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Legal Administrator Job Description

Written by: Evie Courtier
Published on: 5 Apr 2023
  • What is Legal Administration?

    Legal administration facilitates the management and organisation of legal operations within a law firm, corporation or government agency. The vital work conducted ensures that legal procedures and processes are followed in an efficient manner, from court filings and case management to legal research and document drafting.

    Working closely with both lawyers and solicitors, those in legal administrator jobs own the responsibility of overseeing the day-to-day administrative operations of the firm or department, including scheduling court depositions and hearings, managing resources and budgets, and implementing best practices to improve efficacy across the firm.

    Additionally, legal administrators may also be involved in strategic planning, client relations, and business development, helping to ensure that clients receive the highest-quality legal representation.

  • What Does a Legal Administrator Do?

    Working in legal administration will open doors to a variety of practice areas and industries. With 55% of our legal administration community conducting a hybrid working model, it harvests flexibility and the opportunity for advancement. Following a traditional career path, the work of legal administrators (having acquired niche legal expertise) transfers nicely into a paralegal or legal secretary job role.

    The scope of legal jobs in the administration world often covers:

    • Day-to-day administrative operations: ensuring that all legal work is completed efficiently, and deadlines are adhered to.
    • Document analysis: transcribing and proofreading legal documents.
    • Scheduling and revising: arranging court depositions, hearings and client meetings
    • Supervising invoices, budgets, and resources: managing the financial resources of the legal department, including creating and monitoring budgets, processing invoices, forecasting expenses, and identifying cost-saving measures.
    • Document submission: filing documents with the court ahead of deadlines.
    • General administration: filing, organising, scanning, copying and faxing legal reports and documentation.
    • Aiding the hiring and management of staff: including training and managing the administrative team, including legal secretaries, and other support personnel.
    • Developing internal procedures: envisioning and implementing policies and procedures to ensure that legal work is completed in accordance with legal and ethical standards.
    • Client and team relations: coordinating with clients and lawyers to ensure that legal services are delivered effectively.

  • How to Gain a Job in Legal Administration

    A legal administrator job description will often display the need for candidates with:

    • A bachelor's degree in a relevant field, such as business administration, or a qualification to demonstrate your expertise across the profession, such as the Legal Secretaries Diploma by ILSPA.
    • Experience as a legal secretary or administrative assistant, ideally within a law firm, or government agency. As a new starter, any office-based experience you can demonstrate will help your application process.
    • Strong organisational skills: aiding the management of schedules, documents and deadlines.
    • Technical skills: a solid understanding of the technology and software used in legal work, such as legal case and document management systems, and e-filing systems.
    • Analytical skills: demonstrating your ability to review legal documents, contracts, and other documentation to help identify potential issues.
    • A strong sense of discretion, especially when handling confidential material.