A legal secretary is responsible for more than general office duties such as making appointments, letter writing, answering the telephone, and greeting visitors. Many take on roles that tend more towards paralegal duties. If you become a legal secretary, you will need to be adaptable and flexible, as well as having a good understanding of legal terms, and the criminal justice system. As the administrative workload for attorneys increases, legal secretaries and paralegals are in great demand. They carry out simple and standard procedures ranging from preparing legal papers to verifying facts and information under the supervision of an attorney or more senior paralegal. If you become a legal secretary you might deal with the preparation of summonses, complaints, motions, legal responses, and subpoenas on a daily basis. You may even be involved in researching precedents and laws.

To become a legal secretary, clearly you will need word-processing and basic computer and typing skills. Some legal secretaries take a two-year degree in a subject such as criminal justice, to help their understanding; others pursue vocational training at a community college. Career progression often takes the form of gaining further experience and qualifications to become a fully-fledged paralegal. There are several organizations that can confer legal secretary certification and training, and aim to look after the interests of professionals in this field.

The following schools offer criminal justice degrees which can help you gain the skills to become a Legal Secretary: