If you want to have a career related to a law profession, but you don’t have the time or resources to become a full-fledged lawyer, why not become a legal secretary instead? A legal secretary is an absolute necessity in any law office, as she is in charge of organizing attorney schedules, coordinating with clients, keeping accurate and up-to-date records and fulfilling many other important administrative duties. Before you can apply for legal secretarial jobs, you’ll need proper legal secretary training. Use these tips to learn more about legal secretary qualifications. Here’s how to become a legal secretary.- Know whether you have what it takes. A good legal secretary has effective people skills, as a big part of her job is coordinating and communicating with different kinds of people. To have a secretary career, you should also be highly organized, detail-oriented and computer-savvy.
- Complete high school. The minimum requirement for becoming a legal secretary is a high school degree or its equivalent.
- Take secretarial courses. There are available two-year certificates and associate degree programs that will certify you as a legal secretary. These courses will train you in processing legal documents, using legal office software, managing databases, preparing correspondences, etc. Know that many law offices only accept legal secretaries who are graduates of these programs. Inquire at your community college for such courses to start your legal secretary career.
- Take the time to become familiar with legal terminology. Remember, a legal secretary works with and coordinates with judges and lawyers and works within a legal setting. That’s why if you want to be a legal secretary, it’s very important that you take the time to research at least the basics of legal terminologies and procedures, so that you can keep up with the demands of your legal secretary job duties.
- Opt to apply at smaller firms over bigger ones first. If you are a new graduate of a secretarial degree, it’s best that you go for acquiring experience at a relatively smaller law firm. This way, you will be able to get a feel of what it takes to be a legal secretary and you will be able to establish your foundations in this career, minus the fast pace of big firms. Afterward, you will have enough experience to move on to bigger law offices and take on heavier responsibilities.
- Obtain a certification as an Accredited Legal Secretary (ALS). The ALS is offered by the National Association of Legal Secretaries, and it is a great addition to your resume. The ALS is for legal secretaries who have worked in the field for one year and who have graduated from accredited legal secretary courses. If you have had more than three years of experience, you can obtain the Professional Legal Secretary (PLS) certification.
- Join associations. It’s a smart move to network with others in your profession, so you will be in the know of job opportunities for you to maximize your career growth. Some of the associations that you can join include the National Association of Legal Secretaries, International Association of Administrative Professionals, and Legal Secretaries International, Inc.
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