| |||||||
|
|||||||
|
Online Schools
Degree Types
Canadian Schools
Schools By State
Paralegal Schools By State
Paralegal Schools
Selected Cities |
Being a Legal Secretary: A Gateway Into the Legal ProfessionLegal secretaries have a far more specialized role than the traditional secretary does. Along with basic secretarial tasks, you need a strong familiarity with legal terminology and procedures in order to write up correspondence, motions, subpoenas, summonses, and other legal papers. You may need to help perform legal research, verify quotes or citations in legal briefs, and review legal journals. In fact, as you gain experience, you might even teach new lawyers how they're supposed to prepare documents to submit to the courts.Necessary Training for a Legal Secretary While certification isn't mandatory, it's difficult to find employment in this field without specialized training. Some organizations that offer training include the National Association of Legal Secretaries (NALS), Inc, and Legal Secretaries International, Inc. Once you've gotten a year of experience or completed an approved training program, and passed an exam given by NALS, you can become an Accredited Legal Secretary. Then, with further training, it's possible for a legal secretary to become a paralegal. Many choose to do so. Salary and Employment Opportunities for a Legal Secretary Employment for legal secretaries is expected to grow by 12% from 2006-2016, creating 32,000 new jobs for those with the right training and qualifications. And while the average secretary earns around $29,990 annually, a legal secretary earns an average wage of $41,640 each year. Those lucky enough to find positions at telecommunications computer systems design companies average even more, from $51,970 to $57,440. |
Programs
Articles
Career Information
|
|||||
