A career as a legal secretary is an excellent choice for those who enjoy organisation, communication, and working in a professional environment. Legal secretaries are the backbone of law firms and legal departments, providing essential administrative support that ensures solicitors, paralegals, and legal executives can focus on the legal aspects of their cases.
While many people are familiar with solicitors and barristers, fewer understand the important role legal secretaries play in the day-to-day running of the legal profession. From preparing legal documents and maintaining case files to liaising with clients and managing busy schedules, legal secretaries keep everything running smoothly behind the scenes.
If you’re interested in law but don’t want to pursue years of legal training to become a lawyer, becoming a legal secretary may offer a rewarding alternative career path. In this guide, we’ll explore what legal secretaries do, how to become one, the skills you’ll need, career progression opportunities, and the typical salary you can expect.
What is a Legal Secretary?
A legal secretary is a specialised administrative professional who supports lawyers, paralegals, and legal executives in law firms, corporate legal departments, and public sector organisations. Their role goes beyond typical secretarial duties, as they need a solid understanding of legal terminology, procedures, and documentation.
Legal secretaries are responsible for managing legal correspondence, preparing and formatting court documents, maintaining case files, and scheduling meetings or court hearings. They act as the organisational backbone of a legal team, ensuring that lawyers can focus on their clients and cases without being bogged down by administrative tasks.
Legal Secretary vs Paralegal – What’s the Difference?
It’s not uncommon for legal secretaries to be confused with paralegals. However, these are two distinct career pathways, each with its own responsibilities:
Legal Secretary: Focuses primarily on administrative and clerical duties, such as document management, typing legal correspondence, and coordinating schedules.
Paralegal: Handles substantive legal work, such as conducting legal research, drafting contracts, or assisting with case preparation.
What Does a Legal Secretary Do?
A legal secretary performs a wide range of administrative tasks that are crucial for the smooth running of a law firm or legal department. Their responsibilities can vary depending on the employer, but they typically include:
Document Preparation and Management
Drafting, formatting, and proofreading legal documents such as contracts, wills, and court forms.
Correspondence Handling
Managing emails, letters, and phone calls on behalf of lawyers, ensuring timely responses to clients and colleagues.
Case File Organisation
Maintaining accurate and up-to-date case files, including sensitive legal documents, ensuring they are easy to access when needed.
Case File Organisation
Coordinating meetings, court appearances, and appointments to keep legal teams on track.
Client Liaison
Acting as the first point of contact for clients, providing updates and ensuring professional communication.
Typical Administrative and Office Tasks
Managing databases, scanning and photocopying, and maintaining office supplies.
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How To Become a Legal Secretary?
Typically, you don’t need a formal background in law to become a legal secretary. Many candidates start in general administrative roles and transition into legal secretary positions generally by demonstrating their interest in law and relevant skills. While there’s no single path into the profession, many legal secretaries tick these boxes:
Education: A minimum of a high school diploma is usually required, but many employers prefer candidates with further education, such as A-levels or vocational qualifications in business administration or legal studies.
Legal Secretary Qualifications: Completing a specialised programme in legal administration, law, or legal secretarial skills can often improve your employability. Organisations such as The Institute of Legal Secretaries and PAs (ILSPA) offer dedicated training programmes and memberships.
Work Experience: Gaining administrative or office experience in legal settings, even as an intern or assistant, is highly beneficial. Many legal secretaries start in junior roles before progressing.
What Skills and Qualities Does a Legal Secretary Need?
Legal secretaries work closely with paralegals and solicitors and often serve as the first point of contact for clients, including individuals who may be involved in sensitive or complex legal matters. A strong understanding of legal etiquette, combined with excellent communication and the ability to handle confidential information with discretion, is therefore essential for maintaining professional standards within legal offices and departments.
The role also demands exceptional attention to detail, excellent organisational skills, and the capacity to manage multiple tasks efficiently. Familiarity with the Microsoft Office Software and additional legal document management systems is also typically required.
Career Progression Opportunities
There can be several opportunities to progress your career. Below we explore some of the most common roles you can transition into as a Legal Secretary, should you wish to do so:
1. Senior Legal Secretary
This role typically requires taking on more complex responsibilities and supporting senior lawyers. You can generally start applying to Senior Legal Secretary vacancies once you’ve completed at least 3-5 years as a Legal Secretary.
2. Office Manager or PA
Overseeing administrative teams or directly assisting senior partners.
3. Paralegal
Transitioning into a paralegal involves more legal responsibility, supported by additional training or qualifications offered by CILEX or NALP. Once you become a paralegal there are further progression opportunities down the road – from Senior Paralegal to Chartered Legal Executive, everything could be possible at this point.
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Legal Secretary Salary - How Much Do They Make?
According to the National Careers Service, Legal Secretaries can earn anything between £20,000 – £45,000 per year when working on a full-time basis. As with any profession, your final exact salary will be highly dependent on experience, employer, and location. Professionals in London tend to earn more than professionals in other areas of the UK.
Below you can see what a Legal Secretary salary might be, based on their years of experience – bear in mind that these ranges include reported salaries in London, contributing to the inflation of the higher ends of the ranges. We derived this data from Glassdoor.
Entry-Level Legal Secretary Salary (0-3 years of experience)
£18,000 – £28,000 per year.
Experienced Legal Secretary Salary (4-9 years of experience)
£23,000 – £38,000 per year
Senior Legal Secretary Salary (10+ years of experience)
£25,000 – £45,000
Conclusion
A career as a legal secretary offers a unique opportunity to work at the heart of the legal profession without the need for extensive legal training. It is a role that combines strong administrative skills with knowledge of legal processes, making it both challenging and rewarding. For many, it also serves as a stepping stone to more advanced roles within the legal field, such as senior secretary, paralegal, or even Chartered Legal Executive.
Whether you’re drawn to the profession for its stability, opportunities for progression, or the chance to contribute to meaningful legal work, becoming a legal secretary can be a fulfilling career path. With the right skills, training, and commitment, you can build a successful future supporting legal teams and playing an essential role in the justice system.
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FAQs
1. Do you need a law degree to become a legal secretary?
No, a law degree is not required. Most employers look for strong administrative skills and relevant training, though completing a legal secretary course can improve your prospects.
2. What’s the main difference between a legal secretary and a paralegal?
A legal secretary focuses on administrative and clerical tasks, while a paralegal undertakes more substantive legal work, such as research and drafting contracts.
3. Is being a legal secretary a good career choice?
Yes, it can be an excellent choice for those who are organised, detail-oriented, and interested in law. It offers good career progression opportunities and job stability.
4. Can legal secretaries work remotely?
While some tasks require presence in the office or court, many firms are adopting hybrid models, allowing legal secretaries to handle administrative duties remotely.
5. How long does it take to become a legal secretary?
The timeframe varies. Some enter the profession directly from general administrative roles, while others complete a legal secretary course first, which can take a few months to a year depending on the programme.
