Skip to main contentReport an accessibility problem
ASU for LifeASU for Life

Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants

Business, Management and AdministrationO*NET 43-6012.00United States

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

COMING SOON See related ASU learning
Median annual earnings
$55,568

50th percentile, United States

Projected change
−1.5%

2025 to 2035

Typical education
Associate degree

48.1% of the workforce

Employment
156.77K jobs

Growing to 154.37K by 2035

Explore this career by location

Compare nationwide estimates with state or county job-market data.

Showing United States

Loading available locations…

Build the skills

ASU learning related to this career

These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.

Loading related ASU learning

The work

What legal secretaries and administrative assistants do

Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.

  • Organize and maintain law libraries, documents, and case files.
  • Prepare and distribute invoices to bill clients or pay account expenses.
  • Mail, fax, or arrange for delivery of legal correspondence to clients, witnesses, and court officials.
  • Prepare, proofread, or process legal documents, such as summonses, subpoenas, complaints, appeals, motions, or pretrial agreements.
  • Make photocopies of correspondence, documents, and other printed matter.
  • Assist attorneys in collecting information such as employment, medical, and other records.
  • Complete various forms, such as accident reports, trial and courtroom requests, and applications for clients.
  • Receive and place telephone calls.
  • Schedule and make appointments.
  • Draft and type office memos.

Pay and outlook

What the job pays and where it is heading

Annual earnings range

Reported earnings by percentile, United States

10th percentile
$36,473
25th percentile
$44,426
50th percentile
$55,568
75th percentile
$71,970
90th percentile
$91,753

The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $55,568 and half earn less.

Employment outlook

2025 to 2035 projection

−1.5%projected to decline
2025156,766 jobs
2035 projected154,369 jobs

2,397 fewer positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.

Preparation

Education levels

What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.

Associate degree
48.1%
High school diploma or less
17.3%
Certificate
14.3%
Some college
13.2%
Bachelor's degree
7%

Skills

Skills employers ask for

Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.

  • Lawsuits
  • Proofreading
  • Legal Pleadings
  • Administrative Support
  • Legal Depositions
  • Legal Hearings
  • Calendar Management
  • Legal Discovery
  • Billing
  • Document Management Systems
  • Travel Arrangements
  • Case Management
  • Transcribing
  • Workflow Management
  • Trial Preparation
  • Invoicing
  • Office Equipment
  • Data Entry
  • Docketing (Court)
  • Civil Law

How the work gets done

Core competencies

Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.

Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Writing
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Time Management
Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Service Orientation
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Social Perceptiveness
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Coordination
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Complex Problem Solving
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Active Learning
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Judgment and Decision Making
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Persuasion
Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Learning Strategies
Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Mathematics
Using mathematics to solve problems.
Negotiation
Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Instructing
Teaching others how to do something.
Management of Personnel Resources
Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
Systems Analysis
Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.

In the market

Job titles and employers

Recent job postings in United States

Common job titles

  1. 01Legal Secretaries3,179 postings
  2. 02Litigation Secretaries523 postings
  3. 03Litigation Legal Secretaries519 postings
  4. 04Litigation Assistants252 postings
  5. 05Legal Secretaries/Paralegals241 postings
  6. 06Legal Secretaries/Receptionists148 postings
  7. 07Calendar Clerks101 postings
  8. 08Practice Assistants91 postings
  9. 09Legal Assistants/Secretaries87 postings
  10. 10Legal Clerks86 postings
  11. 11Legal Interns86 postings
  12. 12Legal Administrators77 postings
  13. 13Legal Analysts74 postings
  14. 14Office Assistants74 postings
  15. 15Docket Clerks65 postings
  16. 16Legal Secretaries/Legal Assistants59 postings
  17. 17Clerks56 postings
  18. 18Real Estate Legal Secretaries54 postings
  19. 19Legal Administrative Specialists49 postings
  20. 20Transactional Legal Secretaries49 postings

Top employers

  1. 01Robert Half630 postings
  2. 02Adams & Martin Group455 postings
  3. 03Beacon Hill Staffing Group209 postings
  4. 04GPAC103 postings
  5. 05Jobot77 postings
  6. 06Lee Hecht Harrison64 postings
  7. 07Stange Law Firm, Pc63 postings
  8. 08Goldberg Segalla62 postings
  9. 09AppleOne55 postings
  10. 10Gordon & Rees Llp55 postings
  11. 11Jackson Lewis P.C.54 postings
  12. 12Intermountain Health46 postings
  13. 13Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith Llp46 postings
  14. 14State of California44 postings
  15. 15Contact Government Services41 postings
  16. 16Ogletree Deakins41 postings
  17. 17State Farm37 postings
  18. 18Holland & Knight Llp35 postings
  19. 19DLA Piper29 postings
  20. 20Kent Daniels & Associates28 postings

Keep looking

Related careers

Accountants and Auditors

Median pay
$83,670
Employment outlook
+7.4%

Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers

Median pay
$117,853
Employment outlook
+2.5%

Administrative Services Managers

Median pay
$113,973
Employment outlook
+8.3%

Advertising and Promotions Managers

Median pay
$124,424
Employment outlook
−1.9%