The vast majority of legal secretaries work in law firms. However, corporate legal departments, government, public interest entities and the judiciary also employ legal secretaries. Increased demand for legal services and client-focused efforts to reduce legal fees are expected to continue to create employment opportunities for legal secretaries. According to the Monster.com Career Counselling Centre, the number of posts in the Legal Secretariat will continue to increase, particularly in the corporate sector. In this article, we explore the key elements of a successful and effective legal secretary in one of Asia`s most important financial centers, Hong Kong. Of course, managing a partner`s calendar, scheduling meetings, and other joint secretarial tasks are supposed to be done by legal secretaries, but their responsibilities may extend to reviewing legal documents, preparing due diligence or discovery records, and preparing basic court or registry forms for lawyers. lawyers and legal executives. In some firms or teams of lawyers, the boundaries between a legal secretary and a paralegal are becoming increasingly blurred, as their roles can overlap in several ways. The “Skills” section of your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate representation of what you can do. Luckily, we`ve found all the skills you need, so even if you don`t already have those skills, you know what you need to work on. Of all the resumes we reviewed, 14.9% of senior legal secretaries have legal documents on their resumes, but soft skills such as writing skills and interpersonal skills are also important. Many senior legal secretaries have certain skills to carry out their duties.
By reviewing resumes, we were able to refine the most common skills for someone in this position. We found that many resumes listed writing skills, interpersonal skills, and organizational skills. Legal secretaries also assist with legal research and communicate with lawyers, experts, opposing lawyers, suppliers and other employees. As a legal secretary recruitment agency, we often talk to legal secretaries who feel “stuck” or categorized in a one-dimensional career in legal administration. The hallmark of a highly respected legal secretary is one who isn`t afraid to ask questions immediately and get the job done. Where lawyers and legal secretaries experience a deterioration in their working relationship is when lawyers have not necessarily given clear instructions and the legal secretary does not ask the question and then makes mistakes. Then the endless cycle of blame is played. In addition to changing your job search, it can be helpful to find a career path for your specific job. Now, what is the career path you are asking for? Well, it`s practically a map that shows how you can switch from one job title to another. Our career paths are particularly detailed with salary changes.
For example, if you started in the role of legal secretary, you can optionally move to an office manager role. Later in your career, you may end up with the title of Account Manager. High school graduates who have experience with software applications such as word processing and spreadsheets are generally eligible for entry-level positions. While most secretaries learn their jobs in a matter of weeks, many legal and medical secretaries need additional training to learn industry-specific terminology. Executive secretaries generally require several years of relevant professional experience. Some candidates who have discovered a genuine passion for legal work often move on to a paralegal role, often supported by the firm where they work and often with additional studies. Those interested in becoming a legal secretary also consider the following career paths, which are listed along with their median annual salaries: Although some female secretaries in industry do not have formal education, there are the largest number of career opportunities for formally trained legal secretaries who have completed post-secondary education or a four-year college degree. You will certainly stand out from the sea of candidates for legal secretariats if you have earned academic or professional legal certification, such as a law degree or degree, or a Chinese/English translation certification. The additional qualification helps you differentiate yourself from others and increase your competitiveness in the job market. In the absence of a formal academic legal qualification, years of experience in a law firm will help you develop an understanding of many of the legal principles and terminology that lawyers commonly use. Legal secretaries provide administrative support to lawyers and legal executives. The U.S.
Bureau of Labor also provides information on wages. The salary of a legal secretary varies depending on experience, geographic location and other factors: For career advancement, broadening their legal knowledge can be beneficial for legal secretaries, as opportunities for advancement or transition to paralegal, legal framework, office manager, secretary-manager or human resources are clearly within the reach of those pursuing in a provigorating such pathways. This is not to say that a legal secretary`s career does not begin with the Abitur (Form 5) or Form 7, i.e. those who have graduated from Hong Kong Higher Education or “HKALE” (equivalent to bachelor`s or bachelor`s degree). In fact, law firms create entry-level secretarial or administrative jobs. You will then have to demonstrate your ambition to pursue a career as a legal secretary and that you have skills that compensate for the lack of specific experience in a law firm. Legal secretaries, also known as administrative assistants, legal assistants or executive assistants, perform the day-to-day administrative tasks necessary for the proper functioning of a law firm. Beyond the usual tasks of filing, writing, dictating and answering the telephone of the secretary, legal secretaries possess specialized skills unique to the legal profession.
Salaries for legal secretaries vary depending on experience, geographic location and practice setting. Salaries can range from $28,000 for young professionals in a small firm to $65,500 for senior legal secretaries in a large firm, according to the Internet Legal Research Group. In small law firms (or small offices of international law firms), these integration procedures can be carried out entirely by the legal secretary. If KYC checks and disputes are carried out by a centralised service, the legal secretary may need to work with such a department located elsewhere (often in the UK or US). To succeed in this role, you must have a thorough knowledge of legal procedures and terminology. Check out job search resources such as Indeed.com, Monster.com and Glassdoor.com to find out what legal secretary positions are available. You can also visit your school`s career center, individual law firm websites, or drop by in person to apply for open positions. A legal secretary assists lawyers and helps them prepare and organize legal documents.
They are trained and proficient in legal processes and legal case documentation and have an important function in the daily life of a law firm. You will have a wide range of tasks, from answering the phone, scheduling appointments and accepting messages to preparing presentations, proofreading and briefs, and preparing drafts for correspondence. They also manage the documentation of legal affairs. They work closely with lawyers, clients, witnesses and courtroom staff. To be a successful legal secretary, you need to be organized and constantly on your guard. You need to be able to multitask and work under pressure, coordinating the execution of different tasks at the same time. Being assertive and energetic is a must, but since you`ll be interacting with many different types of people, patience and understanding are essential qualities for you too. In addition, a good understanding and knowledge of legal language is crucial, as lawyers can give short or “quick” instructions and legal secretaries are expected to respond without further clarification.
At the same time, legal secretaries need to know when instructions are unclear and have the confidence to ask the partner or attorney in question to clarify instructions or requests. You could start as an administrative assistant in a law firm or organization and then apply for an articling position. For most articling jobs as a legal secretary, you`ll need excellent word processing skills of around 45-50 words per minute. As mentioned earlier, the increasing demands placed on a legal secretary have contributed to its development and growing popularity in a law firm. The title of legal secretary is no longer limited to the opening and closing of files, the processing of letters and documents. The skills you develop can open up a variety of career opportunities that are often not as easily accessible to other administrative professionals. Junior legal secretaries, who begin with paralegal and associate support, typically advance their careers to the middle and senior level of legal secretary. Many legal secretaries at this level build close relationships with partners and often work hand in hand with them for many years, sometimes throughout their careers, growing and developing together as trust and knowledge develop.
