Become a Legal Secretary
Start your career in law office management.
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Legal secretaries and legal administrative assistants prepare legal documents such as summonses, complaints, requests for discovery and subpoenas for attorneys and their clients. They may also may have to file legal documents in court in a timely manner according to the rules of civil procedure. A legal secretary may handle traditional secretarial duties as well such as setting up appointments, billing clients, managing and retrieving files, word processing, and making travel arrangements for their employers. They also may review legal journals and assist in other ways with legal research, such as verifying quotes and citations in legal briefs, and may also be in charge of getting legal documents filed before court deadlines expire. Legal Secretary EducationWhile there are no academic requirements for this field, taking a 2-year associate's degree program or a 1-to-2 semester certificate program in legal secretary skills will help you prepare for the complexities of legal practice. Most legal secretary programs cover law office practices, keyboarding, computers, word processing, legal terminology and law. Legal Secretary CertificationLegal Secretary certification is voluntary, but highly recommended because many employers require it. Legal secretaries or law office managers who have completed an approved paralegal training course or have one year's experience can take an exam to become an Accredited Legal Secretary (ALS). The National Association of Legal Secretaries (NALS) also offers an advanced certification for legal support professionals called Professional Legal Secretary (PLS). Legal Secretaries International confers the Certified Legal Secretary Specialist (CLSS) title in specialized areas such as civil trial, real estate, probate, and business law to those who have five years of law-related experience and pass an examination. Legal Secretary SalaryAccording to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary for legal secretaries was $38,190 in May 2006. The middle 50 percent earned between $29,650 and $48,520. Criminal Justice Home |
 Spotlight SchoolsAmerican InterContinental University Online AIU is dedicated to making quality online education available to anyone with a passion for paralegal and criminal justice fields.  Everest University Online Everest offers online paralegal courses and criminal justice programs. You can also study at any of their 75 campuses across the U.S. Kaplan University - School of Legal Studies Kaplan University offers a broad selection of paralegal degrees and criminal justice programs designed for working adults.  Related CareerParalegalParalegal Home |