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Career

Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants

Typical education: Associate degreeLower pressure

What they do

Perform secretarial duties using legal terminology, procedures, and documents. Prepare legal papers and correspondence, such as summonses, complaints, motions, and subpoenas. May also assist with legal research.

Kinds of work

  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.
  • Enterprising: Leading, persuading, selling and starting new projects or businesses.

Lower pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $55,570 Median per year · $26.72/hr Most earn $36,500–$91,730

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Prepare and distribute invoices to bill clients or pay account expenses.
  • Schedule and make appointments.
  • Prepare, proofread, or process legal documents, such as summonses, subpoenas, complaints, appeals, motions, or pretrial agreements.
  • Review legal publications and perform database searches to identify laws and court decisions relevant to pending cases.
  • Make travel arrangements for attorneys.
  • Submit articles and information from searches to attorneys for review and approval for use.

Job outlook

United States
5% fewer jobs by 2035, declining · about 18,100 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Legal services79.7%
  • Local government, excluding education and hospitals7.9%
  • State government, excluding education and hospitals5.5%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 2 to 4 years

Some people start through an apprenticeship: paid training on the job, often with classes. Search apprenticeships on Apprenticeship.gov (opens in a new tab) ↗

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Associate degreeExperience before this job: 2 to 4 years

Legal secretary is not usually an entry-level job. Most people spend about 4 to 6 years after high school getting a two-year degree or certificate and working in general office roles before they move into legal secretarial work.

  1. High school diploma with typing and computer skills

    4 years

    Build strong writing, typing, and computer skills, since legal offices expect fast, accurate document work from day one.

  2. Associate degree in legal studies or office administration

    2 years

    A two-year program teaches legal terminology, court procedures, and office software, which is the typical education employers look for in this field.

  3. Administrative Assistant

    2-4 years

    Working in a general office builds the experience most legal employers want, including scheduling, filing, correspondence, and handling confidential information.

  4. Legal Secretary

    Ongoing career

    You prepare legal papers such as complaints, motions, and subpoenas, and you may help with legal research for attorneys.

Where it can lead

  1. Executive Secretary

    2-4 years of experience first

    You support senior leaders instead of a small legal team, which usually means managing bigger calendars, budgets, and confidential projects.

  2. Paralegal

    2-4 years of experience first

    Many legal secretaries move into paralegal work, where they take on more research, case preparation, and client-facing tasks, usually with more formal education.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take typing, business, or keyboarding classesFast, accurate typing is a core skill for legal document work and is easy to build now.
  • Take English and writing-focused classesClear writing and proofreading skills matter for drafting correspondence and legal papers.
  • Join a debate, mock trial, or student government clubThese activities introduce you to legal vocabulary, formal procedures, and working with deadlines.
  • Get a starter job such as a school office aide or retail cashierAny job where you handle records, schedules, or customers builds the reliability employers look for.
  • Volunteer at a courthouse, legal aid office, or local government office if possibleSeeing how legal offices run gives you real context and may lead to a job shadow or reference.

In college

  • Enroll in a legal studies or paralegal certificate program at a community collegeCourses in legal terminology and court procedures build the specific knowledge this job requires.
  • Take office software and records management coursesSkills in Word, Excel, and document systems are used every day in legal offices.
  • Work an office or administrative part-time jobTwo to four years of office experience is typical before entering this role, so starting early gives you a head start.
  • Seek an internship at a law firm or courtHands-on time in a legal setting helps you learn filing, deadlines, and confidentiality rules, and it strengthens your resume.
  • Join a business or legal studies student organizationNetworking with peers and professionals can lead to job leads and mentorship.

Tips for getting started

  • Look for part-time or temporary office jobs while in school, since employers in legal offices value real workplace experience.
  • Learn the basics of Microsoft Word and Excel, and practice typing speed and accuracy, because document formatting is central to this job.
  • Ask a lawyer, paralegal, or court staff member if you can job shadow or talk with them about their daily work.

Related jobs that often lead here

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

  • Legal Support Services Associate degree: typical pay 1 year after finishing $42,131 a year · typical debt $21,000

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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