Legal Secretary Training Programs, Degrees and Schools

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Legal Secretaries - Career Information

Legal Secretaries picture Legal Secretaries image

Legal Secretaries

Legal secretaries perform office administrative duties for legal firms. Legal secretaries prepare documents, including complaints, subpoenas and court motions. They also verify information, sources and quotes that will be utilized in court trials and other types of legal proceedings. They need a solid foundation regarding the court system and legal terminology. Legal secretaries can also function as administrative assistants and executive assistants in the legal industry.

Responsibilities

Perform information processing and storage
Prepare documents and perform research
Make schedules and appointments
Perform database searches and review legal publications to find court decisions and laws that are relevant to law cases
Arrange for delivery of legal correspondence to court officials, clients and witnesses
Organize and maintain law libraries, case files and documents
Draft and type office memos
Help lawyers gather information
Attend legal meetings and take notes

Job Characteristics

Legal secretaries typically work 40 hours a week, however sometimes overtime is required. Legal secretaries should have good oral and written communications skills. They should be well organized and detailed oriented. Good word processing skills are also important for the occupation. A legal secretary often communicates with lawyers, legal experts and other legal personnel.

Employment Outlook

The Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts a 12 percent job growth for legal secretaries from 2006 to 2016. Candidates that hold a bachelor's degree or have acquired some formal training as a legal secretary have the best career opportunities. A need to lower legal costs and an increased demand for legal services should continue to provide job opportunities for legal secretaries.

The median annual earnings in 2006 for legal secretaries was $38,190. The salary depends on years of experience and the location of the job. Legal secretaries employed in large metropolitan areas such as New York, San Francisco and Chicago usually receive higher salaries due to the larger number of corporations and private legal practices that are located in large cities.

Education, Certification, and Licensing

Legal secretarial certificate and degree programs in legal studies are provided at community colleges, private careers schools and technical centers. The programs usually take one to two years to complete. They usually include courses such as legal applications and legal research. Some employers seek applicants that have a bachelor's degree with a minor in legal studies.

Through a testing procedure, the National Association of Legal Assistants offers the Accredited Legal Secretary designation to those that have, at a minimum, one year of experience in the legal field and to those that have completed an approved training course. The association also provides the Professional Legal Secretary certificate for legal support professionals.

Resources

Major Employers

The major employers are law firms, legal support services, insurance carriers, corporations and the government.

Schools for Legal Secretaries are listed in the column to the left.

The Top Cities tab shows employment statistics for Legal Secretaries by major metro area.

The Top Industries tab shows which industries have the most jobs for Legal Secretaries, along with salary data by industry.

The Find Schools tab lets you search for schools by field of study, degree level, and location.

Metro Area	Jobs	Salary (2008)	Relative Popularity
ALABAMA
Birmingham	1,830	$36,040	1.7
Mobile	480	$35,950	1.4
Montgomery	410	$31,270	1.2
Auburn	90	$28,870	1.1
Dothan	100	$23,620	0.9
Florence	70	$26,810	0.8
Huntsville	290	$30,740	0.7
Decatur	30	$30,110	0.3
ALASKA
Anchorage	340	$44,840	1.1
Fairbanks	40	$45,310	0.7
ARIZONA
Tucson	810	$37,790	1.1
Yuma	110	$32,400	1
Phoenix	3,250	$42,090	0.9
Flagstaff	80	$35,390	0.8
ARKANSAS
Pine Bluff	50	$23,580	0.9
Little Rock	560	$32,820	0.8
Fort Smith	140	$27,120	0.6
Fayetteville	220	$30,430	0.6
CALIFORNIA
Yuba City	120	$33,400	1.8
San Francisco	3,430	$60,380	1.7
Chico	150	$46,710	1.2
Sacramento	2,020	$44,290	1.1
Santa Ana	3,250	$48,970	1.1
San Diego	2,800	$44,300	1
Redding	120	$31,140	1
Fresno	580	$46,610	0.9
San Jose	1,630	$64,040	0.9
Santa Rosa	300	$43,660	0.8
Oxnard	440	$46,910	0.7
El Centro	60	$27,770	0.7
Santa Barbara	200	$43,670	0.6
Oakland	1,280	$51,020	0.6
Merced	60	$33,180	0.6
Modesto	180	$51,500	0.6
Salinas	150	$48,140	0.5
Riverside	1,270	$38,540	0.5
Stockton	200	$39,320	0.5
Vallejo	110	$41,950	0.5
Visalia	120	$38,430	0.5
Bakersfield	230	$38,680	0.4
COLORADO
Denver	2,320	$46,260	0.9
Grand Junction	60	$34,490	0.6
Boulder	180	$46,460	0.6
Fort Collins	100	$34,600	0.4
CONNECTICUT
Waterbury	140	$36,730	1.1
Hartford	950	$49,490	0.8
New Haven	430	$45,180	0.8
Bridgeport	640	$48,620	0.7
Danbury	40	$44,860	0.3
DELAWARE
Dover	160	$33,120	1.7
Wilmington	1,020	$47,330	1.6
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Washington	8,890	$58,530	1.9
FLORIDA
Miami	3,990	$41,350	2
West Palm Beach	1,880	$42,940	1.7
Fort Lauderdale	2,540	$40,570	1.7
Tallahassee	400	$39,110	1.3
Gainesville	250	$30,640	1.2
Tampa	2,840	$37,410	1.2
Pensacola	320	$33,950	1.1
Orlando	2,340	$41,490	1.1
Port St. Lucie	250	$37,270	1
Deltona	260	$32,560	0.9
Sarasota	450	$35,200	0.9
Ocala	150	$30,810	0.9
Jacksonville	1,020	$37,450	0.8
Punta Gorda	50	$36,290	0.7
Panama City	90	$29,490	0.7
Cape Coral	270	$41,410	0.7
Lakeland	240	$32,820	0.6
Palm Bay	180	$38,780	0.5
GEORGIA
Macon	410	$28,460	2.2
Hinesville	30	$30,190	1.5
Albany	160	$29,750	1.5
Valdosta	140	$27,360	1.4
Warner Robins	110	$30,210	1.3
Savannah	300	$33,160	1
Augusta	410	$33,200	1
Columbus	200	$28,280	1
Atlanta	4,050	$45,940	0.8
Dalton	60	$30,810	0.4
HAWAII
Honolulu	570	$44,600	0.7
IDAHO
Lewiston	60	$30,070	1.6
Idaho Falls	110	$29,740	1.3
Boise	540	$38,250	1
ILLINOIS
Danville	70	$33,130	1.7
Rockford	460	$34,380	1.6
Chicago	10,370	$46,520	1.3
Peoria	430	$37,140	1.3
Bloomington	130	$42,940	1
Kankakee	60	$32,730	0.9
Champaign	160	$34,840	0.9
Springfield	170	$37,250	0.9
Decatur	30	$33,700	0.4
INDIANA
Terre Haute	140	$23,120	1.1
Kokomo	60	$41,680	1
Gary	550	$29,550	1
Indianapolis	1,670	$41,570	0.9
Lafayette	120	$33,220	0.9
Bloomington	100	$28,430	0.8
Fort Wayne	320	$36,070	0.8
Muncie	60	$28,260	0.8
Evansville	180	$30,950	0.5
South Bend	120	$31,550	0.5
Anderson	30	$30,390	0.4
IOWA
Davenport	420	$37,430	1.2
Des Moines	510	$36,920	0.8
Ames	50	$24,820	0.8
Iowa City	100	$29,250	0.8
Cedar Rapids	150	$33,710	0.6
KANSAS
Topeka	250	$24,980	1.2
Lawrence	80	$28,880	1
Wichita	280	$31,490	0.5
KENTUCKY
Owensboro	80	$29,120	0.9
Bowling Green	70	$29,720	0.7
Lexington	290	$36,130	0.6
Louisville	720	$38,010	0.6
Elizabethtown	40	$23,260	0.5
LOUISIANA
New Orleans	1,560	$39,480	1.5
Alexandria	160	$27,020	1.5
Monroe	210	$30,780	1.5
Lafayette	390	$34,140	1.4
Lake Charles	220	$32,140	1.4
Baton Rouge	690	$32,660	0.9
Shreveport	290	$32,670	0.9
MAINE
Portland	380	$37,230	1
Lewiston	80	$35,030	0.9
Bangor	70	$31,810	0.6
MARYLAND
Cumberland	60	$33,150	1
Baltimore	1,940	$42,240	0.7
Hagerstown	130	$30,000	0.7
Bethesda	560	$41,480	0.5
MASSACHUSETTS
Boston	4,680	$54,030	1.3
New Bedford	140	$35,550	1.2
Worcester	460	$43,280	0.9
Pittsfield	50	$29,920	0.9
Springfield	430	$38,860	0.7
Leominster	60	$33,640	0.7
Taunton	50	$44,740	0.6
Framingham	180	$38,170	0.6
Barnstable	100	$35,550	0.5
MICHIGAN
Lansing	590	$41,490	1.6
Bay City	70	$30,310	1.2
Flint	270	$32,610	1
Grand Rapids	670	$41,960	0.9
Detroit	1,160	$45,940	0.8
Warren	1,870	$44,590	0.8
Jackson	70	$33,940	0.8
Saginaw	100	$36,220	0.7
Kalamazoo	180	$40,730	0.7
Battle Creek	40	$33,930	0.5
Muskegon	50	$40,120	0.5
Niles	50	$32,930	0.5
MINNESOTA
Minneapolis	3,510	$48,160	1
Duluth	170	$37,320	0.7
St. Cloud	60	$32,630	0.3
Rochester	40	$38,690	0.2
MISSISSIPPI
Jackson	560	$41,210	1.1
Pascagoula	80	$30,680	1
Gulfport	90	$35,640	0.4
MISSOURI
Joplin	150	$26,480	1
St. Louis	2,490	$41,020	0.9
Kansas City	1,680	$37,970	0.8
Jefferson City	70	$30,720	0.6
MONTANA
Great Falls	140	$28,320	2.4
Missoula	140	$24,400	1.5
Billings	170	$32,300	1.1
NEBRASKA
Lincoln	220	$37,420	0.7
Omaha	560	$37,770	0.6
NEVADA
Carson City	80	$42,220	1.8
Reno	580	$44,780	1.4
Las Vegas	1,440	$44,140	0.8
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Manchester	210	$41,730	1.1
Rochester	100	$35,440	1
Portsmouth	70	$39,390	0.7
Nashua	60	$34,160	0.2
NEW JERSEY
Newark	4,840	$45,970	2.4
Trenton	680	$45,770	1.6
Ocean City	110	$40,940	1.5
Camden	1,620	$40,930	1.5
Edison	2,540	$43,620	1.2
Atlantic City	320	$37,760	1.1
Vineland	110	$34,720	1.1
NEW MEXICO
Santa Fe	90	$35,990	0.8
Farmington	70	$30,950	0.8
Albuquerque	590	$32,560	0.8
NEW YORK
New York	20,530	$45,430	2
Nassau	4,960	$42,270	2
Albany	1,250	$37,230	1.4
Buffalo	1,490	$33,760	1.4
Ithaca	100	$34,140	1.4
Kingston	140	$31,640	1.3
Syracuse	810	$34,770	1.3
Rochester	1,150	$34,400	1.1
Poughkeepsie	500	$38,120	1.1
Elmira	60	$37,410	1
Binghamton	180	$34,190	0.9
Utica	190	$27,270	0.8
NORTH CAROLINA
Jacksonville	80	$19,870	1.1
Raleigh	730	$45,550	0.7
Charlotte	1,210	$41,190	0.7
Burlington	70	$36,510	0.7
Winston-Salem	240	$40,990	0.6
Greensboro	300	$33,130	0.4
Durham	170	$34,840	0.3
Fayetteville	70	$31,790	0.3
Wilmington	80	$38,640	0.3
NORTH DAKOTA
Bismarck	170	$30,070	1.7
Fargo	180	$33,300	0.8
Grand Forks	40	$30,410	0.5
OHIO
Cleveland	2,730	$39,700	1.3
Akron	670	$32,860	1
Springfield	70	$25,300	0.9
Sandusky	50	$26,330	0.8
Dayton	620	$35,790	0.8
Mansfield	70	$32,150	0.8
Youngstown	350	$28,310	0.8
Cincinnati	1,600	$40,730	0.8
Toledo	440	$37,750	0.7
Canton	230	$29,360	0.7
Columbus	1,210	$39,140	0.6
OKLAHOMA
Oklahoma City	910	$31,250	0.8
Tulsa	660	$32,040	0.8
OREGON
Salem	490	$33,180	1.7
Bend	160	$36,650	1.3
Portland	2,260	$43,420	1.1
Medford	160	$34,470	1
Eugene	260	$30,640	0.9
Corvallis	40	$30,120	0.8
PENNSYLVANIA
Philadelphia	6,760	$43,390	1.8
Williamsport	140	$26,180	1.6
Scranton	720	$25,090	1.4
Pittsburgh	2,960	$34,500	1.3
Altoona	120	$29,600	1.1
Allentown	720	$31,050	1.1
Harrisburg	650	$36,920	1
Johnstown	100	$35,470	1
Reading	300	$35,470	0.9
Erie	220	$28,480	0.9
Lebanon	70	$36,230	0.9
State College	80	$34,400	0.8
Lancaster	290	$35,180	0.6
York	150	$33,530	0.4
RHODE ISLAND
Providence	1,360	$36,470	1.2
SOUTH CAROLINA
Columbia	810	$36,420	1.2
Charleston	590	$33,030	1
Myrtle Beach	220	$40,890	1
Greenville	590	$34,790	1
Spartanburg	170	$32,870	0.7
SOUTH DAKOTA
Sioux Falls	130	$33,120	0.5
TENNESSEE
Clarksville	120	$28,420	0.9
Chattanooga	290	$33,610	0.6
Memphis	630	$37,680	0.5
Knoxville	120	$39,950	0.2
TEXAS
Austin	1,740	$39,680	1.1
Brownsville	250	$27,870	1.1
Laredo	160	$26,240	1.1
Dallas	4,460	$46,400	1
McAllen	420	$28,620	1
Texarkana	90	$26,640	0.9
Midland	110	$33,650	0.9
Waco	150	$31,810	0.8
Corpus Christi	270	$34,830	0.8
Beaumont	220	$37,150	0.7
Odessa	70	$36,160	0.7
Wichita Falls	70	$41,080	0.7
Amarillo	120	$38,480	0.6
Houston	3,210	$45,790	0.6
El Paso	310	$33,370	0.6
San Antonio	1,000	$38,440	0.6
Fort Worth	880	$40,270	0.5
Lubbock	110	$31,840	0.5
Longview	80	$33,500	0.5
Abilene	40	$26,620	0.4
UTAH
Salt Lake City	1,330	$39,170	1.1
Provo	190	$29,920	0.6
VERMONT
Burlington	130	$39,510	0.6
VIRGINIA
Richmond	790	$41,560	0.7
Virginia Beach	740	$36,660	0.5
Roanoke	140	$35,980	0.5
WASHINGTON
Wenatchee	100	$34,970	1.5
Olympia	250	$41,890	1.4
Mount Vernon	80	$34,050	1
Bellingham	150	$32,790	1
Seattle	2,400	$46,490	0.8
Longview	40	$33,380	0.7
Spokane	290	$35,550	0.7
Bremerton	80	$36,470	0.5
Kennewick	80	$40,910	0.5
WEST VIRGINIA
Charleston	400	$33,490	1.4
Morgantown	100	$31,450	1.2
Parkersburg	140	$27,110	1.1
Huntington	210	$27,510	1
Weirton	50	$27,770	0.7
WISCONSIN
Milwaukee	1,540	$39,860	0.9
Madison	440	$41,140	0.7
Fond du Lac	50	$31,870	0.7
La Crosse	80	$31,180	0.6
Racine	90	$35,690	0.6
Sheboygan	60	$33,590	0.6
Oshkosh	80	$29,750	0.5
Green Bay	140	$33,370	0.4
Appleton	90	$32,100	0.4
WYOMING
Casper	50	$29,340	0.8

Industry	Jobs	Percent	Salary (2008)
Professional And Technical Services	224,060	87%	$39,720
Government	19,610	7%	$38,180
Office Services And Staffing	3,870	1%	$41,530
Insurance	2,940	1%	$44,570
Business Management	2,620	1%	$52,020

Employment For:
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Selected Schools for Legal Secretaries (including any online schools)

These schools offer particularly quick info upon request, and we have written detailed profiles for each (click school names to see the profiles).

Request info from multiple schools, by clicking the Get Info links.

School	Locations	Degrees	Quick Info
Brookline College	AZ, NM	Diploma	Get Info
Career Point College	OK, TX	Associate, Diploma	Get Info
Computer Career Center	TX	Diploma	Get Info
Everest College	ON, OR	Diploma	Get Info
Everest Institute	PA	Diploma	Get Info
Harris School of Business	NJ	Certificate	Get Info
Kaplan University Online	Online	Certificate	Get Info
King's College	NC	Associate	Get Info
Minnesota School of Business	MN	Diploma	Get Info
Salter College	MA	Associate	Get Info
South Texas Vocational Technical Institute	TX	Diploma	Get Info
South University	Online	Associate, Bachelor	Get Info
Sullivan University	KY	Associate, Diploma	Get Info

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Legal Secretary Schools by State

We have some additional detailed pages at the state level for Legal Secretaries.

Numbers in parentheses are counts of relevant campus-based schools in the state; online schools may also be available.

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Legal Secretary Training Programs, Degrees and Schools

Legal Secretaries - Career Information

Metro Areas Rated for Popularity (as of 2008) for:Legal Secretaries

ALABAMA

ALASKA

ARIZONA

ARKANSAS

CALIFORNIA

COLORADO

CONNECTICUT

DELAWARE

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

FLORIDA

GEORGIA

HAWAII

IDAHO

ILLINOIS

INDIANA

IOWA

KANSAS

KENTUCKY

LOUISIANA

MAINE

MARYLAND

MASSACHUSETTS

MICHIGAN

MINNESOTA

MISSISSIPPI

MISSOURI

MONTANA

NEBRASKA

NEVADA

NEW HAMPSHIRE

NEW JERSEY

NEW MEXICO

NEW YORK

NORTH CAROLINA

NORTH DAKOTA

OHIO

OKLAHOMA

OREGON

PENNSYLVANIA

RHODE ISLAND

SOUTH CAROLINA

SOUTH DAKOTA

TENNESSEE

TEXAS

UTAH

VERMONT

VIRGINIA

WASHINGTON

WEST VIRGINIA

WISCONSIN

WYOMING

Career Stories (Job Profiles) for Legal Secretaries

Most Popular Industries (as of 2008) for:Legal Secretaries