Legal Assistants are well-paid and have strong prospects for full-time work. The most employable and promotable legal assistants have specific training and experience in litigation and conveyance procedures. Legal Assistants have some common duties across their field. They type correspondence, reports, invoices and related material from handwritten copy or machine dictation, using a computer. In addition, their duties may include the preparing of presentation materials, compiling data, preparing routine correspondence, researching statistics and other information. Some assistants attend committee meetings and take minutes.Other common duties include scheduling and confirming their employer's appointments and meetings as well as greeting visitors and directing them to the appropriate person. They may handle routine invoicing, payments, order office supplies, and they may supervise other office workers. Legal Assistants are required to have understanding of the vocabulary and processes of law. They handle and format legal correspondence such as deeds, wills, affidavits and briefs. They also proofread outgoing documents and correspondence to make sure that the documents agree with legal procedures and grammatical usage. In some cases they attend court or meetings to take notes or minutes. A typing speed of 50-65 words per minute may also be required for employment.

 

Career Opportunities

Legal Secretary; Legal Administrative Assistant; Litigation Secretary; Real Estate Secretary; Conveyance Clerk