Legal Assistant Job Description, Skills, and Salary
Get to know about the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and skills requirements of a legal assistant. Feel free to use our legal assistant job description template to produce your own. We also provide you with information about the salary you can earn as a legal assistant.
Who is a Legal Assistant?
Arguably, law and legal studies are among the most desired professions in the world; also, the legal career or profession is fast growing and has been estimated to experience tremendous growth in the next few years. The increasing spate of crime, lawlessness, and disorder undoubtedly makes the legal professional important.
A legal practitioner often deals with disputes, develops solutions, and gives advice to customers and clients. Answering the question or providing a definition for a legal assistant is not as easy as it seems because one must first understand the legal profession, the legal industry, and the difference between various legal professionals. This article will focus on explaining the legal assistant career, the duties, functions, and responsibilities of legal assistants, and provides tips on how to start a career as a legal assistant. Similarly, the salary structure, essential skills, and requirements for a legal assistant’s role will be discussed. The different companies or organizations that employ legal assistants will be analyzed.
There are several positions and professionals in the legal profession including legal officers, legal secretaries, paralegals, and legal assistants. In most cases, legal assistantship serves as the port of entry into the profession. These experts execute various tasks that coincide with other roles in the profession albeit with fewer responsibilities.
Therefore, a legal assistant can be defined as an individual or expert that works in a law firm. They provide and offer legal assistance, advice, and other legal services to customers and clients. A legal assistant is constantly supervised by lawyers and may collaborate with paralegals in some firms. The importance of legal assistants in a law firm cannot be overstated; their presence frees up time and opportunity for lawyers and attorneys to concentrate on other tasks and duties such as appearing in court and dealing with clients. Without legal assistants, a lawyer might be occupied with paperwork and other documentation that may inhibit his or her ability to practice law efficiently.
Furthermore, legal assistants ensure that legal standards, principles, and guidelines are met and adhered to; their presence in law firms prevents other law practitioners from making mistakes relating to paperwork and documentation. Relatively, a legal assistant acts as a pillar of support to lawyers in an organization; they conduct research, draft and review documents, communicate and exchange information with clients, organize and maintain files, and prepare hearings, meetings, and trials. Depending on the organization or firm, a legal assistant receives and makes phone calls, fact-checks evidence, compiles case files, communicates with court workers to determine court dates, and greets clients. In most settings, a legal assistant works normal schedules usually 40 hours a week. Some are required to work weekends and overtime during an emergency.
Legal Assistant Job Description
Below are the legal assistant job description examples you can use to develop your resume or write a legal assistant job description for your employee. Employers can also use it to sieve out job seekers when choosing candidates for interviews.
The duties and responsibilities of a legal assistant include the following:
- Draft legal documents and correspondence including mortgages and contracts; ensure they are ready and submitted for approval before forwarding them to clients.
- Research clients, information, and competitors in databases online; explore laws, guidelines, and regulations that might be important for a case, and investigate and manage the case information.
- Ensure the necessary paperwork is organized for a particular case; file, maintain, document, and store information electronically and in catalogues.
- Schedule all assigned cases appropriately. Monitor and meet documentation and paperwork deadlines, schedule appointments and meetings with clients and witnesses, organize and prepare for legal proceedings, and track the progress of cases.
- Handle, oversee, and observe the preparation of meetings with prospective clients and other legal professionals; organize and fix the time for all meetings, depositions, and interviews.
- Prepare lawyers for trial; research, write and summarize findings from investigations and interviews with witnesses and clients. Ensure formal statements, affidavits, and other necessary documentation are in place.
- Assist and help lawyers during a trial or court session. Take notes on proceedings, handle exhibits, and review the minutia of the trial.
- Review court transcripts when not physically available for court sessions.
- File legal documents like briefs, appeals, and exhibits in court and with the opposing counsel.
- Inform and update clients on new developments with regards to the case or application.
- Participate in witness interviews and other processes when necessary.
- Maintain the attorney’s schedule and calendar and perform other administrative tasks if applicable.
- Prepare, finalize, and send bills to clients; resolve any issues that may arise from billing.
Qualifications
A legal assistant must present an education, possess prior experience in legal services, and develop proficiencies to be employed. The competitive nature of the career makes the aforementioned and other requirements necessary. Also, the legal profession is sensitive; hence, only candidates that present the following qualifications are considered during recruitment.
- Education and training: An individual must complete high school education to enroll for an undergraduate or associate degree in paralegal studies. Employers mandate a minimum of a degree in paralegal studies or equivalent. A bachelor’s degree or law degree can suffice as well. An aspiring legal assistant must possess any of these educations to be employed as a legal assistant. Since the role is a stepping stone to higher positions such as paralegal or lawyer positions, most employers prioritize candidates with law degrees. Training in law and legal studies are vital for a prospective legal assistant; hiring managers prefer candidates with training and knowledge of the industry. However, there are opportunities for on-the-job training in most firms that hire legal assistants.
- Legal assistant experience requirement: A minimum of six months to one year of experience in legal practice is required for the position of a legal assistant. An individual can get valuable experience through an apprenticeship in a law firm or organization. Also, they can work in the legal department of a company or enterprise to gain relevant work experience. Work experience can also be obtained through internship programs or shadowing a lawyer or paralegal. Generally, any experience gathered or gotten from working in law or legal-based organization is accepted by most employers.
- Knowledge of law: An individual must learn and know the law profession to gain employment in the sector. Simply, you must develop knowledge and expertise of legal practices, law procedures, the court system, proceedings, and legal protocols to be considered.
- Proficiency: The role of a legal assistant involves the use of computers and other devices for work. Also, it entails regular communication with clients and superiors. Therefore, the best candidates often develop and demonstrate proficiency in English and computer literacy. They also develop excellent knowledge of the case management software.
Essential Skills
Legal assisting requires several skills, expertise, and abilities; these include hard skills, industry-based skills, and soft skills. To successfully perform their duties and support lawyers and other senior legal professionals, legal assistants must develop, hone, and harness these core skills. Remember, the legal profession is becoming more challenging due to the increase in crime and offences. Though some skills are learned in school, most are learned through training, apprenticeships, and internships. Thus, the major skills for legal assistants are;
- Research skills: Research is an integral part of a legal assistant’s daily duties. He or she often assists paralegals and lawyers to break down a case by sourcing information and facts. Relatively, they may be given some tasks by their superiors that require surfing the internet and other sources of information. This may include conducting research on clients and/or rivals, finding key witnesses, and exploring legal precedents.
- Computer appreciation: This is a technical skill that is essential for success in legal assisting. A legal assistant often works with computers and case management software to enter information and monitor cases. Computer appreciation skills enable the legal assistant to know, understand, and decipher how to use different legal databases.
- Organization skills: These skills are necessary to complete multiple tasks at a time. Sometimes, these professionals need to juggle different cases at the same time; being organized helps them to track their work effectively. Organization skills also enable legal assistants to keep schedules, paperwork, and files in order.
- Communication: The legal profession involves the exchange of information between two or more persons. To succeed as a legal assistant, an individual must develop and maintain excellent communication skills. This skill is vital for exchanging messages and information with team members, clients, and superiors.
- Law and legal documentation skills: A legal assistant often files paperwork, documents information, and records court proceedings for future reference. All these must be done accurately and efficiently. Having legal documentation skills enables them to work according to guidelines and help attorneys and lawyers with other forms of documentation.
- Ability to work in a team: Legal practitioners “never work alone”; instead, they work in teams to win cases and get favorable judgments. Therefore, a legal assistant must be an excellent team player to thrive in the profession. They must be patient and humble to work effectively with lawyers, paralegals, witnesses, and clients.
How to Become a Legal Assistant
A legal assistant writes reports, documents cases, and follows up on court proceedings. They use their knowledge of the law, legal proceedings, and teamwork to help clients get the best outcome. To become a legal assistant, an individual must complete an education, build skills, and gain experience respectively. Thus, the tips below will guide aspiring legal assistants on how to start a career in legal assisting;
- Get relevant education: Individuals who wish to start a career as legal assistants must complete relevant education. While in secondary school, concentrate on arts and humanity courses such as literature, English, history, and civic education among others. These subjects will provide foundational knowledge of the legal practice. After high school, enroll for an HND in paralegal studies or a related subject. However, it is wise to enroll in a bachelor’s degree in paralegal studies to learn legal writing, reporting, and legal documentation. A degree in criminology can suffice as well.
- Develop related work experience: Previous work experience has been earmarked as a prerequisite for employment in legal assistance. Therefore, an individual must gain as much experience as possible in law, legal practice, and other related fields. Experience can be obtained through working with lawyers in private firms, working in the legal unit of an organization, working on a particular case in the district attorney’s office, or an apprenticeship in a law firm.
- Develop and hone your skills: While accumulating work experience, it is important to develop relevant skills need for growth, advancement, and employment in the sector. Legal assistant skills including computer skills, communication, organization, and research are needed to perform daily tasks and activities. Some of these skills can be learned from supervisors and paralegals among others.
- Prepare your resume and apply for legal assistant roles: A good resume sends the right messages to employers about your capabilities and vice versa. Therefore, tailor your resume to the role you want to apply for. Make sure your experience matches the job description, ensure it contains a relevant skills section, and include the necessary or required education. Afterward, apply for employment in different organizations as advertised. Use the internet and mass media to find advertised legal assistant positions and apply on time.
Where to Work as a Legal Assistant
The work environment of a legal assistant depends on the location, qualification, and career goals. Nevertheless, a legal assistant can find work in a private firm or the public sector. The government employs legal assistants to help lawyers with cases of fraud and other financial misconduct. Also, corporate organizations hire legal assistants to constitute their legal department or unit. Sometimes, a senior lawyer may recruit legal assistants to work in his or her chambers. Also, some educational and financial institutions hire legal assistants to work with the legal team. Banks, insurance firms, and oil and gas firms also employ legal assistants. A legal assistant can also find employment in the healthcare sector.
Legal Assistant Salary Scale
The salary structure of a legal assistant is dependent on different factors such as the clime or jurisdiction, years of experience, and the nature of the contract and agreement. Legal assistants in big corporations or law firms tend to earn more than their counterparts in smaller firms or organizations. Similarly, a legal assistant that works for the government might earn a higher salary than those working in private firms. The nature of cases may also influence the total pay package of a legal assistant. Legal assistants working on high-profile cases may earn higher additional pay than those working on low-profile cases. Thus, the approximated or estimated average salary of a legal assistant is $16.17 per hour.