Legal Secretary Training
Legal secretaries are tasked with providing administrative support to attorneys. They prepare correspondence and legal papers, such as motions and subpoenas. Completing a training course helps legal secretaries gain necessary knowledge about legal terminology and court procedures.
Other People Are Reading
-
Significance
-
While specialized training is not mandatory to become employed as a legal secretary, completing a training course can give aspiring legal secretaries a competitive advantage when applying for jobs in the field.
Features
-
Training for legal secretaries is offered through organizations such as the National Association of Legal Secretaries (NALS). The online course administered by Stetson University covers topics including legal document preparation, ethics, computers in the law office and an overview of legal practice areas (criminal law, family law, and bankruptcy). Students also learn about the court system, accounting and the law library. Participants who complete the 20-week course with a grade of 70 or better earn a legal training course certificate and a Stetson University Lawyer's Assistant certificate.
-
Types
-
Legal secretaries can complete online training courses or attend in-person courses offered at secretarial schools or community colleges. Programs that teach typing and computer skills are helpful, as much of the work performed by legal secretaries is computer-based. Legal secretaries can also attend workshops and seminars while on the job to learn specialized skills.
Certification
-
Completion of a training program, coupled with at least one year of work experience, qualifies legal secretaries to apply for certification as an accredited legal secretary or professional legal secretary. Certification is granted by the NALS and Legal Secretaries International.
Potential
-
For trained and certified legal secretaries, the job outlook is bright, with employment opportunities available in private law firms as well as state, local and federal government. In 2008, median wages for legal secretaries was $39,860.
-
References
- Photo Credit boss and secretary image by Valentin Mosichev from Fotolia.com
