What a Legal Secretary Does
The general responsibilities of a legal secretary include answering phones, filing and maintaining electronic files, handling correspondence, and mailing and receiving documents. Many legal secretaries are also responsible for some or all of the billing for a law firm, tracking time spent and preparing and editing invoices to be sent to clients. Depending on the firm, they may also draft or review law firm documents, and will often have responsibility for calendaring meetings and filing deadlines . Other responsibilities may include drafting pleadings or other court documents in accordance with form requirements and filing bills with courts.
As a general rule, legal secretaries for larger law firms in Reno, NV, do far less specialized work than those in smaller firms or in-house counsel departments. While there will certainly be a need for paralegals in the future, legal secretaries fill an important need that paralegals do not, particularly in small and medium firms. With law firms focused on increasing their bottom lines, legal secretaries continue to be a vital part of maintaining law firm efficiency.
Legal Secretary Job Demand in the Reno Area
Although the vast expanse of the state of Nevada does not boast a great number of available positions in this field, Reno itself has exhibited both a strong history of legal secretarial job availability as well as a particularly promising projected future. As of 2016, approximately 1,000 employed legal secretaries called the greater Reno area home. While that figure is expected to dip slightly by 2026, the more recent influx of professional job opportunities may mitigate any downturn. More importantly, the regional market for legal secretary jobs is expected to grow by a robust 20 percent. For a population that is considerably smaller than nearby markets like Los Angeles or San Francisco, the heightened demand should place legal secretary employment squarely within reach for workers throughout Reno.
Skills and Experience Needed
Becoming a legal secretary in Reno, NV requires more than just a solid knowledge of typing and document formatting. Today’s legal professionals must also be familiar with computers and law office technology, have an extensive knowledge of legal terminology, and possess a variety of other hard and soft skills that make them invaluable members of any law firm. Some of the most important skills and qualifications for Reno legal secretaries include: Typing and dictation – Legal secretaries are often required to quickly complete many legal documents in one day, making a strong understanding of typing and dictation essential. Knowledge of office software – In addition to typing and dictation, legal secretaries must be familiar with various computer programs, such as word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, and accounting software. Knowledge of bookkeeping – Basic bookkeeping skills go hand-in-hand with knowledge of office software, as legal secretaries are often expected to maintain financial records for their law firms, as well as making and processing payments. Knowledge of legal terminology – Whether you’re working at a large firm specializing in many different areas of law, or you’re a legal secretary at a small firm or solo practice, you’ll need to be ready to learn a wide range of legal terminology for the different areas of law your firm practices in. Attention to detail – In the legal field, accuracy is essential to so many aspects of the job. From research to writing, a small mistake can have major consequences. Legal secretaries must be able to pay close attention to details to ensure they are completing their work accurately at all times. Strong communication skills – Legal secretaries must have the ability to communicate clearly in a variety of forms, including verbal and written communication, as well as the ability to listen and process spoken instructions clearly. Strong communication skills are often put to the test in the form of client contact, which legal secretaries must be ready to handle with professionalism and tact. Time management – Reno legal secretaries must have the ability to quickly prioritize their tasks, as well as delegate tasks to other staff members when the need arises. It is crucial to the success of a law office that its secretarial staff get their work done quickly and efficiently. If you have these skills and qualifications, a career as a legal secretary in Reno could be your next opportunity.
Education Requirements
One of the top ways for aspiring legal secretaries to boost their employability in the Reno legal job market is through relevant coursework and certifications. Many community colleges and national organizations offer these courses designed to add value to one’s resume.
Aspiring legal secretaries should look into legal administration programs that include courses that impart vital knowledge of terminology, formats, and processes, including:
Relevant programs span across Northern Nevada and the United States, including:
Reno’s two major community colleges – Western Nevada and Truckee Meadows – offer multiple legal programs that can be completed online and provide opportunities for employment.
Truckee Meadows offers a variety of online and in-person continuing legal education (CLE) courses, including contracts law, digital & social media, and estate planning & probate law. Their Legal Secretary course is available on their campus.
Western Nevada offers an online Associate of Applied Science in Paralegal Studies that provides the essential education and job-training needed to become a legal secretary. They also provide multiple CLE courses that specialize in business law, criminal law, and civil litigation.
Companies Employing Legal Secretaries in the Reno Area
Shepherd Smith Edwards and Kanta, LLC is a financial litigation firm working with institutional investors and individual investors. Founded in 1997, this firm has represented thousands of clients nationwide, recovering hundreds of millions of dollars. While cases are handled on a contingency basis, requiring no upfront cost to the investor, cases can be quite complex. Qualified staff members such as legal secretaries are necessary to assist on these cases.
Benson Lee is a bankruptcy, tax, and business law firm. The firm’s sole focus is helping businesses and individual taxpayers throughout the state of Nevada. Legal secretaries with experience in bankruptcy law should find good opportunities with the firm . Legal secretaries who enjoy working in a fast-paced environment and have an eye for detail will find this a desirable place to work. The small staff has decades of combined experience representing various clients, from individuals to multinational corporations.
Eccleston & Wolf specializes in employment law and civil litigation. Our attorneys have decades of experience representing clients of various sizes and types. From labor law violations to discrimination cases, we conduct all types of legal proceedings. We have an opening for a full-time, highly motivated legal secretary and are looking for people with strong attention to detail, knowledge of the e-filing system, and familiarity with the local courts.
Compensation and Benefits
The average salary for legal secretaries in Reno, NV, is typically in line with the national average, usually hovering between $55,000-$65,000 per year. Experienced legal secretaries, especially those with specialized skills, may earn salaries closer to $70,000 or $75,000 annually. The cost of living in Reno is slightly lower than the national average, making these salaries offer a considerable level of comfort.
Benefits that are common for legal secretaries include health insurance and retirement plans. With some employers, it’s possible to find even better benefits packages that may include bonuses, generous paid time off, the possibility to telecommute, and flexible work hours. Advancement in this profession comes down to developing key technical skills and a comprehensive knowledge of various law office practices and procedures. Because many legal secretaries have law firm experience, they have the potential to advance into paralegal positions or other managerial-level roles. Paralegal certification will expand employment opportunities even further.
Opportunities for Promotion
As legal secretaries in Reno, Nevada work within their respective law firms, they may discover additional career advancement opportunities that are available to them. One possibility is the opportunity to move into a paralegal position, which requires both training and experience. Depending on the firm and the experience of the legal secretary, it is not uncommon for them to be promoted into a paralegal position with additional compensation and responsibilities.
While many paralegals specialize within one particular practice area, legal secretaries may have the unique opportunity to explore different practice areas if they are promoted into a paralegal position. For example, a legal secretary working in family law may be promoted into a paralegal role and work within intellectual property. Moving into and excelling at a paralegal position is a natural career progression for legal secretaries who are adept at organizing and documenting information, communicating professionally in writing, and conducting legal research.
A common move for legal secretaries who want to stay within the field of law but seek different opportunities for advancement is to take on administrative roles within law firms. A small or mid-sized firm may not have the resources or financial capital to hire a dedicated receptionist, billing specialist, and office administrator; rather, they expect their employees to wear multiple hats. Legal secretaries who choose to transition into an administrative role may oversee several different aspects of a firm, including hearing dates, billable hours, maintaining files, and even managing the attorneys’ calendars. With their attention to detail and broad understanding of different functions within the firm, legal secretaries are often the perfect candidates for the job.
Seeking employment within a corporation or government agency is another career advancement option for legal secretaries. In this setting, they might work for in-house counsel, who are corporate lawyers that offer services internally rather than work with outside clients. Legal secretaries can choose to work within a number of practice areas, including corporate consolidation, environmental law, intellectual property, antitrust, corporate governance, executive compensation and employee benefits, international business law, real estate, and tax law.
Legal secretaries also have the option of pursuing opportunities in other types of administrative or clerical roles outside of the traditional law environment. Other professions that often require similar knowledge and skill sets include contracts administrator, executive assistant, law office manager, legal account manager, contract specialist, or commercial agency representative.
In addition to traditional opportunities for advancement, continuing education is another important aspect of career development for legal secretaries. Because these professionals work within the ever-changing world of law, it is imperative that they remain up-to-date on the latest technology, as well as continued legal and administrative education.
Connecting with Other Legal Professionals
Networking and professional development continue to play a crucial role in the legal field, and the position of a legal secretary is no exception. For those working or aspiring to work as legal secretaries in Reno, it is important to nurture and expand your professional network while also pursuing avenues for continuing education.
Local professional organizations such as the Northern Nevada Association of Legal Secretaries (NNALS) facilitate interaction among Reno’s legal secretaries and provide them with opportunities to connect with peers in their field. Membership in NNALS can provide access to informational meetings, networking events, and professional development workshops that help secretaries keep abreast of industry trends, and improve their support skills for the legal professionals they work alongside.
The National Association of Legal Secretaries (NALS), a renowned association dedicated to professional growth for legal support professionals, provides additional opportunities for networking and education. NALS Nevada located in Las Vegas frequently hosts workshops and conferences that legal secretaries from Reno can attend.
Nevada Law Day , conducted annually by the Washoe County Bar Association, is another way to meet like-minded individuals and expand your professional network. This full-day event is attended by legal professionals from all across the state, and it offers opportunities to learn from some of the best lawyers and judges in the region.
Additionally, the Reno chapter of the National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA) is an excellent venue for networking with legal secretaries and other legal professionals, including paralegals and support staff. Throughout the year, opportunities for networking and professional development arise in the form of workshops, roundtable discussions, and other programs.
Education is an important part of furthering any profession, and continuing education is especially important when it comes to the fast-paced, ever-changing world of the law. Legal secretaries must be proactive about seeking educational opportunities so that they can serve their employers, the legal professionals they work with, to the best of their ability.