Legal Sec v Paralegal - The Oracle - LawCareers.Net
updated on 04 April 2006
Dear Oracle
I have a law degree and have done my LPC. Having been unsuccessful in the training contract search so far, I would like to get paid work in the legal sector. I'm confused as to the difference between a paralegal and a legal secretary. Can I apply for both types of position? Or are specific qualifications needed to be a legal secretary?The Oracle replies
They are quite different positions. Legal secretaries carry out clerical and administrative tasks, assisting lawyers with their work and ensuring the efficient operation of a legal office. In essence, they are secretaries who work for lawyers. If you want to find out more, why not visit the Institute of Legal Secretaries and PAs website: www.institutelegalsecretaries.com.
Paralegals, on the other hand, are non-lawyers who work under the supervision of a lawyer and whose work is usually billed to clients. Paralegals have many duties, including drafting, document review and filing papers. If you want to find out more, why not visit the National Association of Licensed Paralegals website: www.nationalparalegals.com. Equally, we often have vacancies for paralegal positions in our Jobs section, so that is something to keep an eye on.
Experience as either a legal secretary or paralegal is certainly a worthwhile way of gaining insight into the profession, and having some exposure (to varying degrees) of the sort of work you can expect to do in a law firm. A note of caution however - we have had correspondents who have encountered trouble securing these positions because firms view the people as short-term propositions - ie, they're simply killing time on the way to a training contract. However, others have gone on to get training contracts at the firm they've been paralegalling at.
