In a legal office, a legal administrative assistant is responsible for a variety of secretarial duties, but the exact job description varies by firm. People in this position are typically expected to file documents, run errands, and take messages, but they may be expected to do more if they have sufficient legal experience. In some firms, an administrative assistant may be expected to conduct case research, but this necessitates a higher level of legal knowledge than a general secretary. Although the skills can be learned on the job, many assistants opt for specialized training ahead of time to improve their qualifications.
In most cases, a legal administrative assistant will be in charge of basic office tasks such as filing and document management. In order to effectively serve clients, law offices often have a significant amount of paperwork relating to cases that must be stored and managed properly. Keeping track of appointments is frequently delegated to assistants, though other secretaries may be assigned to this more basic task.
This job frequently entails transcription and the preparation of legal files. These tasks necessitate not only typing skills but also legal terminology knowledge. Many people find that taking legal transcription courses is extremely beneficial when looking for work in this field.
Although performing research for lawyers necessitates a certain level of legal knowledge, anyone who is properly qualified can be asked to do so. On the job, the lawyer or law firm will explain exactly what they require. In most cases, being able to follow instructions and being intelligent enough to understand the law is sufficient to perform basic research tasks.
The majority of the time, the job entails simply following instructions. Whether a person is asked to type a letter or run to deliver documents, if they use common sense and follow all relevant instructions, the task will be completed successfully. The difficulty of the task is much more related to the difficulty of obtaining the job, which is why many people believe a specialized degree is important for work as a legal administrative assistant. Additional qualifications are beneficial, but they are not always required to perform the tasks.