A legal secretary is a particular category of worker within the legal profession.
Background
In the
practice of law
In its most general sense, the practice of law involves giving legal advice to clients, drafting legal documents for clients, and representing clients in legal negotiations and court proceedings such as lawsuits, and is applied to the profes ...
in the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
, a legal secretary is a person who works in the legal profession, typically assisting
lawyer
A lawyer is a person who is qualified to offer advice about the law, draft legal documents, or represent individuals in legal matters.
The exact nature of a lawyer's work varies depending on the legal jurisdiction and the legal system, as w ...
s. Legal secretaries help by preparing and filing
legal document
Legal instrument is a legal term of art that is used for any formally executed written document that can be formally attributed to its author, records and formally expresses a legally enforceable act, process, or contractual duty, obligation, o ...
s, such as
appeal
In law, an appeal is the process in which Legal case, cases are reviewed by a higher authority, where parties request a formal change to an official decision. Appeals function both as a process for error correction as well as a process of cla ...
s or
motions. It is not unusual for a larger firm to place managerial duties on a particular legal secretary. Much like a
paralegal
A paralegal, also known as a legal assistant or paralegal specialist, is a legal professional who performs tasks that require knowledge of legal concepts but not the full expertise of a lawyer with an admission to practice law. The market for p ...
, a legal secretary is responsible for locating relevant information for cases. This type of person would be called a "paralegal" in the UK.
In the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
and the
Commonwealth, a legal secretary is a secretary experienced in working for a
law firm
A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. The primary service rendered by a law firm is to advise consumer, clients (individuals or corporations) about their legal rights and Obligation, respon ...
or
in-house legal department. They assist by giving administrative support to lawyers and are significant members of a team of professionals who work together. The work of a legal secretary varies. They deal with a wide range of challenging legal and business issues, combining their skills with modern technology.
In
Ceylon
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...
, it used to refer to the head of islands legal arms such as the Attorney General's Office and the Legal Draftsman's office during the British colonial period.
Educational background
There is no specific educational requirement in most
U.S. states for legal secretaries. However, unlike an
administrative assistant, a legal secretary must be familiar with legal procedures. Many colleges and universities offer programs geared towards this career, however, there is not a degree associated with that of a legal secretary. Rather, students are enrolled in existing legal courses, which have been established for those who wish to pursue a career in law, such as a lawyer or
police officer
A police officer (also called policeman or policewoman, cop, officer or constable) is a Warrant (law), warranted law employee of a police, police force. In most countries, ''police officer'' is a generic term not specifying a particular rank. ...
.
In the
UK, they provide secretarial and clerical support to solicitors, barristers and the law courts. Their primary responsibilities are to deal with correspondence and preparation of legal documents such as wills, divorce petitions and witness statements.
A legal secretary should have excellent secretarial skills together with a knowledge of law and
legal procedures. They must be computer literate and have a good standard of English. People can acquire the legal skills they need through training companies, local colleges or some law firms are willing to train people themselves.
See also
*
Cabinet secretary
A cabinet secretary is usually a senior official (typically a civil servant) who provides services and advice to a cabinet of ministers as part of the Cabinet Office. In many countries, the position can have considerably wider functions and powe ...
or
Department secretary
References
External links
National Association of Legal AssistantsThe Institute of Legal Secretaries and PAsNALS... the association for legal professionalsThe Legal Secretary Journal - DEDICATED
{{DEFAULTSORT:Legal Secretary
Legal professions
Office and administrative support occupations