A Career in Law Office Management
Law Office Manager Training and Careers
Good law office management is behind every successful law office. Law office administrators direct and coordinate the activities of a law firm or legal department, including the planning, organization and direction of their department.
They are essential and greatly appreciated behind-the-scenes members of every legal team.
Law office managers play a vital role in the day-to-day operations of a law office. Their responsibilities may include overseeing salaries and benefits; handling budgets, billing and collections; managing staff and facilities; maintaining the library and office records; recruiting attorneys; doing legal research; and coordinating client marketing.
Some law office managers actually perform the same functions as legal secretaries, legal assistants and paralegals, and are paralegals in everything but name. They can also become paralegals with some additional paralegal training.
Law Office Management: Workplace
There is a lot of opportunity in law office management. Administrators work in law firms, legal departments, or governmental agencies and private corporations. They often do support work for lawyers, legal secretaries, legal assistants or paralegals. Law office management is often a first step into these related fields.
Law Office Management: Education and Training
While there are no academic requirements for entry into the field of law office management, taking a 2-year associate's degree program or a 1-to-2 semester certificate program in law office management or public administration will help you prepare for the complexities of legal practice.
Most programs cover management principles and concepts, legal terminology, human resource management, supervisory techniques, managing financial resources and legal ethics.
Law Office Management: Salary
According to Payscale.com, law office managers made between $36,186 and $58,907 in 2009, but this salary range may include bonuses and profit sharing. Your salary may also vary depending on the size and type of law firm you work for, as well as your geographic location.
In its 2010 salary survey, the Internet Legal Research Group reports that law office managers in small law firms made between $48,250 and $63,250 in 2009, while those who worked for large law offices made between $82,250 and $135,750. Of course, with higher salaries generally come greater responsibilities.
So find a law office manager training program today, and get started on your path to this exciting legal career.
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