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Law Firms
Kirkland & Ellis, DLA Piper, Baker McKenzie
Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants
This job keeps a law office organized by preparing court papers, tracking deadlines, pulling records, and handling client correspondence. What makes it different from ordinary office work is the need for exact wording, strict filing rules, and careful timing, because small mistakes can create real problems in a case. The tradeoff is that the work is practical and transferable, but it is repetitive, deadline-heavy, and under pressure from automation and shrinking employment.
Also known as Legal AssistantLegal SecretaryLitigation SecretaryLegal Administrative AssistantLaw Office Secretary
Median Salary
$54,140
Mean $60,320
U.S. Workforce
~155K
19.6K openings per year
10-Year Growth
+-5.8%
156.3K to 147.3K
Entry Education
High school diploma or equivalent
+ None experience
What This Role Looks Like in Practice
Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants sits in the Legal category. In practical terms, this role combines day-to-day execution, cross-team coordination, and consistent decision-making under real business constraints.
U.S. employment is currently about ~155K workers, with a median annual pay of $54,140 and roughly 19.6K openings each year. Based on BLS projections, total employment is expected to decline from 156.3 K in 2024 to 147.3K in 2034.
Most hiring paths start with Associate's degree in office administration or paralegal studies, and employers typically expect none of related experience. Many careers in this track begin around Office Clerk or Receptionist and can progress toward Legal Office Manager. High-value skills usually include Legal Document Drafting & Proofreading, Microsoft Word, Outlook & Office 365, and Electronic Court Filing (eFile) Systems, paired with soft skills such as Active listening, Reading comprehension, and Writing.
Core Responsibilities
- Collect records and background information that attorneys need for a case.
- Prepare, check, and format legal papers before they are sent to court or to clients.
- Send legal letters, filings, and other documents to the right people on time.
- Keep calendars, appointments, and court deadlines organized.
Keep exploring: more Legal careers or browse all job titles.
A Day in the Life
01 Collect records and background information that attorneys need for a case.
02 Prepare, check, and format legal papers before they are sent to court or to clients.
03 Send legal letters, filings, and other documents to the right people on time.
04 Keep calendars, appointments, and court deadlines organized.
05 Sort and maintain case files, legal references, and other office records.
06 Handle routine office tasks like memos, copies, and client invoices.
Industries That Hire
🏢
Corporate Legal Departments
Microsoft, JPMorgan Chase, Walmart
🏛️
Government and Courts
U.S. Department of Justice, California Courts, New York State Unified Court System
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Insurance
State Farm, Allstate, GEICO
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Real Estate and Title Services
First American, Stewart Title, Anywhere Real Estate
Pros and Cons
Advantages
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It is one of the more accessible legal jobs: BLS lists a high school diploma as the typical entry point, and many workers also enter with an associate's degree or certificate.
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There are still plenty of openings because employers expect about 19.6 thousand annual openings even though total employment is projected to fall by 5.8% over the decade.
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The work builds useful office skills fast, including document handling, scheduling, billing, and communication with courts and clients.
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It offers a clear path into legal work without the long schooling required for attorney roles.
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The pay is solid for office support, with a median annual wage of $54,140 and a mean of $60,320.
Challenges
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Employment is expected to shrink by 9.0 thousand jobs by 2034, so the field is not growing and openings may be competitive.
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A lot of the work is repetitive—copying, filing, scheduling, and formatting documents—so the job can feel routine after the learning curve.
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The role has a real automation risk because software can already handle parts of drafting, filing, calendaring, and document management.
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There is a ceiling to how far you can go without moving into management, paralegal work, or another legal specialty, so long-term advancement can be limited.
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The work is deadline-driven and detail-sensitive; missed court dates, wrong names, or filing mistakes can create serious problems for a case.
Career Progression
Office Clerk or Receptionist
0-2 years
$32K-$39K
Starts with basic phone, filing, scheduling, and front-desk work in a busy office.
Legal Office Assistant
1-3 years
$39K-$47K
Takes on more document handling, mail processing, and calendar support for attorneys and paralegals.
Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants THIS ROLE
2-6 years
$49K-$61K
Handles court documents, client records, billing support, and deadline tracking with much less supervision.
Senior Legal Secretary or Litigation Secretary
5-9 years
$62K-$76K
Works on more complex cases, tight filing deadlines, and communication between attorneys, courts, and clients.
Legal Office Manager
8+ years
$77K-$96K
Oversees office workflow, staff support, systems, and daily operations across a legal team or small firm.
Education Paths
Associate's degree in office administration or paralegal studies
The most common path, held by 48.14% of workers in this role.
High school diploma or GED plus employer training
A direct entry option for 17.31% of workers, especially when the applicant already has strong office and writing skills.
Post-secondary certificate in legal office support
A focused credential path chosen by 14.32% of workers, often used to build legal terminology, filing, and document skills quickly.
Some college coursework in business or legal studies
An alternate route used by 13.23% of workers, especially people who have office experience but did not finish a degree.
Key Skills
Technical
Legal Document Drafting & Proofreading 80%
Microsoft Word, Outlook & Office 365 78%
Electronic Court Filing (eFile) Systems 76%
Adobe Acrobat, PDF Editing & Redlining 73%
Case Management & Docketing Software (Clio, MyCase, PracticePanther) 70%
Legal Billing, Timekeeping & Invoicing Software 67%
Soft Skills
Active listeningReading comprehensionWritingSpeakingTime managementCoordination Job Outlook and Trends
+-5.8%
Projected growth (2024-2034)
19.6K
Annual job openings
Employment is projected to rise from 156.3K to 147.3 K over the next decade, representing -5.8% growth. Around 19.6 K openings per year include both newly created roles and replacement hiring from turnover.
Remote availability is currently Limited. Demand remains strongest where employers need practical domain knowledge plus modern workflow and data skills.