,050 | $18,180 |
Virgin Islands | 110 | $45,690 | $21.97 | $50,920 | $38,900 |
Annual Average Salary: Top 10 States
The top earning state in the field is District of Columbia, where the average salary is $83,500.
These are the top 10 earning states in the field:
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.
Being a legal secretary is a vital role that supports lawyers and legal professionals in their daily tasks, helping to maintain a well-organized and efficient legal practice.
This job allows for continuous learning, as legal secretaries become familiar with various areas of law, legal procedures, and document preparation.
Legal secretaries often have opportunities for career advancement, including roles in legal administration, paralegal work, or specializing in specific areas of law.