Do you think a career as alegal assistantcould be right for you?Are you wonderingwhat the job involvesand whatqualificationsyou needto succeed?As the name suggests, legal assistantsassistlawyers, and skills such as communication, critical thinking, and teamwork will allow youtoexcel.
In this post, we’ll be discussing all of the essential skills that every legal assistant should have. As a quick summary, the top 10 skills for legal assistants are:
- Organizational Skills
- Writing Skills
- Technical Skills
- Detail Oriented
- Interpersonal Skills
- Understanding Legal Terminology and Documentation
- Multi-Tasking
- Adaptability
- Critical Thinking
- Teamwork
What Does a Legal Assistant Do?
Legal assistantsperform similar duties asotheradministrative assistants, but of course,the legal fieldpresentsauniqueset of challenges.Although responsibilitiesvarydepending on thetype and size of the firm,legal assistants may be asked to…
- Answer phone calls, respond to emails and greet clients
- Schedule meetings, appointments, and interviews
- Organizepaperwork
- Maintainlegal files andotherrelevant information indigital databases
- Write drafts of contracts, letters,and legal documents
- Gather information about cases
- Conduct researchon laws and regulations
- Reference law libraries
- Assist during trials and hearings
- Prepare and deliver affidavits
- Perform billing/accountingduties
What’s the Difference BetweenaLegal Assistant and Paralegal?
Usually the terms legal assistant and paralegal are used interchangeably.Technically,the title paralegal isreservedfor someone who is certified through an organization such astheNational Association of Legal Assistants (NALA)ortheNational Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA).Neither legal assistants nor paralegals are qualified to givelegal advice or sign pleadings orformaldocuments.
Where Do Legal Assistants Work?
Most legal assistantswork out oflaw officesor law firms. However, government agenciesand legal departments in large corporations also hire legal assistants.As an office job,the position requires lotsof sitting and computer work.In some cases,legal assistants maybe askedtotravel to court cases or gather/deliver documents. Generally, the job is fast-paced.Tight deadlinesand fluctuating workloadsmay lead to overtime.
How Much Money Do Legal Assistants Make?
A legal assistant’s salary depends onthe type and sizeof the lawfirm, the individual’s experience, and the location of the office.In other words, a legal assistant with fifteen years of experiencestationedin a nationally-recognized corporate lawfirmin downtown Manhattan is going to make more than a legalassistant with one year of experience working fora singlelawyer in a small town. Entry-level rates begin at $13 to $14 per hour with top rates of up to $39 per hour. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2019)
What’s the Long-Term Job Outlook for Legal Assistants?
Although there is some concerntechnological advancementswill replace administrative workers, legal assistants perform many duties that are difficult toreplicatewith artificial intelligence. And accordingtotheU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for legal assistants is expected to grow 12 percent from 2018 to 2028. This rate is considered much faster than average for all occupations.
What Qualifications Are Required to Become a Legal Assistant?
Somelawyershire assistants without a legal background and train them on the job. However, a two or four-year degree in paralegal studies can improvethechances of landing a position. Another option iseitherahigh school or college degree combined with aparalegal studies certificate. BothNALAorNFPAofferthesecertifications.
10 Essential Skills for Legal Assistants
1. Organizational Skills
Attorneys are busy professionals. Between ongoing trials, piles of paperwork, and daily meetings, their offices can easily become chaotic. Legal assistants with exceptional organizational skills keep their bosses organized too.By completing tasks such asoverseeing calendars,managing projects, andhandling paperwork, legal assistants help law officestorun at top efficiency.
2. Writing Skills
Most lawyersrely ontheirlegal assistants to draft everything from everyday emails toprofessional legal documents. As a result, legal assistants must know how to communicate effectively through writing,create documents according to accepted formatsandproofread. Strong spelling, grammar, vocabulary, and transcription skills all prove to be useful.
3. Technical Skills
As experts in the law,attorneysoftendon’t have thetimeto stay up to date on the latest technology. Therefore, legal assistantsusuallytake care of a variety of tasks ranging from creating presentations to running video conferencing sessions to backing up files. Legal assistants with knowledgeof Microsoft Office,legalsoftware,and document management systemshave an advantage over their less tech-savvy counterparts.In addition, legal assistantsmaywishtoencourageongoing technologicalupgrades, so their officesremain competitive withother up–and–coming firms.
4. Detail Oriented
In a trial, even a minor mistake could result in a lost case. And legal documents are no less forgiving. It’s up to legal assistants to catch and correct the errorseveryone else may have missed. This includes everything from typos todouble-booked meeting to missing pieces of evidence.Accuracy, note-taking skills,andattention to detailarenecessary.
5. Interpersonal Skills
On a daily basis, legal assistants may interact with stressed-out attorneys, unhappy clients, difficult members of the opposing counsel, and unwilling witness as well as judges, coworkers, vendors, and more. These encounters may take place face to face, over the phone, in a video conferences,or through email, text messaging or writing. A top-notch legal assistant should be able togreet people graciously,provideinstruction,anddiffuse tense situations. Thisinvolveslistening, expressing ideas clearly, interpreting non-verbal cues, negotiating, and being emphatic.
6. Understanding of Legal Terminology and Documentation
Full masteryofcommonly-usedlegal termsis essential for any legal assistant.Words and phrases likeacquittal, habeas corpus,and subpoenamustbe second nature to them. Furthermore, sincethe job requires regularreading, writing,and interpretation oflegal documents,theyshouldbe familiar with everything fromtrial briefstoliving wills.
7. Multi-Tasking
Law offices can behigh-stress environments. Legal assistantsmay by working with several different people on several different projects each day. Plus, many assignmentsarefinished under tight deadlines. Thus, legal assistants need to be able to prioritize, delegate, and keep track of multiple workflows… all while staying calm under pressure.
8. Adaptability
Sometimes things don’t go as planned. And often, legal assistants are the ones who must quicklycome up withsolutions. Whether it’s dealing withdouble-booked meetingsor locating a hard-to-find expert witness, legal assistantsdiscoverclever ways around roadblocks.
9. Critical Thinking
Since legal assistants are responsible for conducting research, strong analytical skillsare a necessity. They must know how to search forinformation, identify trustworthy sourcesanddistinguishrelevant facts. Especially when working on a caseor with an attorney, theyneed to know whentointerveneand when tostep back.Ultimately, the critical thinking skills of a talented legal assistant can be an amazingresource.
10. Teamwork
Legal assistants depend on many people and many people dependon them to get the job done. This remains true regardless of the size of the office. To be successful,theymust view themselves not as asingleperson working in isolationbutratheras a contributing member ofa largerteam.Andsince legal assistantsseldomarethe star of the show, they should be willing to accept their role as a supporting, albeitvitally important, player.
What Can You Do to Improve YourLegal AssistantSkill Set?
As with any profession, legal assistants need a combination of both hard and soft skills. Technical or hard skillswill part ofyour formal training. In classes (or in some cases on the job), you’ll learn legal terminology,complete research projects, and practice writing legal documents. Many of these technical skills are useful throughout your career, while others, such as knowledge of the latest legal softwareor tort reformtrends, will require you to consistentlyreskill yourself. To stay on top ofongoing changeswithin the industry, you may choose to enroll in online or in-person classes, attend conferences and/or regularly read legal articles, books, and blogs.Soft skills, on the other hand,are more difficult to learn inatraditionalsetting. Nevertheless, youstillcan work toward improving your natural abilities and addressing areas of weakness. For example, if you want tobe a better team player, you couldset a goalto assist three of your co-workerswithprojectsbefore the end of themonth and, of course,follow through.
What Factors Should You Consider WhenLooking for a Positionas a Legal Assistant?
Because duties varydepending on thetype and size of the firm, you’llwant to takethisinto accountwhen applying for arole. For example, at a small office, you may oversee a wide variety oftasksbuthave limited opportunities for advancement. Whereas at a larger firm,you maybe limited to a fewspecific tasksbut have lots of opportunitiesto climb the corporate ladder.Also, if you are interested in acertainarea of the law, such asimmigration, you maywishto look for an officespecializing in that area.
Are You Hoping to Find a Job as a Legal Assistant?
If you are a legal assistantlooking for workin the Atlanta area, BOS Staffing can help! Our recruiters would be happy to review yourskillsetandmatch you with the right-fit law office.Learn more about our hiring processand launch your job search today!
