A legal coordinator’s primary responsibility is to collaborate with lawyers, law clerks, paralegals, and other members of the legal services team. They are in charge of managing the team’s flow of documents, information, and data. Large law firms, where multiple people work on client files, employ the vast majority of legal coordinators.
To become a legal coordinator, you can take a variety of routes. These coordinators are fully qualified lawyers in Europe. They are frequently required to travel extensively and must have multiple European country licenses. This position is frequently found in large, international corporations that require data from multiple locations to complete various processes. In a role that is similar to that of a project manager, the coordinator is in charge of managing the file.
Legal coordinator is typically an administrative position in North America. Candidates must have legal experience, but it is typically as a legal assistant or associate. The role’s primary purpose remains information coordination, but the level of responsibility is vastly different. Clients in Europe expect to communicate directly with the coordinator on large cases. In North America, the coordinator gives the lead lawyer an overview of the file’s status and communicates directly with the client.
When looking for a job as a legal coordinator, experience is the most important factor to consider. This position requires two types of experience: file management and process documentation. He or she must have advanced computer software skills, as well as excellent organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills, to be a coordinator.
File management entails more than filing, which is particularly important for a legal coordinator. It’s critical to manage document flow, ensuring that the right people get the right documents in a timely manner, and that the information in the primary file is well organized and current. To ensure that documents can be retrieved quickly when needed, archiving, indexing, and cross-checking techniques are all required.
Process documentation is a set of written instructions for managing various business processes within a company. All of the processes surrounding the management of documents, files, information, and data must be clearly documented in the legal profession. These procedures may be used in court if there are any disputes about document security or the steps taken the law firm to protect the confidentiality and rights of its clients.