While law firms are diverse and busy places to work in, it’s not only the lawyers that make up the team. Legal secretaries and paralegals can provide the support lawyers need to perform their work efficiently and smoothly. If you are looking for a career in the legal profession but aren’t sure if you want to become a barrister or solicitor, then a job as a legal secretary/PA may be for you.
Legal secretaries
The nature of your work and responsibilities will depend on which legal department you are working in and what cases you are handling. Some of your tasks include creating legal documents and forms, researching legal issues, responding to inquiries from existing and new clients, attending court, collecting fees for completed legal work, and other secretarial duties.
As a legal secretary you will be able to get familiar with a broad range of legal procedures as well as gain experience in many legal areas. With the right training, you may be able move up to other positions such as paralegal, legal executive or legal PA.
You can make a good living as a legal secretary, earning higher wages than standard secretary. Starting salary for a new legal secretary is anywhere from PS14,000 – PS20,000, depending upon the firm and where you live. With experience you can earn up to PS30,000. Legal secretaries who are highly skilled and competent may make around PS40,000 annually.
Legal PAs
Legal PAs serve as personal assistants to one or more bosses, and provide high-quality services to clients. They can be the first point of contact for clients and may even make decisions on behalf their bosses. For information on legal PA courses visit our site.
Although they are able to do similar work as a legal assistant, they often assume more responsibility for senior administrative tasks such marketing or budgeting. They are responsible for managing their personal time and diary and organizing events, engagements, and travel arrangements.
