Legal Secretary Job Description Template

Legal secretary talking on the phone while sitting at her desk in a law firm.

Automation, job consolidation, and other cost-cutting measures have resulted in a flat rate of growth in the number of openings for legal secretaries over the past several years, a trend that is expected to continue for some time. But that doesn’t mean that it’s been any easier for employers to find well qualified candidates for this crucial role.

Legal secretaries need to have a balanced combination of hard and soft skills, from experience using office management and even case management software to strong interpersonal skills such as discretion and diplomacy. Finding individuals who can handle the quick learning curve the job demands along with the impeccable people skills needed to maintain a professional manner and put people at ease in often tense situations is far from easy.

A thorough yet appealing job description can help attract top-quality candidates. You can find even more ideas about what to include in your legal secretary job description by looking through the current listings for these important support personnel.

Legal secretary talking on the phone while sitting at her desk in a law firm.

Legal Secretary

[Intro Paragraph] Begin your legal secretary job description with a concise paragraph or list of bulleted items designed to make the case that your law office is a great place to work. Whether you’re hiring a legal secretary for a large firm or the legal department at a large corporation, you might emphasize the wide range of opportunities and perks your organization provides. If you are a smaller firm, you might emphasize your commitment to your clients and your community, or your investments in employee development and dedication to work-life balance.

Legal Secretary Job Responsibilities:

  • Assists and supports lawyers and paralegals with their work as needed.
  • Enhances attorney effectiveness by providing information-management support and representing the attorney to clients and others.
  • Welcomes guests and clients by greeting them in person or on the telephone, and by answering or directing inquiries.
  • Produces information by transcribing, formatting, inputting, editing, retrieving, copying, and transmitting text, data, and graphics to help coordinate case preparation.
  • Reads, researches, reviews, verifies, and routes correspondence, reports, and legal documents.
  • Drafts, revises, and edits letters and other written documents, and collects and analyzes information.
  • Organizes client conferences, and attorney meetings by scheduling couriers, court reporters, expert witnesses, and other parties, and by coordinating preparation of charts, graphs, and other courtroom visuals.
  • Prepares expense reports and generates revenues by documenting and inputting attorney billable time and reimbursable expenses, preparing invoices, and tracking payments.
  • Maintains attorney calendar by planning and scheduling conferences, teleconferences, dispositions, and travel; recording and monitoring court appearance dates, pleadings, and filing requirements; monitoring evidence-gathering; and anticipating changes in litigation or transaction preparation requirements.
  • Represents attorney by communicating on their behalf and obtaining information, following-up on delegated assignments, and knowing when to act and when to refer matters to attorney.
  • Maintains client confidence by keeping client/attorney information confidential.
  • Develops and maintains filing and retrieval systems, as well as digital archive systems.
  • Records and documents meeting discussions, maintains transcripts, documents, and maintains evidence.
  • Maintains office supplies by checking stocks, placing and expediting orders, and evaluating new products.
  • Ensures operation of equipment by completing preventive maintenance requirements and calling for repairs.

[Work Hours & Benefits] In this section of your legal secretary job description you’ll want to sell the position to potential applicants in a similar way as your first paragraph made an argument on behalf of your workplace by emphasizing your generous salary and benefits. To ensure that the salary range you mention in your job post is in line with similar salaries in your region, you can use a salary tool that allows you to input job title and location. You can also mention perks, such as tuition reimbursement, paid time off, and 401(k).

Legal Secretary Skills and Qualifications:

  • Documentation skills
  • Time management and organizational skills
  • Meeting planning
  • Supply management
  • Telephone skills
  • Office experience
  • Verbal and written communication skills
  • Internal communications
  • Client relationships
  • Integrity and discretion
  • Computer skills, including case management software

Education, Experience, & Licensing Requirements:

  • High school diploma required; Associate’s degree preferred.
  • Notary certification a plus.
  • Previous legal experience a plus.

[Call to Action] Your legal secretary job description should finish strong with a call to action that urges applicants to send a resume and cover letter or fill out an online application.

Leverage Your Legal Secretary Job Description to Find a Right-Fit Candidate

Now that you’ve written a job description that includes all the qualities you’re looking for in a legal secretary, extend your reach with a free job listing from Monster. Performance-based hiring can help you find the right fit for your law firm, legal department, or company.